The grace of delayed inauguration

It's been over a month since Sen. Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential race. However, citizens of America still have to wait more than six weeks before he actually takes office.

In the meantime, President George W. Bush will remain the country's lame duck.

All of the passion, optimism and excitement surrounding Obama's campaign have encountered something of a wall here. It's almost palpable - the end of the presidential campaign has left a gaping hole in the news and everyday discussion. If news programs want to cover an Obama story, they sometimes have to wait for one of his press conferences involving the announcement of his future "team of rivals."

It might be me, but I find these announcements of Obama's future cabinet members to be a bit humorous. He stands behind a lectern showing a quasi-official "The Office of the President-Elect" sign, giving press conferences with all of these yet-to-be-important parts of his presidency standing beside him.

Those scenes remind me of some sort of amateur production. It almost seems fake, as if Obama and his friends are pretending. Yet these press conferences are immensely important events and are strong hints at what is to come.

It seems to me like a fairly strong fragrance of the current state of our world and what's to come, according to the Bible.

There is a lame duck ruler of this world - "the prince of the power of the air" - that is officially usurped, but not yet.

However, a new leader is fast approaching this throne. He has already won the race but has yet to officially take his rightful place.

There is a delayed inauguration here.

Now, in Obama's case, many of those who did not vote for him could care less about this delay. In fact, they might be wishing that the inauguration would be pushed even further back.

Those who did vote for Obama probably feel very differently. They are likely to be champing at the bit to see Jan. 20 come, wanting nothing more than to see that date moved up.

Either way, the day is coming.

But there is a major difference between the U.S. presidential election process and the notion of the Second Coming - and it is founded on grace.

Once you vote for a presidential candidate, that's it - you can't claim to have supported Obama when you voted for McCain, and vice versa. Your vote is final and irreversible. For those who didn't vote, they can't claim to have supported anyone.

While anyone who initially opposed Obama may throw their support behind him once they observe his quality in office, it will always be polluted by their original decision. The same goes for those who supported Obama and later choose to frown on his presidency. Look at politicians and their stances on the decision to invade Iraq - it doesn't matter a bit to the public what they think now. What matters most is what they thought at the outset.

In terms of the spiritual realm, many have already voted - some for Jesus, some against him and many still undecided (or apathetic).

For many Christians, especially those suffering deep pains and sorrows, the Second Coming couldn't come soon enough. In fact, many pray for that day to come as soon as possible. Some flippantly utter this longing, while others cry these words out from the depths of their tortured hearts.

I won't say that this is wrong, but I will say that if the ending of personal pain and suffering is the only aspect to any Christian's yearning for the Second Coming, it is a very selfish, parochial one that is in need of maturity and a further nearness to the heart of the Gospel.

The delay in Christ's establishment as the rightful ruler of this earth is an undeniable, incredible expression of grace - towards those who have already voted for him, and those that have yet to.

For those who have voted against him, are confused or have decided that this matter is not one of importance (or one that even exists) to them, this delayed inauguration allows them the chance to fix their sails, right their ships and either change their minds or choose the right side.

For Christians, among the many joys of lingering on this earth, one is the participation in the experience of grace for unbelievers mentioned above.

Each time one chooses God's side, it's not too far from the public appointments of officials to Obama's political team. We are a variegated group of flawed people who appear to be playing make-believe. The signs still don't appear official, the setting is less than glorious and we stand behind a leader that has yet to be officially inaugurated.

But if this delayed fulfillment means grace to all, especially those who have yet to find this joy that is ours now, then it becomes difficult to call for inauguration day to be pushed up, and in a sense, it even seems somewhat desirable to have this good day pushed back indefinitely.

The Enemy's lame duck term is nearing its end, just as President Bush's is, to the joy of many. The only difference is that Satan does not have the option of pardoning himself.

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the Devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely. I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side. God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else -- something it never entered your head to conceive -- comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it. - C.S. Lewis (emphasis added)

* Note: I am not implying that Obama is the equivalent of Jesus, or that Bush is the equivalent of Satan, though many might. There are merely parallels that I thought worthy of highlighting. Nothing more.