A few times last week I received an email saying “Pray for Obama by using Psalm 109:8″.
It reads, “Let his days be few and let another take his office.” If you watch the youtube clip, they’ll tell you the next verse. I know people sent it as a joke but I’m no longer sure that people are joking anymore.
I saw this video with Franky Schaeffer on Brian McLaren’s site and thought to share it with my readers. Schaeffer’s book “Addicted to Mediocrity” was very influential for me during my Liberty University years. I’m sure he’d say he’s changed a lot since that publication and I have too. Regardless, he says plenty for us believers to consider here:
When I saw the teddy bear, I actually began wondering if this was a joke. But it’s not. In fact, Cafe Press actually released this statement stating that this merchandise will no longer be available. Now I should say that I do not agree totally with Schaeffer. I do not identify myself as a member of the Religious Right but I do not actually see the Right as the “American version of the Taliban”. That said, things like this make his case hard to disprove. Whether you consider yourself on the Right, post-Right, moderate, whatever, if you are a Christian, you can not tolerate this.
Certainly I am in no position to actually determine whether this project was actually started by a Christian but too many are certainly behind it. (My theory is a clever businessman started this, offered his services to ultra right wing personalities and enough people thought it was funny so here we are but I could be very wrong). Anyway, this ridiculous campaign reminds me of that scene in the movie Saved! where Mandy Moore’s character throws a Bible at the back of her “sinful” friend Mary while screaming, “I am full of the love of Jesus!”. Most would agree that was a bit contradictory and not Christian.
To be Christian is to be a praying people. Very quickly someone will say, “Yes, Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies and Paul reminds us too …”. Certainly this is true but to be Christian, we should be extremely careful in even regarding someone as an enemy. Frankly, I am not convinced that Obama can even be called an enemy but everyone is entitled to their own conviction. Jesus told us to love all. Among the most loving, the most Christian thing to do is to care for those we passionately disagree with, to serve the persecutor and to truly pray in a manner that brings glory to God. Otherwise, we are not worthy of the blood of the cross, we are nothing but spoiled brats who arrogantly speak of a god who is not just, nor compassionate, nor anything that resembles the triune One of Scripture. That is an idea created by those who wish to create a god that loves and hates the same things they do – that’s an idol, not the true and living God.
Thanks Tim, well said. I’ve also been rather frustrated with all of this Psalm 109:8 stuff myself.
How did you know that’s how I started the bumper stickers (No, it wasn’t me but that is certainly how I would do it :)? To be honest I knew non of this to be happening and am quite taken back. I voted for McCain and Bush before him and have always been disappointed in how many Americans treat and refer to our leadership. Christians should know better. As many things often are the Bible is pretty specific not only in the references that you listed but even in Romans 13:1 and Daniel 4:7 (…That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.). Being a young Christian father I have made it appoint to have my son pray every night before he goes to sleep. One of the items being past on is to lift up the leadership God has put over us both in our country and our church. That they might seek and know His will, and then have the courage to act upon it.
It seems that the people who have the most trouble displaying humility are the ones who profess to follow the most humble.
I am not as much a biblical scholar so I can’t verify if what I have heard is true, but to add another layer I read something the other day which simply put says that the perspective of those words is not 100% clear either and may actually be enemies of God. Link below to the aritcle I read that on. Perspective???
http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/12/this-pray-for-obama-bumper-sti.html
Hey Brian thanks for your comment.
Thanks also for the helpful link to Scot’s link.
Indeed his words to add another layer.
“Here’s the sad and tragic irony: interpreters today (Goldingay, Alter) agree that vv. 6-19 are the words of the opponents, the accusers, the enemies of God’s king (David) and not the words of the man of God! I have italicized those words. In other words, these folks have clipped — probably reading the psalm mistakenly — words from the opponents of God and used for themselves.”
I trust Scot’s thoughts. This is something to look into. Either way though, for me hating and wishing the demise of someone is not Christian.