Thorburn Family

What a momentous day!   I watched the inauguration online and was unexpectedly moved by the significance of this day.  I’ll tell you right off the bat that I didn’t have to think twice about the decision to not vote Obama, though I find him to be charismatic, inspiring, and as presidents go, he’s not bad looking either  ;-).   I am thankful to live in this country where we have the right to vote for the man or woman whose policies most closely line up with our own values, and I did that on election day.   The nation has spoken and ultimately, God himself has placed Mr. Obama in the position of our new president (Psalm 75:5-7; Daniel 2:20-21; Daniel 4:17; Proverbs 21:1) for His own good purposes.  We’ll happily honor and respect him as our president, and pray for him, his family, and his presidency.

Since adopting Benjamin who, like Mr. Obama, is half-African American and half “white,” the matter of race and race relations has taken on a new light for us.   I never expected it to be something we thought about much because a lot of people assume Benjamin is Latino and “he’s not that dark,” but we still find ourselves tuned-in to racism and the history of black Americans in our country.   In some areas, being of mixed race is even worse.   Friends of ours who have AA children through adoption have been assaulted by blacks and whites alike!   Sometimes when I hear little racist comments by others, especially under the guise of a twisted version of “Christianity,” I have to struggle to keep my “Mama Bear” in check.  I was watching Ben sleep in his nap a few minutes ago — he is incredibly beautiful!   He doesn’t even notice race at this point, though I know that will change eventually.   It amazes me that, based only on the color of his skin or the biological heritage he has been given by his Creator, someone could hate him or think he was less than another person of a different race.   This story is as old as the world, of course… African Americans are not the only group of people who have been segregated and limited in a society based on the color of their skin.  Still, they are the ones our country has discriminated against the most in recent history.

So, the Thorburns are rejoicing this Inauguration Day that our country seems to have come a little bit farther in one area at least, and that is of race relations. I think what this day must mean for all the elderly soldiers of African descent who fought for our country but were never acknowledged, who were treated better in a German prisoner of war camp than they were when they finally made it home.   I think of the mothers who had to explain to their little children why they could not attend college or even ride in the front of the bus, but who can dream of bigger things for their grandchildren. It was good to see a brown hand on the Bible today and know that when my son memorizes the presidents someday, it will include one guy with skin similar to his own.  It hits us much more deeply than we anticipated.

God knows what He is doing with this country of ours and our duties remain the same as they were yesterday. Our confidence rests in Him alone, regardless of who is in the White House.   There are two things we wanted to include in this post.   First a prayer for our new president, so beautifully written by Al Mohler:   http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3113

Second, a plug for the book One Blood — The Biblical Answer To Racism  by Ken Ham.

Micah 6:8  ”He has shown you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee:   but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” 

May God bless America!