President Obama was re-elected for a second term last night, and an exuberant base of supporters dreamed of progress in the coming four years.
Obama’s acceptance speech, and Romney’s concession speech had under-tones of faith and hope as they expressed a willingness to work with each other in Obama’s second term.
As Mitt Romney delayed conceding the victory too long for some, he took the stage in defeat graciously. “This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.”
Prayer will be needed as Obama enters another term where the Republicans have the house majority and the Democrats have the senate. Optimism for the left-wing is on simmer as several Republicans have vowed not to budge in passing some of Obama’s more scrutinized initiatives.
“In the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together – reducing our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do,” Obama said convincingly.
Obama celebrates victory following his acceptance speech.
Obama’s bi-partisan efforts will leave the incumbent in a familiar place of working with a party who’s not willing to meet the President half way. Without calling Senate leaders out directly, Obama reiterated the need for stubbornness to be put aside for the good of America.
“We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America.”
As President Obama gears up for the challenge of uniting a country after a heated campaign he fore-shadows God’s grace as playing a major role in the coming days.
“Together with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.”
As the President closed his speech with the familiar ending of ‘God Bless America’ echoed by so many politicians during speeches, you have to wonder how much prayer goes into the decisions that political leaders make.
A grueling Republican primary, two party conventions, and three heated debates has culminated a re-charged Democratic party and a bitter Republican base.
One thing we can do as Christians around the world and as Americans, is rally our Government to bi-partisan solutions through prayer.
God Bless America is right. But lets follow that up with action!
