Last night our president gave his State of the Union address. I chose not to watch it, but this morning, the news was filled with it, Facebook was lit up with comments, and all the pundits Right and Left were giving their spin on it. From substantive issues like the economy and terrorism to petty swipes such as when he mentioned that he wouldn't be running again, prompting applause from the Republicans, followed by his quick rejoinder that he had already won twice, culminating in the Right calling him vindictive; it was all being dissected in detail. Personally, though I am no fan of his policies, I thought his response to their applause was fair game, and the Right's complaints about it are childish.
Two years ago, I would have watched the speech, listened to the commentary, read every post on Facebook, and gotten myself worked into a dither over his promise to exercise his veto power and bypass Congress if need be. I walked down that road for years, and it didn't change national policy and didn't improve anything. It only made me miserable. So today I skipped all the hot air, and later as Linda and I were driving home from a bit of shopping in Dunkirk, we talked about it all, which reaffirmed my commitment of two years ago to leave all that behind and focus on the things for which I am thankful. I've become somewhat of a cynic when it comes to politics. I vote; I will do my part, but I really am not expecting the government to actually improve our lives. My life is grounded in Christ, not in whether my political party is in power, for even if it is, they will not usher in the kingdom of God, no matter what they say. The old gospel song says it well: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Some may see this as abdication of my responsibilities as a citizen; for me, it is my sanity and peace.
Those were my thoughts on election night. I voted, I will sleep well, and tomorrow, not matter who wins what election, God is still on the throne and He would remain my hope.
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