Imagine a President...

Matthew 25:35-36 ---> For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

We had the privilege of having an amazing speaker talk to us tonight about her decision to support Presidential Candidate, Senator Barack Obama and interestingly enough be pro-life.

Mara Vanderslice is the organizing force behind the Matthew 25 Network. Let me tell you, what a blessing and what a great treat it was to have her on Azusa Pacific's campus. She brought a fresh breath and a great point of view that many evangelical Christians today don't necessarily are happy to accept.

I personally support Barack Obama for President of the United States as well. I support him because of the issues that are important to me. Immigration is number 1. Although McCain was a strong support of Immigrant Reform and even co-sponsored an immigration reform act in 2006 with Senator Ted Kennedy, he has said that he would vote against his own bill. Don't believe me?

From The 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley on January 30, 2008

Q: Your 2006 immigration proposal was much broader and included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who were already here. At this point, if your original proposal came to a vote on the Senate floor, would you vote for it?

A: No, because we know what the situation is today. So to say that that would come to the floor of the Senate, it won't. We went through various amendments which prevented that proposal. We will secure the borders first when I am president. I know how to do that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls, and vehicle barriers, and sensors, and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured. Then we will move onto the other aspects of this issue, as importantly as tamper-proof biometric documents, which then, unless an employer hires someone with those documents, that employer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That will cause a lot of people to leave voluntarily.

This blog is not to talk about immigration and which president is best for the job on that issue. I'll leave that conversation for another post.

After hearing and getting to know a little more about the Matthew 25 network and really focusing on the Christian perspective of the candidates, I have intertwined my top concerns such as immigration within a Christian perspective. Barack Obama really a great example of what Jesus called us to do.

When asked about how she can trust Senator Obama, assuming that there are some questionable things in his past and his lack of experience, Vanderslice answered the question with such poise and such a profound way, I swear it could had convinced even the most conservatives. (Maybe Not, but I can dream)

She said, and I am not quoting her... (I will have a copy of her discussion later to maybe post some video footage of the event)... Senator Barack Obama, having gone to Colombia University, Harvard Law School and been President of the Harvard Law Review... knowing that this man could had made a lot of money, been a very powerful man, decided to go to Chicago and help the underpriviliged.

After Colombia University, He became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. Ring a bell? (Matthew 25)

Went back to school and graduate from Harvard Law and what did he do after? Went back to Chicago and became a CIVIL RIGHTS lawyer and a professor.

... Still Paraphrasing with what Vanderslice said...

He has been married to one wife for 16 years. Talk about Obama, look at his wife... After graduating from Harvard, Michelle worked as a corporate lawyer and she realized it was not her calling... so she left and went back to helping the community she loves. She worked for City Hall, becoming the assistant commissioner of planning and development. Then she became the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares young people for public service. Today, more than 350 young leaders have graduated from Public Allies Chicago.

Barack and Michelle have an amazing family with 3 beautiful girls.

...In my house we give glory to achievement, self-respect and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives."
- Father’s Day Speech, Chicago, IL, June 2008

That is trust. That is why Vanderslice trust him... He is morally acting on the calling of Jesus Christ and has strong family values.

"My Bible tells me that when God sent his only Son to Earth, it was to heal the sick and comfort the weary; to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; to befriend the outcast and redeem those who strayed from righteousness.

Living His example is the hardest kind of faith - but it is surely the most rewarding. It is a way of life that can not only light our way as people of faith, but guide us to a new and better politics as Americans."
- Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA, December 2006

This is the type of president I want to have. Is he going to make mistake... of course... is he going to go against things people believe... yes... is he going to be perfect... no.

Is he going to try to live an honorary example of what our Jesus Christ called us to do, to love our neighbors as ourselves? I cannot be certain but I can trust him to work his butt off to do this everyday of his life, now, tomorrow and forever.

We all screw up... Lets keep in mind! Barack is human, a Christian, a sinner and a brother in Christ who will make mistakes... Do you?

I know I do.