Categories: uncategorized
Date: 21 January 2009 08:42:58
Sometimes I wonder who's the higher level theology student in our flat, me or Third Party. Whilst I have been sitting muttering in the corner recently about the fact Obama is likely to leave people disappointed, and give that same feeling Blair did, Third Party has been looking at it on a whole deeper level.
Last week she pointed out that Obama wasn't Jesus but people seemed to be treating him like he was. Last night she had changed direction slightly, but was still keeping on the messianic theme. In the mist of watching it all, (and me muttering in the corner), she turned round and said that Obama is actually quite like Jesus in that people seem to be expecting a particular type of change from him that isn't likely to occur because he is working to a different agenda. His type of change and way of working is not going to be exactly what the American people seem to be hoping for. He will deliver some of what they want but he'll also deliver on different stuff aswell, stuff they might not understand. So she reckoned the whole Obama thing was probably going to be useful in helping understand Jesus.
Well, once I had caught my breath I started thinking about it. There has been something very messianic about it all. The BBC at one point were asking whether Obama had fulfilled Martin Luther King Jr's dream. This theme is v. much saying is this the man who is going to fulfil the prophecy?
Well, here's my take on it. Obama isn't the messiah, (or indeed a very naughty boy). Rather he can be seen as another pointer to the real messiah and the kingdom of God. In some ways yesterday represented a tangible sign of a partial realised escatology.
Oridnary men and women of faith were among those at the forefront of the campaign against racism and racial segregation, (let us not forget Martin Luther King Jr was a clergyman). They were fighting for justice and for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven in terms of a totally equal earth reflecting the integrated and just nature of heaven where nobody is subject to oppression by another and the image of God is recognised in all. Yesterday when the worlds most politically powerful country swore in a black president it was evidence that whilst not fully achieved that aspect of the kingdom of heaven is breaking in on earth.
So yes, Obama will let us down and not fulfil our dreams or expectations because he is only a man and as such is fallible. He isn't the fulfilment of prophecy but he is a sign of hope and an indicator that one day the prophecy will be fully realised when the kingdom of God is fully realised on earth. We should see Obama as a symbol of hope and a symbol of what faith in action can achieve.