i asked my mom

"why did you vote for obama?"
she said (in korean), "b/c he's young and i think he can bring a different kind of change."

hahah, sweetness. i think that's right.

i love obama for his idealism, that's coupled with his realism.

and i hope that as we've entered a season of some major turmoil, that we would embrace the dissonance that offers us a chance to change and move toward hope. i suspect there will be quite a bit of growing pains with the values and ideals that obama brings to our table.

we're likely to say...
"huh?"
"is that what i signed up for?"
"i don't know about that.... that's too much for me"
"what is he doing? he's making things worse!"
"things were better before him"

i hope we remember the truth of our present reality and the hope of tomorrow when those times arise.

i believe that authentic and true lasting change only comes with suffering. it comes with our willingness to fully engage with that pain.
to really listen.
and hear.
and respond.
-- to be proactive and to trust.

i love hope because it keeps us -- it keeps me - looking to the source of that hope: jesus.