Hopeful

What a day. I’m not a very partisan person, but I have to say… I think the world exhaled a bit as that helicopter flew off to the land of Florida yesterday morning.

Biden is growing on me… Like, a lot. For starters, his faith seems strong. Formed by personal pain, suffering, and healing.

Please know that I’m not saying that one has to go to church to be ‘good’. I know plenty of folks who’ve basically never stepped foot in a church and I envy their goodness. But nonetheless, it’s nice to have a leader who doesn’t just misappropriate Jesus for personal/tribal glory. It seems to soften Biden. Which is refreshing.

It’s so nice to hear a uniting message from that hallowed platform. One that’s about “us” and not just “me”. This is the first president that I’ve seen in my life who seems to be more of a coalition builder rather than an individual brand or icon.

Of course, we do have to be careful about idolatry. We’ve seen time and time again throughout history where that leads. I pray for us as this transition happens knowing that it is the unfolding of something far beyond what I can comprehend.

Yes, there will always be a shadow side of any human. The president doesn’t escape this reality. Nor does the vice president (btw, of course, an amazing day for women — I felt it deeply as a father of a daughter). But tonight, though my expectations remain low, I know that God works wonders in my low expectations and Christ shows up in the unexpected.

In this, I’m hopeful. Happy Inauguration Day.

This post was published first in The Jonasletter. To get my notes in your handy dandy email inbox as soon as they’re published, click here to subscribe.