A Response to Prophets: Obama and the Economy

Lately, I've seen some emails, forwarded messages, mostly, that are snippets of prophetic warnings. Interestingly enough, they are mainly concerned with two things: Barack Obama and the tanking economy.

It's true, Barack Obama has a horrible voting record on abortion, but what we often forget is that it is not any different from that of the Democratic Party that he represents. Remember the Clintons? Sure, he is the Clinton's times 10, but the culture of death has also gotten vehemently stronger since the 1990s. So, when I think of Obama's abortion record, not only does it not surprise me, but I see it as a reflection of the particular culture we are in. He's bad on issues of life, but we need to remember that politicians often reflect the sentiments of those they represent, and who places them in power--despite how charismatic and trustworthy they seem to be.

The other thing that these modern prophets have on Obama is his message of hope and peoples' response to it. However, do you remember the spiritual or religious revolution of the late 19th century? Jehova's Witnesses, the Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, all came out of that particular climate. From what I understand, that climate wasn't unlike ours is right now. People were thirsty for a relief from poverty and hopelessness. I will bet anything to say that if you looked throughout history and examined the points when a country's morale was low, you will find one figure that roused hope in the hearts of his people. So, should we be surprised about Obama as if he were an historical anomaly? Not at all. In fact, the response to his message is very predictable given the cultural climate that the West is in right now. In fact, how do we know that the hope and unity that Obama is proclaiming is not unlike the hope and unity that Christ wants for us? Certainly, the abortion thing is a huge elephant in the room if we want to talk about comparing Obama with the message of Jesus Christ.

However, if we are to believe that all mythologies and religions find their fulfillment and aim in the person of Jesus Christ, then why not the messages of particular people? Look at some of the mythologies for a second and think about what this means. It means that there were elements in Aztec devotions that point, albeit imperfectly, or at least find their true satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Granted, and this is key, not all actions performed in the name of faith, and even in the name of Jesus, were what Jesus would have wanted or done, but they do find their ultimate goal in his revelation. All religious practices find what they are looking for in Jesus, in the sense that they are performed in order to sacramentally encounter the God of all life. Embedded within the human heart is a longing for this source, for this person who is our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Back to our original topic, why not Obama's message of unity and hope: the hope that things can and do change, especially when we work together. What is so wrong about this message that equates him with the antichrist? Why can't his message be touched by the redeeming power of God? Can we not hope that his policies on abortion can change, or is it all lost? How does the appearance of this man, at this point in history, mark the end of all time? The answer, or at least what I believe these prophets would say, is a matter of mathematics. A certain series of events, happening all at once, signify an even bigger event than all of them put together. In this case: armageddon. This part of the equation is the algebraic "e": our economy.

We have to place this current economic crisis into perspective. When people speak about it, they often claim that it hasn't been this bad since the 1980s, or since the 1930s, or even earlier. Just this morning, I heard one of Canada's richest persons, Stephen Jarislowsky , speak about how Japan experienced a similar economic crisis years ago, and has since pulled through. I suggest that you listen to what he has to say, it is really quite interesting. Although there are significant markers that are unique to this current crisis, as Mr. Jarislowsky points out, I am not sure that they are significant enough to claim they are signaling the end of all time.





P.S.
Interestingly enough, Obama wasn't the only wanna-be President preaching change, and he certainly wasn't the first. He was, however, the most well-endowed with the necessary cash, celebrities, and panache to pull of the message of change. Check out Sen. Ron Paul, for example. He was preaching this message of change long before Obama began, it's just that Obama did it better. We can call Obama an opportunistic politician, really. He is strongly supported by typical Democratic supporters like Planned Parenthood, and remember too that Americans were thirsty for a change in political leadership. Obama gave them what they wanted and what he needed to be more successful. Is he insincere? He might be, time will tell. I do think, however, that he sincerely wants to help his people the best way he knows how--especially if it means that he gets paid.