Change isn't coming - it's already happened.

I'm sure everyone's heard about the recent Obama win in the US elections. Like many, I'll reserve judgement about how much change he'll really bring about - some things can only be seen when the rubber hits the road, so to speak. What I am excited about, however, is the fundamental change in society we are seeing.

I think it's lost on many of us as to how AMAZING an African-American becoming president is.

Being a hobbyist photographer, I think a picture speaks a thousand words. This photo was taken by Lawrence Beitler in 1930, and shows a racist mob taking two black men from a local jail and hanging them. This was not a group of fringe fanatics - such a scene was not really considered outrageous back then. And mind you - this was less than 80 years ago in the USA. Many of us would still have relatives from that period who are still alive!

Up to the 1960s, black people had limited rights to vote. (especially the women) In a well documented case, Amelia Boynton, a black woman, tried to register to vote during the elections as a protest against her lack of voting rights. For this, she was arrested and thrown into jail.

It took a few more years for the Voting Rights Act to be passed, enabling blacks to once again have voting rights. Even then, the racist attitudes and hatred were still deeply embedded in society (for example, blacks were still not allowed to use PUBLIC toilets). Again remember: this was barely 50 years ago (my parents grew up in this era!).

So please excuse me for getting excited about the fact that USA has voted in an African American president by democratic vote. I find it amazing that in the relatively short span of 50-80years, we have gone from lynching the blacks to voting one of them into the White House. And its not just because people hate the Republicans - surveys and statistics have shown repeatedly that there was actually EXCITEMENT about the prospect of having Obama as president (as compared to having the Republicans out). Heck, the sheer size of Obama's rallies is a giveaway as to how enthusiastic the crowds were about him.

At this point, I'll just make a final comment about eschatology. Last week we had a sermon about how the world is going to pieces and is getting worse and worse. No offense to anyone, but I simply cannot and will not agree with such a pessimistic, dispensationalist view of human history. I don't know about you, but I would rather live in the world today, than in a world completely ruled by racism, hatred, greed and injustice(not that those things aren't around anymore!). The very fact that we see these stalwarts of human sin being penetrated and broken down, is a testimony to the fact that by God's grace made available through the transforming work on the Cross, the world can change for the better.