Serving Bread

Welcome to the last day of the local convention. The theme has been “Kingdom First.” Today’s topic: Real Transformation.

Both candidates are promising that they will bring change to Washington. They point out the ways that things are broken and argue that only they are uniquely capable to bring real and lasting change.

McCain has painted himself as the maverick and the reformer with experience. He (and his supporters) claim that he has the record and motivation to change Washington. He even issued a warning to all those Washington people who are “Me first, Country second… Change is coming!”

Obama argues that Washington needs a new kind of politics and he is the man to bring the change. His motto from the beginning of his campaign has been, “Yes we can!” He has inspired millions of people to have hope that the things we idealize can be realized.

Both men want to bring positive change to our government and to our country. Both see issues and evils in the world that need to be addressed.

Obama recently said, “Change happens from the bottom up. Most Americans say, ‘we imagine a world not as it is but as it should be.’” He went on to say that he wants to be the kind of president who inspires that kind of motivation in people. Obama is absolutely right. (I don’t say this as an endorsement)

Change and transformation happen from the bottom up and the inspiration will not and should not come from a president but from the local church. Bill Hybels once said, “the local church is the hope for the world.” What he meant with that statement is that churches have the opportunity and the commission to bring transformation to local communities. Churches inspire the best in people. Transformation will not come because of a president or a message but because people are motivated and moved by the love of God in their lives.

I fear that we can put too much stock into our leaders. We stake our hope on their rhetoric only to be disappointed by their inaction. I appreciate any inspiration and any change that our government pursues. But my hope for change in this country—whether it be alleviating poverty, caring for the needy, or promoting racial reconciliation (to name a few)—is not because of who is in office, but because I see Christians moved by the Spirit and operate fully in their calling.

People will be disappointed if their candidate does not win, but let’s be careful on how we articulate that disappointment. Real change doesn’t come from the top. It happens from the bottom up. We don’t stake our hope on a president who inspires but on a God who inspires and makes possible to imagine a world as it should be.

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