Election Results

Since I had to finally check work e-mail yesterday I didn't get to actually do a blog post, so here is my official post election post. I obviously am very happy about the results, and feel inspired after sitting with a group of about 75 people to watch McCain's concession speech and Obama's acceptance speech (both of which were very good by the way). We don't have phones or TV in our rooms here, so everyone has been cut off from the world since Sunday. Tuesday night they brought a TV in for us to watch election results, but we had been out at the reserve until 8:30 our time, which is obviously very, very late east coast time. So as we walked in from the bus McCain had just begun his speech. It was kinda surreal after having been cut off from the election hub-ub all day!

So this is my only comment is those who did not vote for Obama. Choose to hope that good will come to the world rather than assuming it won't just because a different party is in office. I've had a lot of political meditations this year and when it comes down to it, Americans have a choice whether to support their leadership or not - for good or bad. Over the past 8 years people have chosen to support of our leadership less and less, and I for one am excited to have a president in the office that can inspire hope rather than fear. In the end that is why I voted for Obama, because I believe what this country needs above all else is hope. Choosing to support leadership, does not mean agreeing with them, it means respecting their position and working within the system to impact the issues rather than attack the person. It's not a common way to understand politics in our society that likes scandal and sound bites, but it is they way God has told us to act. It is the way I have chosen to act for the past 4 years, and I appreciate those who will choose to act that way for the next 4.

On Monday, our plenary speaker said something that I felt was very profound. In the world of environmental issues there is a whole lot of doom and gloom out there, so this particularly stuck with me. "Knowledgeable people care, and caring people can change the world."

Yes we can!