It really has been a long time. Life has been good. The anniversary of my marriage to Nancy is only a little over 2 weeks away, and the year has pleasantly flown by. Today is the day after the inauguration of our nation's first African-American president, and I cannot help but reflect on changes I have seen and possibilities.

I did not vote for Barack Obama - some of his stated policies gave me pause and misgivings. However, he was elected and he is my president. His election caused great celebration among some of my dearest friends, and my prayers are that they are not disappointed by his performance. His speech was wonderful. The prayers at the inauguration and at this morning's prayer service were heartfelt and laudable. I truly wish that I could have confidence that we, as a nation, could achieve the stated goals based upon Godly humanism - for in my opinion that is the role to which our government should aspire.

As an individual, a Christian, and as a family of believers - a church - we should not aspire to humanism, rather to Christian evangelism. We can easily be distracted from the overwhelmingly important task of sharing salvation by the urgency of material needs; but satisfying those needs is secondary to the the need of everlasting life.

Reflecting, it a great wonder and a blessing that racial prejudice has diminished as much as it has in my lifetime. It will probably never disappear; but, at least, most now recognize it as a vice - not in any way a virtue.

My greatest concern is that we, as a nation, are losing a commitment to moral virtue; and the party that is now in power tries to embrace many groups that would legitimize behaviours that have for eons been morally reprehensible and give those behaviours the cover of legal protection. Marriage - a sacrament, (in fact the very first sacrament instituted by God Himself) is under attack. Divorce - hated by God - is now rampant in our society. Abortion - a murderous way of dealing with the inconvenient consequences of sexual immorality - leads to more infant deaths and sexual promiscuity. Elected leaders discovered in immoral behaviour which a generation ago would have ended their careers often suffer little or no consequences. (Indeed, only those who had previously spoken on behalf of strong moral stands seem to incite moral indignation.) Open disrespect and hatred are heaped upon leaders - especially those who dare to boldly proclaim their Christian faith and practice.

So where now? Are we expecting this new president to lead us out of the morass that our society has produced? If so, we will likely be sorely disappointed. My prayer is that he will allow Godly leaders to come forward unsuppressed, and call us back to the only source of peace and prosperity that can be counted upon.