An Amazing Day and an Amazing President

I was stunned when I heard the news late yesterday afternoon. I honestly had to sit down. I grabbed my phone and tweeted the news on to others. It was the first meaningful tweet I’d ever sent out.
by Charlie Leck

“I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,…” [President Barack Obama on Wednesday, 9 May 2012]

Did the President commit political suicide? I don’t think so, but we’ll have to sit back and see how it flies. Just the day before, voters in North Carolina overwhelmingly supported an amendment to their state’s constitution that forbids same-sex marriages. North Carolina is a very important state for the President in the coming election!

We have the same kind of constitutional amendment proposal on our ballots here in Minnesota (for the November election). The President is counting on support from Minnesota!

What does the nation think? Well, it’s clear that the very conservative Christian church is going to be upset as hell. At my own church, the hymns will be sung a bit louder and more joyfully this Sunday and I’m betting there will be some sort of celebration.

I would remind all my Christian and Jewish friends of our belief that God really does act in very mysterious and surprising ways. My vision of God has developed through an understanding of what Jesus and his original apostles said to us about our God. The one defining characteristic of God that cements my faith and provides its foundation is that God is Love.

Whatever you may think about the President’s announcement, it was an enormous and courageous act of love. And, I love President Obama for what he has just now done.

The reactions will not all be as favorable as mine – and you know that, don’t you? Yet, this is a defining and glorious moment in the history of our nation. The matter, or question, is now out in full sunlight. Some of the reaction will be hateful – and that is sad and too bad. If we could only debate issues like this with more understanding and love for each other – more openness to the possibility that God might speak to us through our debates – we might be very surprised at the power our love could produce.

One of Obama’s strongest supporters greeted the news happily and said the decision “will be celebrated by generations to come.” And I believe he is correct. There will come a day when we really don’t think this is a very big deal at all.

This is the same President who finally got rid of the awful military policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The President has put together a very good pro-gay record. Now the LGBT community must respond with strong support and heavy-duty work for the President; for, Mr. Obama is going to lose some of his backers over this announcement.

This was a very courageous and dangerous move by the President! I’m very proud of him.

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