Time of transition

At approximately noon today, Donald John Trump became the 45th President of the United States. It was, as expected, a peaceful transition of power, the plans, statements, threats and actions of those who openly wanted something else notwithstanding.

His inauguration speech, like all inauguration speeches, set lofty goals and expectations. Like his predecessors, he now faces the task of delivering on his promises. I suspect it will prove to be a daunting task, but it is one for which I wish him the greatest of successes.

I have made no secret of the fact I did not support President Trump in his bid for the office of President. That said, I sincerely hope he does a good job. I hope he is able to deliver on all he has promised. As a Christian, I believe I am to offer prayers on his behalf, and on behalf of all our leaders, just as I was to do for those who preceded him in office. That, I do, gladly.

I hope President Trump is aware of this: he has set lofty goals for himself and his administration. He has effectively obligated himself, his administration, and the current members of government, especially those who are Republicans, to achieving great things. Please remember, Mr. President, the same people who voted you and others into office are more than willing to vote you out should you fail to deliver. We do not expect perfection, either of efforts or results. We do, nonetheless, expect real and tangible results. I will add that should you be successful in truly returning the United States to the point that the citizens rule the government, you will be remembered as one of the greatest Presidents of all time. Should you give in to what will undoubtedly be severe and never-ending pressure to engage in politics as usual, you will be remembered as just another politician who lied to the people in his pursuit of personal power.

As regards President Obama: I did not like many of his policies. I thought, and still think, they were contrary to the best interests of the United States. That said, I have no doubt he acted as President in the way he thought most likely to take the nation in the direction he thought it should go. That said, he served for 8 years as our President. In spite of my great disagreement with him, I wish him and his family well as he returns to a more private life.

Ultimately, of course, the responsibility for our nation is ours. As citizens, it is up to us to require, not ask, implore or beseech but to require of our elected leaders that they do that for which they are elected. I would argue that for a long time we have neglected to do so. We allowed ourselves to be misled. Often, we did so willfully, effectively trading our birthright as free people for bowls of porridge. We need to stop doing that sort of thing. We need to hold those in government responsible and accountable for what they do. We must embrace the same responsibility and accountability for ourselves because those are the keys to freedom.

The next 4 years promise to be interesting.