Post-Election Pancakes

Pictured here are the O'Donnell family post-election day breakfast pancakes. In view of the election, you'll see that the number of blue pancakes predominates. :)

We had a great time involving the children all day long on November 4, 2008. From our breakfast prayers to the family outing to the polls to the dinner in the living room watching the results come in, it was a long teachable moment, and in spite of disappointments a time for thanksgiving.

It is a gift of God that in the United States of America common people have a say in who their leaders are, and around the breakfast table we gave thanks for that. In view of our Lord's command through St. Paul (Romans 13) and St. Peter (1 Peter 2) to honor those in authority, we also prayed for the candidates this morning. We thanked the Lord for Senator McCain's years of service to our country and prayed that the Lord would comfort him and his supporters in their disappointment and give them resolve to continue their service. For President-elect Obama we prayed that the Lord would grant him wisdom. We also remembered that he has shown the capacity to grow and learn and even the courage to change his mind. We prayed especially that he would change his mind on "sanctity of life" issues.

I, myself, once held an attenuated libertarian position on these begininning and end of life issues and a more pragmatic position generally on bioethical issues. Life experience and much reflection, especially reflection on all life as a gift of God, led me to totally alter my positions on these "social issues." The sanctity of life issues have become, for myriad reasons, a defining concern for me and thus for my participation in "the public square." As such, they are a regular part of my --to use Luther's baptismal language--"life of daily contrition and repentance," a regular part of my prayers, and so shall they continue to be . . .