Great Expectations

Barack Obama's election was greeted with optimism here in Brazil.

Actually, that's an understatement. If Obama succeeds in doing half of the things that this part of the world expects from him, Mount Rushmore will need another sculpture.

While he fixes the economic crisis, he will reactivate full diplomatic relations with Cuba, Iran, North Korea and a few other rogue states. Over lunch, he will figure out how to quickly withdraw U.S. troops from the Middle East without triggering chaos in the region.

During afternoon coffee, he will reconcile the global warming issue while figuring out how to give the U.S. energy independence by 2020. He will also cut importation taxes on Brazilian ethanol produced from sugar cane (oh, that was McCain's line).

You get the idea. But here is my two cents.

We should expect great things from our leaders. However, let's not delude ourselves.

Change doesn't start in the White House. It starts at my house.

The gospel is about transformation from the inside out. Consider John the Baptist's words...

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay." (Luke 3:7-14, NIV)