The Transfer of Power…

Yesterday, we marked the quadrennial inauguration of the President of the United States. Whether it is a second term for a sitting president or a change in leadership for the country, this ritual occurs on or about January 20th every four years. During my lifetime, there have been numerous changes in leadership. I was born in February, 1953, about a month after President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office – he was our 34th president and served for two terms.

Since then, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, Obama and Trump have all served in the capacity of leading this, the most powerful nation on earth. Now, President Biden (#46) adds his name to the list of men who have led this great nation.

Throughout the years, most outgoing administrations have witnessed the transfer of power and authority to new leadership. Also, Congresses have switched majority parties, there have been close elections, extreme disagreements and  hotly contested points of view on all sorts of legal issues. But one of the earmarks of this country is the ability of its citizens to come together and unite once all the vitriol and rancor is over. Time will tell whether the same thing will happen as a result of this transfer of power to the Biden administration.

Needless to say we can expect changes whenever a different political party takes over the reigns of government. Ideologies differ and issues of the day take priority for each president. That’s one of the expectations in our country. Throughout the years, the stock market tends to like a division in power and authority – we do better when the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House are not all in the hands of the same party. But even when they are, our system is set up in such a way that there are checks and balances among the branches to hold our government accountable.

This time, for sure, the transfer of authority in Washington wasn’t exactly seamless. On January 6th, insurgents and terrorists attacked the capitol and created tension as well as illegal entry into the halls of Congress. It is known that certain members of the crowd had an agenda of destruction and physical harm to elected officials who represent us. People died that day and it was a dark moment in our history that will take some time to get over.

Whether or not we can withstand the hatred and disagreements that have come with the end of the Trump administration and the beginning of the Biden presidency remains to be seen. I hope that the voice of reason will prevail and that once again we can begin the healing process that seems to be the hallmark of our country.

Luckily, we never have to worry about a transition of power and authority when it comes to God. God has been on the throne throughout all eternity – eternity past and for all eternity going forward. That’s incomprehensible to us as humans. Thank goodness that we have a loving, perfect, sinless God on the throne for all time. We never have to worry about Satan taking over, or anybody else for that matter. God has prevailed and will prevail for all time.

Our verse tonight comes from the author of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. We are told the words of God the Father in Hebrews 1:8, “But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” My encouragement this evening is that God will be our God and we will be His people for all time. My prayer is that this nation can get back to the business of unity and that those of us who have faith in God will lead the way back – bridging the chasm that exists among so many sectors of our society. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…