In a world of heartbreak and sadness, Gaza stands out. The roots of recent conflict burrow deep into political soil fertilzed by the compost of religious, ethnic, political, social and economic refuse fed. Psychological pitchforks whose tines represent anger, mistrust, resentment and bitterness have turned that rotting heap of fuming fertilizer for generations.

An outsider can understand the tipping points of the latest violence. Hamas and Israel alike seek security and political advantage. But mutual destruction is harder to comprehend. Why can't Israeli and Hamas leaders see that their political advantage—to say nothing of the safety of their followers who look to them for security—would be served by reasonable peace and not force?

 When the world looks at Gaza, it primarily sees conflict between Jews and Muslims. Often overlooked is the region's third population, Palestinian Christians. 

A Gaza Christian's perspective

Missionary friends who formerly served alongside Gaza Christians sent this letter this weekend from a Christian friend in Gaza:

"As most of you are aware that Gaza has been under fire for over two weeks now.  It is by the grace of God that my immediate family is not injured.  God indeed have put a siege of protection around them.  Air, land, and sea strikes are still in full force even as I am communicating to you and it knows no boundary!.  An international school where my sister Faten teaches has been COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED and the guard’s body was blown up!  The Baptist church sustained glass window damages….Water, food, electricity, and more important medicine are very very scarce and many innocent people are suffering and dying through all this.
 
"I want to encourage you to pray for all who are caught in the middle of the bombing between the two warring parties in Gaza .  Gaza is a small strip of land with 1.5 million people, a few thousand of which are Christians.  Please pray for peace in this area.  Pray that in the midst of this political battle that the gospel would flourish.  Pray that the gospel would grow among both Jews and Palestinians and that we would see the disintegration of ethnic barriers that the gospel brings about.  Pray that God’s name would be exalted in the midst of this violence.  Pray that God would protect the people caught up on both sides of the fighting.
 
"To aid you in how to pray and encourage others to do so, I am attaching a prayer newsletter from the Palestinian Bible Society that will give you more information about the situation and specific prayer guidance."

Palestinian Bible Society report

Here is that newsletter:

Dear Bible Society friends and colleagues,

Our hearts are broken as we witness the escalation of hostilities in Gaza and southern Israel. We invite you all to join us in praying for a speedy end to this terrible war; for God's peace and mercy, for the prevalence of godliness, and for respect for the sanctity of human life. Israelis and Palestinians are at war; we are not. Through our single identity in Christ and his lordship we experience his peace, practice his love, and hold on to him as our hope. We value our fellowship in him and with you all. We are committed to serving our
communities with the gospel of peace and forgiveness. We will sweat for that which Christ bled for, and labor for that which Christ died for.
In a couple of days we shall gather to pray and launch a ministry initiative to the peoples of Gaza and southern Israel. Meanwhile, we are actively involved, even if at a low level, in serving humanitarian needs in Gaza. All of our staffs and their immediate families are safe so far, whether in Gaza, or outside in Israel and the West Bank. We value your prayers and solidarity. (1Timothy 2:1-4)

Prayer requests

•    Pray for those who have lost their precious ones, especially the families of Christine, Naseem and Jiryis.
•    Pray for the Lord’s mercy to come down on Gaza.
•    Pray for the former Bible Society team members and their families: Fatena’s husband, Ramzi and his family, and Rania and her family.
•    Pray that the terror ends and that a cease fire will be reached soon.
•    Pray for the many parents that lost their children that they may be comforted.
•    Pray for the wounded and the suffering.
•    Pray for the thousand Christians who are in Gaza sharing the same punishment of loss of water, electricity, food and peace.
•    Pray that present and planed Scripture and relief ministries would be used by God to heal lots of wounds and anger.
•    Pray that godliness will triumph over political gain within the hearts of Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
•    Pray for the hospitals in Gaza, for doctors and nurses working day and night with very little resource.
•    Pray for the protection of ambulance teams working to rescue the injured
•    Pray for protection of UNRWA schools and refuge places.
•    Pray for the protection and safety of the people of south Israel.
•    Pray for God’s blessing over unity and coordination among churches, international organization and civil society initiatives working to alleviate the suffering of many.
•    Pray for a better future for the children of Gaza.
•    Pray that we will be able to reopen the Bible shop in Gaza.
•    Pray for the many volunteers, Muslims and Christians working on our behalf distributing food and aid in Gaza.
 

Immediately, it landed in the e-mailboxes of our first subscribers. And almost just as quickly, it began amazing them with the wonderful tricks it already can do. (Don't you know everybody loves a clever baby!)

Baptist Standard E3 arrives through e-mail, with a link to a picture of the front page. When you click on that picture, the whole paper opens up electronically. You can “flip” through the pages, just like a regular paper. But because of digital technology, the Standard staff adds many features that just don’t work in a printed newspaper. I'm talking about things like videos, slide shows, links to other websites, and even my ol’ West Texas voice reading my column, Down Home.

Be the first to see E3

I could go on and on, but I’d be thrilled if you would just see for yourself.  Here's a direct link to the first edition of Baptist Standard E3.

And here's something really cool

If you want more background information and also would like to see how it could work for your church's newsletter, click on this link to visit the landing page on our website. Then, click on the picture of the newsletter, and you're there.

What a deal

One of the great things about Baptist Standard E3 is it’s cheap. Since postage, printing and paper aren’t part of the cost equation, the Standard can deliver E3 for an introductory offer of only $8 per year. Compared to the print edition, that’s about half the church rate and one-third the individual rate. That’s amazing. For the price of lunch, you can receive a year’s worth of fascinating news and information.

You can subscribe online by clicking here.

The reason for it all

While the techonology is new and glitzy, and the price is great, I'm most excited about Baptist Standard E3 because it enables us to do a better job of fulfilling the mission we've been focusing on for 120 years. We want to inspire, inform and engage Baptists. If the Standard is successful, then we'll all be stronger Christians. We'll also worship and minister in better churches. And we'll reach our state and world for Christ.

E3 is Baptists' best, most effective communication tool to come along in generations, maybe centuries. We hope you love it, and we pray it makes you a stronger Christian and a better Baptist.

 That leaves me wondering if such neglect is enabled because so many Texas Christians—proud that we live on the "buckle of the Bible Belt"—actually live in a state of denial.

State of righteousness?

If conservative, Bible-believing Christians dominate our state and provide a potent political force for electing all three branches of state government, then our state has to be righteous. Right?

Well, the Morning News illustrates a different Texas. Here's the introduction to the four-week series , which began Sunday:

"Texas has long been hard on the weak and vulnerable. It fares badly in national surveys of child poverty, food assistance and care for the mentally ill and disabled. But it isn't only the poor and afflicted who need help; everyone relies on state government for some protection. Not everyone receives it. Business interests and lobbyists exert strong influence on the writing of laws and the workings of state government. Who benefits from that? Frequently, not ordinary Texans."

"The church's job"

Almost every time I write about government involvement in human lives—such as protection of children and the elderly, care for the sick, education and similar topics—readers respond in some fashion like this: "Caring for people is the church's job. The government should butt out."

That may have worked a century ago, but it doesn't seem like a viable answer these days. Two reasons:

• Churches and church people simply aren't doing their share. 

In letters and editorials, I've asked folks who claim "it's the church's job" to validate their assertion. I've asked to see the budget of even one congregation that is doing its share to meet the human needs of its community. Just one church. Never got a taker. It just isn't happening.

Thank God, Texas Baptists are going to take on hunger. One-half of our Texas Hope 2010 focus will be on ensuring that no child in the Lone Star State goes to bed hungry. I hope and pray we can make it. But in the meantime, we can supplement our efforts by advocating for programs that help get nutrition and health care to children, the elderly and the chronically ill.

Still, it's a huge job. And that leads me to my second reason … .

• Some tasks are too big for the church alone. 

For example, the Morning News series is going to examine state laws, practices and policies that help explain why our environment is among the worst in the nation. Churches alone can't clean up the air, our water supplies and the soil. We can do our part by ensuring that the lawmakers do their part.

It's time

You know why the Morning News launched this series Sunday? The Texas Legislature is about to convene. It only meets every-other year, and this is the time to get things done to make a difference for the health and welfare of Texans.

We must stay informed. Read your local paper and, if you live in a rural area, read at least one major-city newspaper (or its website) that has the resources to cover the Legislature. Also, bookmark the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission's website.  The CLC will monitor the Legislature as closely as anyone. And, finally, stay connected to the Baptist Standard website. We're going to work closely with the CLC and provide ongoing updates.

So, stay tuned. Remain vigilant. 

"Thank God, I got that over with."

That's sort of how I feel about 2008. Whew.

My daughters, Lindsay and Molly, tease me because I prefer even-numbered years. Generally speaking, I like even numbers better than odd. Don't know why, except I'm an obsessive-compulsive kind-of-a-guy, and even numbers are symmetrical.  I was born on an even-numbered day in an even-numbered year to an even number of parents. Each of my names is spelled with an even number of letters. Who knows? I like even numbers.

Rethinking favorite years

But 2008 has been enough to make me reconsider. For starters, I'm about ready to take a pass on years divisible by 4. Of course, the Summer Olympics always take place in years divisible by 4. But even that's not enough of a diversion to help us get past all the politics. Sure, we're blessed to live in a free democratic country and possess the right to vote. But sheesh. So much negativity and nastiness. 

And we had more than our share in ’08, didn't we? I blame the Internet. E-mailers and bloggers had a field day this year. Even if you expect criticism and mud-slinging at presidential candidates, it's hard to keep a good attitude amidst all the speculation and innuendo, not to mention the outright lies. Didn't you get to a point where you woke up and said to yourself: "I know how I'm going to vote. I just want to get this over with"?

We also continued to endure a war that never should have been. God bless our troops. They're paying the ultimate price with honor because of foolish decisions. We now count more than 4,000 U.S. military deaths and many more wounds. And multiply that figure many times over to estimate the number of Iraqi casualties, acknowledging God loves them just as much as God loves Americans.

Wait, it gets worse …

We can't forget genocide in Somalia; persecution of Christians in many lands, particularly southern Asia; persecution of people of all faiths in China; drug-trade violence, especially in northern Mexico; instability in the middle East; and the ghastly violence of the last week in Gaza.

Chances are, you knew someone who died too young, a marriage ripped by divorce, more than someone who lost a job, maybe someone who lost a home, others whose dreams went unfulfilled and other tales of personal lost. It all happened in 2008.

Oh, yeah, and don't leave out the financial crisis. Raise your hand if you're waaaay less ready to retire than you were a year ago.

Sorry for this sad litany. I'm not as morose as all this sounds. But you've got to admit, as years go, 2008 didn't win many gold stars.

A year of blessings, too

Still, 2008 was a wonderful year. You can think of many reasons. Here are some of mine:

•  Four couples in the young-adult class Joanna and I teach had babies. Thank God for Brooklyn, Lorelei, Matthew and Nathan.

•  It looks like two wonderful friends beat cancer. Every time I see David's shiny bald head and hear Cecil's lovely voice, I thank God for brilliant doctors and researchers.

•  After almost 30 years of marriage, my wife remains my best friend, soulmate and the love of my life. First thing every morning and the last thing at night, I thank God for blessing my life by entertwining it with Jo's.

• Jo's dad and my parents enjoyed good health and my 97-year-old grandmother remained as sharp as ever, although her body is tired.

 • God blessed the Baptist Standard with ministry and purpose, and God led us to new technology and fresh ideas that are turning bright lights on our future. And no matter how we deliver it, we've still got an amazing story to tell—about what God is doing around the world and particularly among Texas Baptists.

• Speaking of Texas Baptists, even though we've been going through a rough time and finances are tight, we support 27 wonderful institutions, we've got a focus on missions and ministry, we relate to many of the finest churches anywhere, and our focus on Texas Hope 2010 will lead us to share the gospel with everyone in the state and make sure no child within our borders goes hungry.

• The United States crossed a major milestone by electing the first African-American president.

• My lungs and legs held up, and many days—although not nearly enough—I reveled in the opportunity to go outside and run.

• Even in hard economic times, Tex-Mex remains affordable, and I live within close driving distance of the best chile rellenos (Matt's in Dallas), pollo ala Mexicana (Gloria's in Oak Cliff), beef enchilladas (El Rancho Grande in Fort Worth) and brisket tacos (Ole's in Coppell) on the planet.

• Jo and I stood on the beach in Florida and watched a gorgeous sunset. Five friends and I gaped at the Milky Way from Big Bend National Park. Many mornings on my way to work, I viewed sunrises too beautiful for words.

• Books and music. Every day, I read words that moved me and listened to tunes that thrilled me.

• Friends—for whom I'm grateful even though I don't deserve them—loved me and made me laugh.

Well now, I feel like the preacher who starts naming names of people who helped with the latest church project. He's sure to leave someone out. And I'm sure to miss a 2008 blessing.

But on the last day of the year, I feel so much better for counting some of mine. Late tonight, I'll end the year remembering many more.

Anticipation

So, I'll start the New Year with a heart filled with hope. God is good. And no matter what captures the headlines, 2009 will be a year filled with wonder and awe.

Sometimes, life comes full-circle.

Like during the year I got to be in our church's Christmas pageant.

One of my early, best Christmas memories happened in 1962. I was 6, and I got to be a shepherd in the pageant at tiny Lincoln Street Baptist Church in Dalhart, Texas.

Years later, at First Baptist Church in Lewisville, Texas, I was a shepherd again. But Larry, our minister of music at the time, also let me be a Chipmunk.

Pageant typecasting

You know, as in Alvin and the Chipmunks. They're falsetto-voiced rodents who plead for Christmas to hurry up.

At first, I felt honored to be a Chipmunk. I'd never sung "special music" in a trio at church before. The costume, the spotlight, my name in the program—heady stuff for a non-musician, I'd say.

Larry gave me a tape of the real Chipmunks, so I could practice as I drove to and from work. More than once I thanked the Lord I didn't have a convertible. If other motorists had heard me singing in full falsetto, "Want a plane that loops the loop," they would've had me committed to a place where people really think they're chipmunks.

As I contemplated how to squeak a song through my nose wearing an oversized turtleneck and huge glasses, I realized how I got the part.

Larry looked for someone who makes a convincing nerd and who can sing falsetto through his nose. Obviously, he typecast me for Simon.

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul writes about the foolishness of preaching the gospel. I'd like to think a Chipmunk can be a "fool for Christ," too.

Shepherd, again

Did I mention I got to be a shepherd, too? In 1962 at Lincoln Street, the qualifications must've been that you were old enough to behave at the front of the church and you had your own bathrobe.

Four decades or so later, the shepherd qualifications must've beeen that you weren't in the choir (because Larry wouldn't want to take any male voices out of the chorus for the grand finale) and you didn't mind standing around in something that looks curiously like a bathrobe.

I might've felt silly up there—bare-legged with a dishtowel-looking thing wrapped around my head—were it not for what I saw as a shepherd.

Normally, I tend to think of God as the All-Powerful Lord of the Universe.

Vulnerable God

But as I watched Hayden, the girl who played Mary, cuddle our real-live "Baby Jesus," I couldn't help but think how vulnerable God became on that holy night.

God Almighty came down, entrusted to a girl/mom and her rough-hewn fiance. Visited by rowdy sheep-herders. Subject to colic, chicken pox and Pharisees. God became as vulnerable as a baby, so we could know we are loved. What love!

Feel the love. Feel Christmas.

 I don't remember hearing the word "Advent" as a boy. We called this time of year "the Christmas Season," and that was good enough. Looking back, I can recall that we followed several Advent-ish practices. Through the years, we used several calendars that counted down the days to Christmas. We often shared Christmas devotionals. We talked about anticipating the birth of Jesus.

But we never considered Advent wreaths, lighting candles or marking the meaning of the Sundays of Advent. Those aspects of Advent bloomed on other branches of Christianity.

Fortunately, Joanna and I encountered Advent fairly early in our married life. We received our first Advent wreath even before our daughters were born. And so, during their growing-up years, a highlight of this season always was our Advent devotional. Usually, we stopped everything at their bedtime, gathered around the kitchen table, lit the wreath, read a meditation and sang carols. Sweet. I can close my eyes and remember some of the best moments of their young lives.

Lindsay and Molly are grown and gone now. Consequently, Jo and I aren't as specific about stopping to light the candles and read the meditation as we were when the four of us were home. But it's still a vital part of our preparation for Christmas.

This year, we're using a booklet published by Buckner International to guide our hearts toward Christmas. As we anticipate the arrival of our Savior, we will think steadily about things that matter  deeply to us—Jesus and the welfare of children and families around the globe. You can receive Buckner's wonderful Advent guide by clicking here .

May you long for Jesus this Advent season.

The first time I encountered that name, I was worshipping with a Chinese congregation in New York City. Now, I understand a church in Gunnison, Colo., calls itself Oh Be Joyful Baptist, too.

The best part of the name is "Oh Be." The very name has a verb in it. The name is a command, telling us we should be joyful. And "Oh" is terrific, too. It sounds Bible-ish. Like angels, who often seem to start their sentences with "Oh." So, when I think of Oh Be Joyful Baptist Church, I always imagine an angel coming down and telling that congregation which name to select and, by the way, how to feel about it.

Seems like I think of that church name every year about this time. Maybe it's because joy has a lot to do with Thanksgiving. 

Joy, happiness …

Here's the thing about joy: It has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness depends upon circumstances, upon context. If my football team wins, I'm happy. When the other team scores 28 points in the first quarter, I'm not happy. If my wife cooks pancakes on Saturday morning, I'm happy. When I eat cereal on Saturday, I'm not happy.

But I can experience joy if my team goes 0-for-the-season. I can feel joy if the Cheeri-Os are stale. Joy comes from deep within. I happen to think it comes from an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. So, joy remains, no matter the circumstances.

And thankfulness

And joy produces thankfulness. A joyful heart is a grateful heart, no matter what else is going on in the world. So, joyful people will be thankful this Thanksgiving.

This year, we don't take that lightly. Many external circumstances can push us toward sadness. The lousy economy. The mercurial price of fuel. Wars abounding. Persecution of Christians in Orissa and Somalia and China and elsewhere. High unemployment. Dwindling retirement funds. You don't have to think hard to come up with downers.

And yet joy abides deep within the heart. 

Count your blessings

This Thanksgiving, perhaps the best thing we can do to jumpstart joy is count our blessings. Counting blessings is the surest way to feel better and to experience gratitude. 

I'm going to make a list of some of my blessings—things for which I'm grateful. You can make your own list. Here we go with mine:

• The sound of my wife, Joanna, laughing

• Hugging my daughters, who both live in other cities

• My favorite music on my iPod, especially my musical hero, Lyle Lovett

• The color of fall leaves

• Tex-Mex

• The greatest Big 12 football season in history, no matter who wins the South and plays for the national championship

• Books; this year The Shack in particular

• Surprise phone calls from friends

• Mother's fried chicken

• Hot coffee first thing in the morning

• Freedom to vote and choose our leaders

• Sweatshirts, jeans and sneakers

• Daddy's arm around my shoulders

• My dog, Topanga, invading my personal space

• The faces of our young-adult Bible study class on a Sunday morning

• The way I feel about 30 minutes after a nice run on a cool morning

•  Contact lenses, so I can see

• Jo's homemade pies

• Clear, colorful Texas sunsets

• The sense of transcendent peace and purpose that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ

 • College football games on high-definition TV

• Playing cards with longtime friends

• A hot shower on a cold day

•  The ability and opportunity to work

• Religious liberty for all people of all faiths

Well, that's 25—a good start. I feel blessed, and I hope you do, too. May you enjoy your family and friends and take time to count your blessings this Thanksgiving weekend.

He didn't have to do it. Nobody would've known. But Hayes disqualified himself from the PGA Tour's qualifying school, a move that sliced him out of guaranteed participation in the 2009 PGA season.

Jay Busbee tells Hayes' story on the Devil Ball Golf website.  Here's a short, non-golfer's version of what happened:

Bad news on the 12th

On the 12th hole of a qualifying round of the Q School, Hayes realized the ball he was using was not the same model Titleist (I've always wondered why it's "Titleist" instead of "Titlist." But we'll leave that to another day.) he played to start his round. So, he knew he violated a rule stipulating a player must use the same model for an entire round.

Violation of this rule results in a two-stroke penalty, which didn't hurt Hayes all that much. Even with the penalty, he played well enough to advance to the final round of the Q School and play for the right to participate in the entire 2009 PGA season.

It gets worse

But then Hayes realized he may have used a ball that wasn't approved for play. Turns out, the ball was a manufacturer's prototype—an experimental ball Titleist had provided so pros could try them out, but not one certified for competition.

So, Hayes reported himself again. But this time, he couldn't take a stroke penalty. He knocked himself out of the qualifying school. 

OK, I don't know enough about the PGA to explain exactly what Hayes did to his professional prospects, but it had to hurt. (Here's a pretty good explanation of how tough this is, but it's from a golf site, and golfers are about as bad at using insider language as techno-geeks.)

Courageous integrity

 Bottom line: J.P. Hayes put integrity above  job security, presitige and the kind of possible future millions of golfers only dream about.

Last Sunday, our Bible study class talked about integrity. The surest test is doing right when nobody has to know, when doing right isn't in your favor. 

If all Christians had this kind of integrity, we would make a profound and immediate impact on the world. …

Obviously, I don't pay much attention to the PGA Tour. But next year, if J.P. Hayes can make it into any tournaments, I'll be rooting for him.

Take football, for example. The last time I put on shoulder pads and a football helmet, I weighed 129 pounds. Even "back in the day," that was small. My boyhood dreams of playing for the Dallas Cowboys evaporated by the time I was 17. Just too small.

And take Baptist meetings, for another example. This year, only 1,891 people registered as messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas' annual meeting. That's the smallest crowd in 59 years. Small wasn't good. Sure, the folks who showed up in Fort Worth had a grand time. The sermons and speeches were excellent. The missions presentation was stimulating. The business was … businesslike. The training was on target. And the fellowship was warm.

A little meeting

But too few Texas Baptists showed up. Registration averaged only one messenger per three churches. At the least, we ought to average three messengers per church.

My concern isn't numbers for numbers' sake. Registration totals reflect the involvement of people. Folks who attend annual meetings find inspiration in one another. They learn more about the convention. By investing their time and attention, they increase their expectations for the convention. So, small crowds hurt the convention.

Of course, we can make excuses. The economy stinks. Even though the price of gas has dropped, our mental image of travel was warped by the price of gas this summer and early fall, so we still think travel is more expensive than it actually is. Also, hurricanes took their toll on Southeast Texas, limiting travel by many Baptists from that region.

The reason: Apathy

But the bottom line is fewer and fewer Texas Baptists cared enough to show up.

I've been trying to think about how we could increase attendance at our annual meetings.

One blogger, Ken Coffee, suggests the BGCT should hold its annual meeting in regional satellite locations.  He predicts the convention could involve 10,000 to 15,000 messengers if Baptists didn't have to travel far to attend the meeting. Technology would make participation possible.

I respect the idea, and I affirm large numbers of Texas Baptists involved in the decision-making process. But I'm not sure raw numbers of messengers would have the intended effect. One of the great values of the annual meeting is the fellowship. If you attend a regional meeting, you see the same folks you see often throughout the year. But when you go to a statewide meeting, you get to see folks you only see once a year. Friendships are made and renewed. And there's something about the spirit of being all in the same room together.

Digital suggestion box

I'm thinking the BGCT Executive Board, which is responsible for putting on the annual meeting, should ask folks what it would take for them to come to the event each year. They could create a space on the Executive Board's website where folks could write in and comment. 

Some of it has to do with the annual meeting itself. By harvesting far and wide, perhaps the Executive Board could glean fresh ideas "from the field" that would make the annual meeting more meaningful and engaging. (Of course, we're bound by bylaws to do some items of business. But the rest is pretty much wide-open.)

Much of the low attendance can be attributed to what happens the other 363 days a year. Fewer and fewer folks attend the annual meeting because more and more folks don't think the convention is relevant for them or helpful for their churches. We could argue the truth of this forever, but this is a case where perception shapes its own reality.

So, maybe ideas for making the convention more relevant, effective and useful would come out of an open communication system.

Developing ideas for improving the convention—including its annual meetings—is the domain of the Future Focus Committee, the group that is halfway into a study of the convention. This committee will make its report to the annual meeting next year. Pray for these Texas Baptists. They need divine wisdom and supernatural courage.

Speak up

Meantime, if you've got ideas for improving the convention, tell me. Post them here, and I'll pass them along.

They'll never make it if they don't exercise discipline, work hard and—most significantly—get an education.

Yes, President-elect Obama broke the racial barrier. As noted here previously, that is a moral victory for America. It doesn't mean we have overcome racism in our land. (Witness the pre-election deluge of race-baiting e-mails regarding Obama.) But it does mean we have made huge, almost unimaginable, progress toward overcoming racial barriers.

Every American should  rejoice in this. No matter if you are a  Republican or Democrat. Nor if you are African-American, Latino, Asian-American or white. Even if you bitterly oppose the next president's policies and wish his opponent had won. The good, undeniable news is we have progressed. More and more, America is becoming a land of opportunity for people of all races.

Education is key

Still, Obama could not have been a candidate for president, much less won the presidency, had he not received a good education. For Obama, the quest for a solid education began when he was a child, and his mother would get him up early in the morning to go over his homework. He's told how, when he would complain, she would respond, "Well, this is no picnic for me either, buster."

Those hours of study and his mother's investment in his education paid off. He went on to graduate from Columbia University and Harvard University, two Ivy League schools. Without those degrees, no amount of charm and forceful oratory would have paid off in the presidency. Obama's education is the key that has unlocked the doors to his success.

Education lessons

We should take several lessons from this:

• Parents and grandparents must realize that, except for leading their children to faith in Christ and developing their moral character, helping them achieve a strong education is the most important gift they can give them.

If you want your child or grandchild to achieve any kind of success, educate them. Start early, by reading to them every night. Help them with their homework. Let them know you expect them to do their best in school. Get involved in their schools. Get to know their teachers and understand what they're supposed to learn each semester. Drill into their young mindst he importance of education. They may think they don't need it, but chances are, they're not going to get rich as a professional athlete or rock star. But people who stay in school and get a bachelor's degree can take care of themselves in life.

• As Christians, we must realize helping young people finish school is one of the ways we minister to people whom Jesus called "the least of these."

Numerous studies have shown that education is the most dominant factor that determines whether Americans live in poverty or not. We appropriately offer ministries to alleviate the suffering of impoverished people. This we must do. But if we channel efforts to educate children, we can lift them, and their children, and their grandchildren from poverty.

Congregations can provide the most comprehensive, powerful workforce to help poor children and their parents by ensuring that every child in the community at least graduates from high school. Baylor University's LEAF program is a terrific model for doing this.  Another scalable program that can involve local churches is KidsHeart, a joint program of Buckner International and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, that provides education mentors for children in schools within a church's community.

• As citizens, we must realize educating the coming generations is vital to their future—and ours. Too often, people seem to lose interest in education after their children graduate from high school. But  education is the key to the future  welfare or a city, region, state or nation.

Texas is falling behind other states economically because we are falling behind in education. The United States also is falling behind,  particularly in science, math, engineering and technology. If we want our state and nation to be vibrant in the future, we will emphasize education now.

More significantly, education isn't an economic issue as much as it's a moral issue. Every child within our sphere of influence deserves to be educated.

Not long after the polls closed on the West Coast, John McCain phoned Barack Obama to offer congratulations and then came out to concede defeat. He delivered one of the most poignant, stirring, admirable speeches of his long and remarkable career. You could see the disappointment in his face and sense it in his voice. And yet, through his personal pain, he embraced his noble virtues. He thanked all those Americans who sacrificed on his behalf, most particularly his family and close campaign aides. He shushed supporters who railed against his opponent. And he pledged goodwill and cooperation to the candidate who defeated him, calling all Americans to do the same. He reminded us we need the next president to succeed in order for our nation to succeed.

A little while later, President-elect Obama and his family strolled onto the Grant Park stage and into a new chapter of U.S. history. In his acceptance speech , he thanked his family, his supporters and the voters who elected him. He talked about his conversations with Sen. McCain and President Bush. Then he turned his attention to the themes that propelled him to reach the White House—change, hope, inclusion and a spirit of optimism reflected in “Yes, We Can.” Most significantly, he spoke directly to the 55.8 million voters who did not choose him: “To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn—I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.”

No more politics of fear &  division

Listening to both those speeches, I couldn’t help but wonder how different America would be if presidential candidates would campaign with the spirit they reflect on election night. Perhaps we’ll go forward in that tone. I pray so.

For too long, the United States has suffered from the politics of fear and division. It’s an effective strategy for winning elections and securing congressional votes. It’s a lousy way to run a country. So, I hope you’ll join me in praying our new president will lead from the center, and politicians from both parties will join him there. If we weren’t so concerned about which party would control the White House and Congress and more concerned about building a strong nation, we’d be far better off.

Moving sight: Sea of tears

And speaking of being better off, set aside partisanship for a moment and reflect upon the sea of tears we saw late on election night. Mostly, they streamed down faces of color. Predominantly, those were African-American faces. No matter personal politics, how could anyone who loves and cares for our country not be moved to the core by such a sight?

As a white middle-aged man, I’ll never know or understand the grief and suffering long endured by my African-American sisters and brothers, as well as by other friends of color. When I foolishly downplayed the depths of racism in America, these friends gently corrected me. So I have tried throughout my lifetime to empathize with them. And on election night, I wept when I saw their tears.

No, we have not ended racism in America. But we have taken a giant step forward. This election was not all about race, but race was a huge part of it. No matter your politics or whom you supported for president, I hope you’re proud and grateful to live in a country where a compelling candidate of color can be elected president. And, sisters, I hope you are encouraged to think that sometime, maybe in our lifetimes, your election day will come, too.

Pray, pray, pray

Meanwhile, Barack Obama has been elected to a hard, hard task. May all citizens pray for our leaders—president and vice president, representatives and senators, as well as lawmakers in 50 statehouses—and hold them accountable for serving all of us. We need to stand together. The challenges facing our nation will be insurmountable if we continue the politics of division that have plagued us for so long.

It's that simple. Your country needs you. So vote.

You may be like me, and you've already voted. Great. Now you can get home from work in time to watch all the election returns . It's going to be fascinating, to say the least.

The other day, I read a commentary that claimed this presidential race is "the most important election since 1860." I couldn't remember who said, it, so I Googled that phrase, and  217 matches turned up.

So, obviously, even if Americans have indeed cast a more important ballot than the ones our ancestors marked to put Abraham Lincoln in the White House, this is a majorly significant election.

Just think. The next president will preside over the resolution of two wars, how to handle financial catastrophe, nomination of several Supreme Court justices, response to a general climate of fear and malaise not seen since the Great Depression and World War II, the corollary engagement of terrorism and terroristic threats, monumental challenges regarding health care and education, issues of morality, justice and ethics that will shape our culutural landscape for generations, and issues we can't imagine in early November 2008.

And that only focuses on how you vote at the top of the ballot. Texans and many other Americans also will vote for a senator. And we'll all determine the usual contests for the House of Representatives, not to mention important state and local races, and referenda that will make a difference in how people live their lives and lawmakers spend your  taxes.

So go vote. Unless you've already voted or you're scanning this on a wireless device  while you're standing in line at your polling station, be sure to get up and vote.

After all, it's your duty as a U.S. citizen and a faithful Christian. And no matter who wins, at least you'll be glad you participated in democracy.