"I stand by my vote" and all that

First - let me say I will return to the issue of Jimmy Carter and the Southern Baptist church...and the stand many people take on the role and position of women in this world... if you are not aware of the whole thing let me recommend you read this: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-dkOv.html?page=-1 (not sure how to make this a link ...sorry ... I will fix it later.)
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But today I want to comment on something I have seen on a number of facebook pages. The category is "I did not vote for Obama and I stand by my vote." People are signing up to identify with this - good people. People I like.

I acknowledge that what you see depends on where you stand. Let me say that I stand aside a bit, being Canadian and not able to vote. So whether I would have voted for or against Obama is moot, really. I did not vote. But I watch what happens. And I listen.

But now that Obama IS the president - what is the wisdom in cheering AGAINST him? Any success he might have brings a job to my son, health care to the man with prostate cancer and more peace in the near east. And other things. It seems unwise, and even wrong, to take a position against someone whose job it is to represent us and create a healthier environment for life. Do we REALLY hope he fails? We fail with him. It does seem we are in this thing together, even if our feathers are a different color.
Indeed, for those who use scriptures to support a 'position', it is noted that God's word to the Israelites living in captivity is to settle down, have families, and pray for peace in the land, because peace for the land was peace for them. In the New Testament we are told to pray for, speak well of and do good to ... our ENEMIES. The sage of Proverbs writes, "A wise woman builds her own home. With her own hands, a fool tears her's down."

I see a lot of people tearing down their own home, in this country. Literally. And metaphorically.

I am sure I am offending someone now. But it seems to me that whether you voted for or against Obama, it is now time to throw our support - prayer - words - ideas ... everything we have, into the work he / and we, must do. There is something counter productive in taking a stand against a leader who is democratically chosen to run the country. That stand was fairly taken during the election, but now is the time to get on board. And surely as Obama is faulty, so too was the last administration.

So my friends, it is incredibly sad to me, an alien in your rich open land, to see you wishing failure on the leader whose success would make your country even more beautiful. Maybe we have lost the view of the forest for the trees.

But then, I am only a Canadian.