As probably most people around the world know, America has a new president.  Many are delighted; many are not.  Either way, the outcome is the same.  We all must accept it and move on.

     In times like these, many who believe in God, the God of Christianity in particular, like to quote a passage from the book of Daniel.  After praying to God for wisdom in interpreting Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel says, "It is he [God] who changes the times and epochs, he removes kings and he establishes kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."

     What is so appealing about this?  Simply, that regardless of what has happened, over and above it all, God remains, threading his presence through all of reality.   Yet this can be problematic   does God establish evil and unjust as well as good and just rulers, too?

     It's enormously difficult to say.  We therefore ought to be tremendously circumspect in making any claim that we know exactly why a particular ruler has been elected.  Do we know the full counsel of God?  Can we see into the future?

     What I do know is that we live in a broken world inhabited by broken people.  We see God's purpose but dimly.  But we know it's there.

     Unfortunately, in this life, I may never fully see it.  Wrestle we will with faith, yet equally much will we wrestle without it.  The bigger question is thus this:  who are we in what all of us insist is a world, an entirely material world, in which purpose can be found?