Relax people!

Why Obama May Not Be the Antichrist

by Michael Mckinley

In the past week and a half, I have been fielding more than my normal number of questions from people about the antichrist. It seems that the election results have gone in ways that make some Christians fear that the end times are upon us and evil is making its climactic rise to challenge the authority of God.

Now first let me say that, as much as I am sinfully tempted to snigger at people who see the Book of Revelation under every rock, Christians certainly need to be wise and watchful as they live in a fallen world. So maybe the president-elect is the antichrist. But then again, maybe Tony Romo is. Time will tell. As an Eagles fan, you know which way I'm leaning.

Here's what I think about the question, though:

I don't know if Obama is a Christian or not. If he's not, then he's antichrist in the sense that anyone who is not for Jesus is against him (Luke 11:23). But then so is my next door neighbor who smokes pot in his garage until 5:00 AM on Sunday mornings. Whether or not the president-elect is for Jesus or against him isn't my call to make.

But more importantly, this question seems to take a very America-centric view of eschatology. Monsters like Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, and Josef Stalin have all risen and fallen and have not been the harbinger of the end times. But this guy wants to socialize our health care, and Jesus is supposed to be so enraged that he will come storming back to save us?

Please. The Christian faith is doing great. Christ's church is being built. The gospel is exploding in other parts of the world. It's not the end of the world... just because you think America's going down the tubes or because you don't like the guy elected to lead one branch of the government for the next four years.

If you're struggling... just take a deep breath, put down your copy of Left Behind, and pray for the president-elect.