I saw on the Web site of the National Council of Churches the text of a letter sent to President-elect Obama, and got curious as to whether anything similar had been sent to George Bush on the occasion of either of his election victories, as well as what differences there might be in tone. This is the letter sent to Obama:

Blessings on you, and congratulations. Now that the electorate has made its decision, we at the National Council of Churches urge all Americans to come together to uphold you with our hands, our hearts and our prayers.

Only rarely in our history has a president-elect faced immediate challenges of such fierce magnitude. The leaders of this Council pledge to you our unstinting support in the difficult days to come. All of us are dependent on God’s loving mercy, and we will regularly pray for you and others elected to high leadership. May your wisdom and discernment serve you well, and may your health never wane.

Mr. President-Elect, the 45-million Christians represented by the member communions of the National Council of Churches stand ready to work with you to respond to the realities that a loving God places before us each day.

In doing so, we are guided by several basic principles:

That those living in poverty are deeply loved of God;
that all God’s people are entitled to equal opportunities for justice, shelter, education, and   health care;
And that war, even when it is necessary to defend ourselves or the weak or the oppressed, is never the will of God.

Grace to you, and peace,

Michael Kinnamon

In 2004, there was apparently no letter sent to Bush–at least I couldn’t find one on the NCC’s site. But there is a statement made by then General Secretary Bob Edgar:

“This election confirmed that we are a divided nation, not only politically but in terms of our interpretations of God’s will.  We in the church must redouble our efforts to call all people of faith to affirm the values of both public morality and private piety.

“Regardless of who leads our country, the agenda of the church must always respond faithfully to the Bible’s timeless mandate to minister to the poor, the marginalized and the outcast; and to be seekers and makers of peace.  In this quest for the common good, we will contribute to the healing of the nation, and of the family of nations.

“The American political system is strong and vibrant, persisting through waves of changing circumstances, because of the vigilance of patriots and the ever-renewing blessings of Constitutional government.  We pledge to pray for President Bush and his Administration, and offer our best efforts to unite the nation in the cause of justice and peace.”

For 2000, I could find nothing regarding the election at all. No acknowledgement of the difficult period the country had been through during the Florida recount, no letter of congratulations to the winner, nothing.

The difference between the 2008 letter and the 2004 statement may just be the difference between Kinnamon and Edgar. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

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