Obama and The Jesus Smile

A few weeks ago I watched the Ohio CNN Democratic debate on my Macbook Pro,  at like 8am 'cos I live in the UK and didn't want to be watch the live broadcast at cnn at 1 in the morning.  

So I'm watching Obama and Hillary and I've got this grin on my face.  I'm like, "this is awesome- would it not be great if Obama was actually going to be the next president of the US, leader of the free world, king of the new world order?"  

And I realized I was not just grinning, I was smiling. And not just any smile--  I had The Jesus Smile.  

The Jesus Smile is something I would get right after a Toronto Blessing meeting or a time when the presence of God was hieghtened.  One time after a worship meeting  I got back to my house, and a friend said to me, "Dude you've got the Jesus Smile!" The term was birthed at that moment.  

The Jesus smile means the kingdom of God is a reality-- it comes from the sense that life is about Jesus, and that's the most important thing.  I heard a great teaching recently about how Jesus caused a sense of ecstasy when he spoke to his disciples-- at least that is what the original language says. 

But why the Jesus Smile for Obama? 

Obama is no messiah,  but I think there's something to what Obama is about which fights the status quo, challenges authority and calls for a biblical viewpoint to the poor and oppressed. There's something akin to Jesus storming the temple and overturning the money changers' tables-- a fight against the last decade in politics and culture.  Maybe-- just maybe-- the guy is called to be a leader for this particular generation.

A cynic would say Obama is only about good vibes, false hopes and fainting followers, and that my Jesus smile is no different from the tears of the old ladies at a campaign rally. 

But brothers and sisters, after eleven straight wins, some frustrating losses, and a gain in super delegates..I'm still smiling.