On this historic day, we all want to know if rhetoric will transcend the typed page and become reality through swift, insightful action.  Will the campaign promises come to pass?  Will the inspirational chants change into far-reaching legislation?  Will President Obama become the paradigm shifter as he has promised?

I don’t know.

Politicians are hard to trust.

I want to know the heart of the man who will be sworn in today, to see his dreams and desires without the political maneuvering so that I can believe in him as my leader.

How can I see that?  I think that I get a glimpse in an open letter President Obama published in Parade magazine last week.

It’s a letter to his daughters, Sasha and Malia, that explains why he chose to take them onthe campaign trail that led to a new, white house and a new private school.

I thought it was important enough to reprint the article here.  Read the whole text after the break

PARADE asked the President-elect, who is also a devoted family man, to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children. Here, he shares his letter to them.

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college-even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

Sasha (l) and Malia Obama at play in New Hampshire in 2007.

Bumper cars at the Iowa State Fair in August 2007.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

What are we to think about politics as a Christian? I think that people take at least 3 different perspectives on it (I know I’ve been in each camp at different times in my life).

(1)  Whatever!: Politics doesn’t matter.  It’s all corrupt.  It will never accomplish what it claims.  it will always be opposed to the counter-cultural claims of Christianity, so I will ignore it and focus on Christ and what he can accomplish in individual lives.

(2)  Jesus for President: Politics and Christianity cannot be separated.  Because political action involves moral decision making, Christians must not only be active in the political realm, they must work to take control of it so that Christian values are protected and promoted throughout our God-blessed land.

(3)  2 Kings for Me: Jesus is my king!  He works through me & others who are a part of his church to bring his love, forgiveness, and mercy to all people.  He’s the king who teaches me what a ’servant-king’ should be like.  But I also have a secondary king (the government) who works through the political machine.  This king is king over all people in my nation, some of whom are a part of the church and some who are not.  Through political processes and schemes, this king strives to bring justice to his people, but is often thwarted by the selfish & sinful desires of his subjects.  This kingdom will never be ‘Christian’, but it may be ‘Godly’ according to natural law.  Knowing I have 2 kings, I strive my best to work for both – always keeping in mind that my king Jesus will be with me a lot longer than the other.

How do politics and Christianity intersect in your life?