Both of these are the same in many ways. Both took a lot of time to take part in and both appeared on TV for more than three hours. Both cost millions and many people were involved. In both cases there was a great rush to begin with and in the end there was a winner – kind of… but we are all sorting through what we watched.
Tada…
I watched my first ever NASCAR Race on TV last Sunday evening – all 334 laps of cars racing almost 200 mph around a small, half mile or so track.
Then last night I sat and watched the whole election results for Canada from the first announcements in our area to the completion when the victory/conciliatory speeches were given.
No wonder I feel a little run over today – pun intended.
Comparisons…
- NASCAR races are fast and always changing. Leaders are given points for every time they hold the first position in the race around the track. Elections are that way in the end.
- Elections are fast as well in telling you what people thought… so is NASCAR.
- NASCAR has winners sometimes that you think are going to win – but don’t in the end – the high level of expectancy is there and will be to the end results – so does the Election.
- Elections have a tremendous ‘what if’, ‘maybe it will’, ‘no it can’t be so’ – elements in them from front to back – plain old excitement charged with possibility – so much like NASCAR
- NASCAR covers almost 200 miles going absolutely no where and makes a tremendous amount of noise with crashes and spin outs and flashes of color everywhere… Elections are almost the same if you are a politician.
- For someone that dislikes cars going in circles and going no where…. He or She can identify with those that think politicians do the same.
Family dynamics were changed last night as result of the elections. Many will need help to get through their next weeks and months with the changes that they underwent after Oct 14 was over. Truly they will never be the same again.
On the Side…
As I watched the NASCAR race it began with the pre-race stuff. It was then that something interesting happened. The spectator stands were jammed full of thousands upon thousands of people. It may have been an audience as big as any Super Bowl Football Game and a TV Audience to match.
There was an announcement asking everyone to remove their hats, and stand as Pastor ***** leads us in prayer. Then a Pentecostal Pastor – someone like me – stood there in his sport jacket and blue jeans and prayed one powerful prayer in the “Name of Jesus”. As he prayed the camera swept over the crowd and there was not one head raised or eye open – the whole audience was praying. Hokey Mokey! Holy Mackerel! Holy Cow! I couldn’t believe it.
Can you imagine that happening in Canada? No way! Not at our football or hockey games. Not even at our high speed road races!
They prayed to God for guidance and protection. It was a God moment that everyone there needed.
What would happen if we did the same thing at our major events…prayed…?
What would happen if we prayed before an election?
What would happen if we prayed for our politicians before the race, during the race, and after the race?
What if we prayed for the whole time a government is sitting – two to four years of prayer?
Can you imagine what would happen to our country?
Today I begin to pray for our new government. I pray for the individuals that won and will leave their families for weeks on end. I also am praying for our Canadians that ran but didn’t win… and their families.
WOW Murray… that is a lot of praying isn’t it? Yes – it can be. But God kind of directs as to who should be prayed for today – the “now” of today is His.
But there is an emotional toll in this work. Today I am tired but I need to begin praying… for men and women that are even more tired than me.
God bless Canada’s leaders and our Government beginning Oct 15, 2008.
~ Murray Lincoln ~
Sources to consider:
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/31/data/results_official.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/election2008/provincial-results.html
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