Tonight, the Senate renewed the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR.  The new bill, named in part for our collective hero, Tom Lantos, funds the program through 2013.  This President's tenure has been a disaster, of course, but this is one bright spot.

It's everywhere, of course.  Newspapers, the blogosphere, Drudge, the Sunday pundits all agree: Obama got into big trouble last week with his "San Francisco" comments.

And to an extent, they are right: the comments were stupid.  Of course, the only problem is that the news is everywhere except, it seems, on the minds of voters.

I am the graduate of a well-respected liberal arts college with a degree in political science.  I love politics.  I love polling, I love the horserace, I love policy.  I love all of it.  This has been a fascinating election season, of course, for many reasons, and I've been following it intently.

I am also a seminarian.  I am in the last semester of my Master of Divinity degree.  My time in seminary has been rewarding, but quite long; this is an intensive three-year degree with not much prospect for decent income.  I have no idea how I'm going to pay off my student loans.  But I digress.

I entered seminary with an intention to fully engage both religion and politics--not in a religious right, blended sort of way, but in a way that deeply respects the wall of seperation, and that allows what is good about Christianity to inform what I know of politics: helping the poor, alleviating hunger, fairness, that sort of thing.  I intended to enter politics as either a profession or as a deep part of my ministry.

Folks, just breathe.  Elections are hard.  We get frustrated.  People say stupid things, hurtful things.

And elections are important, vitally so.  I don't want to imply that this is all meaningless hoopla.

But assuming old GWB keeps his finger off the button, the world will still be here tomorrow, and the day after, and for many days to come.

So just breathe.  Take a deep breath and just sit for a few minutes.  Take a day off of politics if you have to.

This is important.  But we have a little time.  So just breathe, and be thankful that we have the luxury to engage in this dialog.