Kurt and I and our children had the privilege of being in DC this past week for the inauguration of President Obama. Even though we did not make it to the mall on the actual day (we were there the day before and the day after – and watched the Inauguration on TV with the rest of the world), we soaked up the jubilation that was in the air. It was one big week-long party in our nation’s capitol. People who had felt a sense of separation before, perhaps due to race or class, or some other invisible wall, were suddenly brought together by our joy that Barack Obama had been elected President. After many years of despair, we found hope again.
The experience took me back to election night. You probably remember where you were. I was down at Wesley’s Bar on Adams street celebrating with Kurt and friends, new ones and old ones. A visitor from DC, who had been here working with Kurt on the campaign, turned to me, as we were watching the results on TV and said, “What do you think?” I paused for a moment, and tried to let the weight of the moment sink in, and I said, “I think the whole world just changed.”
And here is what changed that night, Nov, 4, 2008: we found HOPE again. Like little children, we marveled at a miracle – that an obscure young man with a funny name, descended from those who were once enslaved in this country, was to be our President. If Barack Obama can become President in 2009, anything can happen.
But here’s what I really like about Obama – he is very clear – every time he speaks. “Friends,” he says, “this is not about me, it’s about YOU.” Barack Obama cannot change the world. He can’t fix all the problems in our country. But he calls all of us to come together – to work together – to use our collective wisdom and resources – to make the world a better place for all of us. He calls us to be our best selves – and to put the good of the community ahead of our self-interests. He calls us to sit down with our enemies and listen and to try to make peace. He calls us to show some self-restraint and to show some compassion and generosity toward our neighbors who are hurting. And he calls us to work together – as any good community organizer would do.
Yes, his message is quite familiar to me. I am not at all surprised to know that he is a follower of Jesus, raised up in the tradition of the black church, with a message of justice and mercy for all. I am clear that Barack Obama is not our savior. He is a follower of Jesus. And he is a strong leader who is using his God-given gifts to make our world a better place for all.
And now, our leader, whom we elected, is calling upon us to serve, to do our part, each in our own corner of the world. For me, and for The Village Church, the question is this: how will we change the world – in NW Ohio? How will we embody HOPE? How will we use our gifts and our resources to show compassion to persons who are hurting – in our community and beyond? And how will we, as followers of Jesus – share God’s message of love to a world that so desperately needs to experience God’s love? These are the questions for us to ponder, as we do the work of planting this church called The Village.
The experience took me back to election night. You probably remember where you were. I was down at Wesley’s Bar on Adams street celebrating with Kurt and friends, new ones and old ones. A visitor from DC, who had been here working with Kurt on the campaign, turned to me, as we were watching the results on TV and said, “What do you think?” I paused for a moment, and tried to let the weight of the moment sink in, and I said, “I think the whole world just changed.”
And here is what changed that night, Nov, 4, 2008: we found HOPE again. Like little children, we marveled at a miracle – that an obscure young man with a funny name, descended from those who were once enslaved in this country, was to be our President. If Barack Obama can become President in 2009, anything can happen.
But here’s what I really like about Obama – he is very clear – every time he speaks. “Friends,” he says, “this is not about me, it’s about YOU.” Barack Obama cannot change the world. He can’t fix all the problems in our country. But he calls all of us to come together – to work together – to use our collective wisdom and resources – to make the world a better place for all of us. He calls us to be our best selves – and to put the good of the community ahead of our self-interests. He calls us to sit down with our enemies and listen and to try to make peace. He calls us to show some self-restraint and to show some compassion and generosity toward our neighbors who are hurting. And he calls us to work together – as any good community organizer would do.
Yes, his message is quite familiar to me. I am not at all surprised to know that he is a follower of Jesus, raised up in the tradition of the black church, with a message of justice and mercy for all. I am clear that Barack Obama is not our savior. He is a follower of Jesus. And he is a strong leader who is using his God-given gifts to make our world a better place for all.
And now, our leader, whom we elected, is calling upon us to serve, to do our part, each in our own corner of the world. For me, and for The Village Church, the question is this: how will we change the world – in NW Ohio? How will we embody HOPE? How will we use our gifts and our resources to show compassion to persons who are hurting – in our community and beyond? And how will we, as followers of Jesus – share God’s message of love to a world that so desperately needs to experience God’s love? These are the questions for us to ponder, as we do the work of planting this church called The Village.
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