"I can choose peace, rather than this."
A Course in Miracles
A Course in Miracles
This morning, I was talking with someone about Obama. Well, we were talking about Obama.
One of the things we discussed peripherally is how all of us need to feel inspired by others. No matter how much we claim to be entirely self-contained, that we are all islands, the need to hear words that inspire, read ideas that make us feel hopeful and to live lives that have purpose ~ all of it matters.
Tonight, I watched Obama's TV special and could feel and see the inspiration he provides. People legitimately like him. It was evident in the way they looked at him, the way they talked to him. It wasn't about cheering or turning the interaction into a rally. He's someone they would like to sit down across a table and have a good conversation with.
I was especially impressed when he talked about healing the nation.
It touched something within many of us. This country has been through a lot in the past eight years. What Bill O'Reilly has glibly called "The Culture War" has been an ideological war. It has left scars. Most people (including me) felt and still feel somewhat hopeless about it. Obama makes it seem possible that it might get turned around.
No easy fixes though. No instant solutions. This is damage that runs deep and has become so pervasive that I don't think anyone can wave a magic wand and make it all better. It will take years to turn it around, if that is what American people decide to do.
It will take a lot of willingness to be open, to be able to see a new point of view and embrace it. Creating a national character that includes, as Mario Cuomo said in 1984, love and compassion will have to be a conscious choice.
Barack Obama will be a good beginning but he isn't where it ends. It will require all of us, all of us who are willing, to adopt a new way of life and thought. It will mean reaching outside of the self (and self interest) to include others as part of our human community in a meaningful way. It will take prayer for those who pray, determination from those who are strong and a willingness to inspire by those who are so gifted. We will inspire by the beliefs we hold and the behavior we choose. We will choose by the kind of society we create. Every single day. It will mean challenging ourselves on all levels, doing the internal work necessary to be a part of a national evolution. It will require a willingness to give up harshness and duality, aggression and power-over, the belief that every person is on his or her own, that human value is determined by utility and monetary wealth.
It will be the foundation of the metaphorical village, creating both personal attitudes and public policies that encourage togetherness, the end to separation and simply choosing to love.
That is what it will take after election day, after the votes have been cast and counted. Every single one of us can choose to be a part. I hope we do.
~*
15 comments:
A great post! You have expressed beautifully what each of us can do to take our country back, to develop a true community and to set an example for others as America has not done for a very long time.
It sounds like a plan.
You are the coolest my friend,
Amen, Amen.
Abundant peace,
M
Let's hope together ...
America and, by extension, the world sure need a shot of something.
Well said, sister.
I hope we do, too.
Very well said! We are each longing for unity, for a force that will bring us together instead of drive us apart. It's in each of us, not just Obama. His candidacy is surely a catalyst, but we can inspire each other and make change beyond it! If we don't stuff will never change.
Beautiful post, Chani. This is all so true. It's also true that this is another nice thing about Obama - he directs his comments at adults. It's not that he doesn't care about children, and certainly, he's a powerful inspiration to young people, but unlike many politicians, he doesn't talk down to the American people. He knows things are going to be hard and that we all have responsibilities to make it better. And he sticks with that message - not bells and whistles - and I like that.
Wonderful! And I wonder too if a recession wouldn't actually help. With people perhaps turning from all of the stuff and need to aquire, maybe they'll see more important stuff about them at their feet, like people.
I couldn't agree more. And I'm attempting to pull myself out of my cynical hole to hope that it is possible.
Chani for prez? :O) Well you've won me over. Beautifully written- are you sure you don't write speeches for "that one?".
Yes. I don't have any illusions that Obama will turn this country around instantly, but Ido think we are long overdue for hope and inspiration.
Thank you for encouraging us all to take part in healing this country.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I don't agree with Obama on some of his views or policies, same for McCain. But one thing I can say about Obama is that I believe he is a man of integrity and that he is sincere about wanting to help the country. He is rational, he listens, he has been able to get things done in the past. He shows moral character. And having him as President would forever change the country in a positive way, I think, in terms of lifting up minorities, mixed-race, etc., and *maybe* even humanizing Muslims - we'll see.
Well, I certainly agree with you here.
You wrote that if Obama wins, we will all need to adopt a new way of life and thought, reach out of the self and self interest to include others, etc.
I'd like to add that if McC wins, we still have to do all of this. Our very survival depends on our ability to give up our greedy, consumption and pull together NO MATTER WHO WINS.
We can't do this if Obama wins, but throw up our hands in hopelessness if McC wins. Well, I guess we can, but it won't help anything.
inspirational post. thanks
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