Please read Elizabeth's post quoting Alice Walker's letter to Barack Obama at Telling Secrets. Here's a taste, but do read the whole letter. It's great.
A good model of how to 'work with the enemy' internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader.
All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies.
Amen, and amen, and amen!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A Word From Roseann
From the comments at Roseann's blog, Being Peace:
Being Peace said...
Thank you Mimi. Your love and prayers are great gifts to me.
Love to you and our new President! Roseann
Roseann, it's wonderful to hear from you. My prayers continue for your speedy and uneventful recovery.
O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant Roseann the help of your power, that her sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer] p. 458
Update from Suzanne:
Afternoon Mimi,
Roseann has a post on her blog. She has been moved from the ICU and sounds as if she is raring to go.
Sue
Thanks be to God! Yes, I can see Roseann raring to go. That is Roseann. Thanks, Sue.
Being Peace said...
Thank you Mimi. Your love and prayers are great gifts to me.
Love to you and our new President! Roseann
Roseann, it's wonderful to hear from you. My prayers continue for your speedy and uneventful recovery.
O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant Roseann the help of your power, that her sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer] p. 458
Update from Suzanne:
Afternoon Mimi,
Roseann has a post on her blog. She has been moved from the ICU and sounds as if she is raring to go.
Sue
Thanks be to God! Yes, I can see Roseann raring to go. That is Roseann. Thanks, Sue.
If Obama Governs As He Campaigned....
From the Washington Post:
For a candidate who began as a novice on the national stage, Obama proved remarkably steady, anchored and unruffled. Those personal attributes, if they are indicative of presidential character, could provide the ballast that any administration needs when turbulence hits -- as it did at various times during the campaign. His temperament as a candidate suggests a president not given to highs and lows, and his campaign foreshadows a White House more orderly than those of the two most recent Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
When others doubted his candidacy in the summer and fall of 2007, Obama stayed true to the course he and his advisers had set at the start of the campaign. When he suffered setbacks at the hands of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in this year's primaries, he made readjustments without rancor and kept moving forward. When the financial markets cratered in September, and Sen. John McCain scurried in different directions in response, the measured reaction by Obama and his campaign helped persuade doubters about his fitness to be president.
I've heard much talk that Obama is untested and inexperienced, however, I believe that the masterful manner in which he ran his campaign, during which he was tested rather severely, both during the primaries and during the campaign, actually may be a rather good predictor of how he will govern. I hope that it is, because as time passed, I was more and more impressed with him each day.
If a president goes into office as an agent of change, it is helpful if that person can inspire us and move us by his words and his manner of speaking. Obama is a gifted man, and I hope he will live up to the trust we have placed in him.
He will take office with the good will and good wishes of the majority in the country, but also with the ill will and even hatred of a minority. I pray that those of good will and even those of ill will may give him a chance to demonstrate what he will do as president and not to over-expect about what he can accomplish in the short term. The Bush maladministration leaves us with a terrible mess to clean up, and the fix will not be quick or easy. I pray for the patience of the citizenry and the press in the early days of the Obama administration. Obama administration - that has a fine ring to it, doesn't it? I hope that I may retire "maladministration".
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer] page 824
For a candidate who began as a novice on the national stage, Obama proved remarkably steady, anchored and unruffled. Those personal attributes, if they are indicative of presidential character, could provide the ballast that any administration needs when turbulence hits -- as it did at various times during the campaign. His temperament as a candidate suggests a president not given to highs and lows, and his campaign foreshadows a White House more orderly than those of the two most recent Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
When others doubted his candidacy in the summer and fall of 2007, Obama stayed true to the course he and his advisers had set at the start of the campaign. When he suffered setbacks at the hands of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in this year's primaries, he made readjustments without rancor and kept moving forward. When the financial markets cratered in September, and Sen. John McCain scurried in different directions in response, the measured reaction by Obama and his campaign helped persuade doubters about his fitness to be president.
I've heard much talk that Obama is untested and inexperienced, however, I believe that the masterful manner in which he ran his campaign, during which he was tested rather severely, both during the primaries and during the campaign, actually may be a rather good predictor of how he will govern. I hope that it is, because as time passed, I was more and more impressed with him each day.
If a president goes into office as an agent of change, it is helpful if that person can inspire us and move us by his words and his manner of speaking. Obama is a gifted man, and I hope he will live up to the trust we have placed in him.
He will take office with the good will and good wishes of the majority in the country, but also with the ill will and even hatred of a minority. I pray that those of good will and even those of ill will may give him a chance to demonstrate what he will do as president and not to over-expect about what he can accomplish in the short term. The Bush maladministration leaves us with a terrible mess to clean up, and the fix will not be quick or easy. I pray for the patience of the citizenry and the press in the early days of the Obama administration. Obama administration - that has a fine ring to it, doesn't it? I hope that I may retire "maladministration".
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer] page 824
Please Pray For Evan
Grandmere Mimi and MadPriest,
Please, if you wouldn't mind, would you post a prayer request on your blog today? Evan, the nine-year-old boy from my church who has leukemia, is getting a bone marrow transplant. This is his chance at life, so I'm hoping for a wider prayer circle than just my own blog readers.
Thanks,
Ruth
Please, if you wouldn't mind, would you post a prayer request on your blog today? Evan, the nine-year-old boy from my church who has leukemia, is getting a bone marrow transplant. This is his chance at life, so I'm hoping for a wider prayer circle than just my own blog readers.
Thanks,
Ruth
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
"From One Great Man To Another"
Lifted in it's entirety from Father David Heron:
Statement on Obama Victory by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu:
“It’s an epoch-making event filling the whole world with hope that change is possible. It is just tremendous; it is saying to people of colour that for them, the sky is the limit.
“We have a new spring in our walk and our shoulders are straighter. It is almost as when Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994.
Obama is not there yet, in my humble opinion, but I pray he makes it to greatness.
Bittersweet
From Soulforce:
Dear June,
Today is a day of blessing seasoned by loss. For even as America's historic presidential election ushers in a new dawn of fairness and inclusivity, a majority of voters in Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Florida have voted, once again, to exclude some Americans from the fundamental promise of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Ironically, from the very beginning of his campaign, President-elect Obama abjured the politics of division and exclusion that have marred our political process by depicting some groups -- immigrants, poor people, people of color, and LGBT people -- as dangerous "others" who threaten our national identity. Obama's own story gives us hope for a more perfect, and more fully inclusive, union. But, as always in our nation's history, there remains more work to be done in order to make our most cherished ideals a reality.It appears that it's not yet bent enough toward the .
My heartfelt gratitude goes to all of the dedicated, tireless people who worked to defeat discriminatory ballot measures. Soulforce shares your pain, disappointment, and concern for the many couples and families who are more vulnerable because of this legislation. The extent of the misinformation that we faced in these struggles was daunting, but please know that your work has already borne fruit. And take comfort in knowing that those who voted for discrimination are mere footnotes to larger trends in public opinion -- which is shifting in favor of legal recognition of same-sex couples -- and to the larger narrative of American history -- which is continually refining its promise of liberty and justice for all.
IT and her Beloved were married only a few short weeks ago. My thoughts are with them and all who are immediately affected by these votes. As I said to IT in the comments to another post:
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice..." MLK
It appears that it's not yet bent enough toward the justice of gay marriage in California. I'm sorry.
....
MLK did not live to see an African-American elected president, but the quote still stands. I know it's hard for you to see that now. Your day is coming. I know it in my heart.
UPDATE: Please read Counterlight's beautiful post and listen to the lovely song dedicated to IT and BP.
Dear June,
Today is a day of blessing seasoned by loss. For even as America's historic presidential election ushers in a new dawn of fairness and inclusivity, a majority of voters in Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Florida have voted, once again, to exclude some Americans from the fundamental promise of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Ironically, from the very beginning of his campaign, President-elect Obama abjured the politics of division and exclusion that have marred our political process by depicting some groups -- immigrants, poor people, people of color, and LGBT people -- as dangerous "others" who threaten our national identity. Obama's own story gives us hope for a more perfect, and more fully inclusive, union. But, as always in our nation's history, there remains more work to be done in order to make our most cherished ideals a reality.It appears that it's not yet bent enough toward the .
My heartfelt gratitude goes to all of the dedicated, tireless people who worked to defeat discriminatory ballot measures. Soulforce shares your pain, disappointment, and concern for the many couples and families who are more vulnerable because of this legislation. The extent of the misinformation that we faced in these struggles was daunting, but please know that your work has already borne fruit. And take comfort in knowing that those who voted for discrimination are mere footnotes to larger trends in public opinion -- which is shifting in favor of legal recognition of same-sex couples -- and to the larger narrative of American history -- which is continually refining its promise of liberty and justice for all.
IT and her Beloved were married only a few short weeks ago. My thoughts are with them and all who are immediately affected by these votes. As I said to IT in the comments to another post:
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice..." MLK
It appears that it's not yet bent enough toward the justice of gay marriage in California. I'm sorry.
....
MLK did not live to see an African-American elected president, but the quote still stands. I know it's hard for you to see that now. Your day is coming. I know it in my heart.
UPDATE: Please read Counterlight's beautiful post and listen to the lovely song dedicated to IT and BP.
Editorial From Merrie Olde England
Of course, it is only a matter of time before Barack Obama shows himself to be just, at best, an ordinary human being like the rest of us. However, between now and then, he has a window of opportunity that no other leader of a nation has ever enjoyed, not even Nelson Mandela.
Most of the people of America will not realise the level of support Obama has throughout the rest of the world, and not just the rich countries. Europeans see him as a very rare beast, in deed, a sane American. Africans are so proud of him that they will be writing songs about him for centuries to come. Ordinary Muslims hope, against hope, that his definition of "enemy" will not be automatically attached to religious affiliation. Therefore, any sensible moves he makes on the world stage will be greeted, for awhile, with an enormous amount of good will.
For example, he could help to stop the bloodshed in the Congo and bring the Iraq War to a speedy and acceptable conclusion. He could release the AIDS sufferers of Africa from the Bush/Vatican stranglehold that is killing them at a rate of 6000 a day and he could sell democracy rather than foolishly trying to enforce it. Anything is possible but he must act quickly.
There is one piece of Republican propaganda that the rest of the world does take seriously. It would be all too easy for Obama to embrace that most unhelpful of American national traits, isolationism. That would probably get him a second term in office but for the rest of us he would become nothing more than a very disappointing, world leader pretend.
By MadPriest.
The blog owner does not necessarily agree with all the views expressed here, but in the case of the above editorial, she mostly does.
Most of the people of America will not realise the level of support Obama has throughout the rest of the world, and not just the rich countries. Europeans see him as a very rare beast, in deed, a sane American. Africans are so proud of him that they will be writing songs about him for centuries to come. Ordinary Muslims hope, against hope, that his definition of "enemy" will not be automatically attached to religious affiliation. Therefore, any sensible moves he makes on the world stage will be greeted, for awhile, with an enormous amount of good will.
For example, he could help to stop the bloodshed in the Congo and bring the Iraq War to a speedy and acceptable conclusion. He could release the AIDS sufferers of Africa from the Bush/Vatican stranglehold that is killing them at a rate of 6000 a day and he could sell democracy rather than foolishly trying to enforce it. Anything is possible but he must act quickly.
There is one piece of Republican propaganda that the rest of the world does take seriously. It would be all too easy for Obama to embrace that most unhelpful of American national traits, isolationism. That would probably get him a second term in office but for the rest of us he would become nothing more than a very disappointing, world leader pretend.
By MadPriest.
The blog owner does not necessarily agree with all the views expressed here, but in the case of the above editorial, she mostly does.
Congratulations President-Elect Barack Obama!
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. Barack Obama
What a great night! What a speech! What a great gift of hope!
The whole world was watching, and we did it. We can raise our heads and be proud of our president once again. President-elect Obama ran a masterful campaign. My hope is that his presidency will be as successful, that he will use those same gifts that brought him to the presidency to turn our country around to head in the right direction toward a fairer and more just society.
YES, WE DID!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Mimi! Curb Your Enthusiasm!
I'm trying. I'm trying really hard, but I just can't curb my enthusiasm for Obama. He's a human being. He can't fulfill all my dreams. Look how 8 years of the Bush maladministration has dragged us down, nearly done us in. There's a lot of fixing to do, and it can't all be done quickly, and it can't be done by one man. We'll need a Congress that's ready to go to work and do hard things. We'll need a citizenry that's alert and watchful, ready to goad the president and the Congress whenever they seem to slack and shy away from difficult decisions. It's not just them. It's us, too.
Am I sounding too hopeful? Am I assuming something that has not happened yet? Will too many of the folks in long lines give up and go home? I pray not.
If Obama is elected, we cannot go back to our lazy ways. We must be participants, not observers.
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