An Irish Prayer for the President
An Irish prayer: 3-25-10
May those that love us,
Love us,
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts,
And if God doesn't turn their hearts,
May God turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
President Barack Obama needs no such warning. Since taking office he has walked a precarious, narrow ridge of sharp, slippery rock between a sea of hope on one side and an inferno of scorching hate on the other.
I hold my breath watching him take risks, unprecedented in modern presidential history. Like inviting the Republican leadership to an all-against-him, no holds barred debate, before the live cameras of Fox news , et al. Without the protection of a faceless radio studio or a Limberg/Beck type cutoff button, he took on each of the minority party's leaders as they tried to catch him with any, single, tiny detail that would break his composure. Even McCain's anticipated overhand right, knockout punch, was cleverly and kindly deflected by the President, revealing McCain for the bitter old man he has become since being im-Palined in November of 2008.
I am not a religious man. I wonder at the nature of whatever great power lies at the center of all that is. Of late, though, I have been struck by the presence of this man, Obama. In the parables of Jesus, the stories of Moses, Mohammed or even Siddhartha, we are offered tales of men achieving the great and the mundane, affecting people with such profundity that multitudes look to them for guidance today, thousands of years after their deaths.
The extraordinary acts attributed to these men may be stuff of legend. More important than the fantastic acts and miracles, however, was that each pressed on relentlessly, though imperfectly, with a fierce commitment to making people's lives better each day, raising the standards of civilization in the process.
Mother Teresa may be one of those from our time whose legacy reaches far into the future. Her lifelong work with the most invisible, abjectly poor and mortally ill of Calcutta contributes to the hope for humankind's salvation from a self inflicted extinction. Mother Teresa forced us to face the shared nature of the human race, by caring for those who are least on our minds.
In contrast, in the make believe, manufactured celebrity of Washington, DC, the concerns of humanity are "dealt with" by the puffed up, self important 'suits' who have all the answers. The same politicians who convinced us; that our Navy was attacked in the Gulf of Ton kin; that Iran/Contra was needed to stop the evil Communist rebels in Nicaragua; that the Sudanese pharmaceutical plant was a cover for bomb making; and that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. All major league, destructive lies designed to create a diversion from the truth; a self serving desire for wealth and power.
I have criticized President Obama for compromising, for being too gentle with the opposition, for being too meticulous in his approach to accomplishing the things we wanted done yesterday. However, he does not work miracles. He is a human being, relentless in the pursuit of making life better for the people he serves.
God the Father, I was taught growing up, sent Jesus to live as a man with the doubts, imperfections and mistakes that we're told occurred during his short life. It is noble to be human; struggling with our imperfect nature to accomplish what is just. Whether Barack Obama is destined for historical significance is unknown and certainly not a concern of his. It matters that he is today, a good, patient man working methodically on behalf of all the people with, perhaps, a bit more focus on the "least among us."
I am afraid for him. I'm frightened at the hate mongers on radio and television who attain wealth and an eerie status by stoking the fires of racism, greed and violent tendency that seem all too prevalent in a society that is said to stand for truth, justice and liberty. I hope this evil is miniscule, a minority exaggerated by Limberg and his ilk, who provide a voice to those who mirror their own selfish disregard for civility, and share a loathing for the black man who has succeeded beyond their potential.
If there is a God, I pray that He protects this man who offers himself for the wellbeing of others, that He sends Angels to walk with Obama, surrounding him as he calmly steps forward to speak to the crowds, touching their hands, wading into the presence of those who share in his vision. If there is a God, I pray he supports this President's Herculean effort to bring us one step closer to the fulfillment of the myth of the United States of America while we still remember what that means.
Amen.











