Those of us who are not American were unable, of course, to vote for Barack Obama. But I for one feel that just for today I am American. The burden of hope on this one man to rebuild his nation and with it the world is so immense that it cannot be fulfilled. Yet still we do hope.
I have no more words for this, so I will quote here the prayer by openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson which began the inaugural concert on Sunday. It was, inexplicably, not broadcast as part of the concert:
A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama
By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire
Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.
O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…
Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.
Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.
Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.
Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.
Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.
Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.
And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.
Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.
Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.
Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.
Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.
Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.
Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.
And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.
AMEN.
Thanks to Towanda for pointing me to this prayer
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OH, so very moving! I also posted a prayer today–and I’ll add a link to this one too. Thank you.
Those words in prayer, along with the Rev. Lowery’s at the close of the Inaugural ceremony will be remembered with affection and a hearty amen. I couldn’t be prouder to be an American today.
Pam, Barbara, what a day it’s been so far! And Barbara, yes Rev Lowery was wonderful. I was just reading about Ted Kennedy’s collapse at the lunch. There’s a real sense both of a new beginning and of a torch being passed.
Tess, we’re glad to have you!
thank you, tess. for some reason the tune of “We are the World” is going through my head right now. i was so impressed as obama’s first three “I am’s” were “humbled…grateful…mindful.” this is a man i can relate to!
Tess, you are not alone in that observation about the torch being passed. Thank goodness, Teddy appears to have been exhausted and is bouncing back. He certainly looked in fine mettle earlier in the day.
This is a major change in orientation for the States, a returning to our cherished values and spirit. You cannot distort the American Constitution and our value system like Bush and Cheney did without paying a price. You can take so much and then the will of the good, decent people rises up. Jefferson, I believe, said we should have a revolution every 20 years or so. We were overdue for one. Obama understood this because he felt it in his gut. Being of another generation. beyond race and electronically connected could leave the Republicans out in the cold for some time to come. They have lost a generation. No sympathy from me.
We’re still exuberant in this household and have raised our voices in thanksgiving more than once. Thanks for sharing the joy!!
And this, from a favorite author …
A BENEDICTION
About the time you read this an almost unimaginable change will have taken place in our country and our world. I would neither try to add to the flood of eloquence about this moment, nor ignore it. If I could have the last word at the end of the day of January 20, 2009, I would simply say:
May Yes, we can, become Yes, we did.
May God and we bless the United States of America.
May God and we bless this Earth and all who come after us.
Amen.
- Robert Fulghum
Thank you all for your comments.
Someone sent me an email earlier today quoting Marianne Williamson quite early on in the campaign observing how we sometimes find visionaries, and we often find people who can get things done, but how very rare it is that we get a leader who can be a Visionary President.
And then I thought of our poor Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Quite worthy, been waiting for the job for years, but inspiring???
Tess,
Thanks for pointing toward this prayer and for praying for our country.
The good news is that his benediction is included in the webcast: http://www.hbo.com/weareone/ I listened to it early this morning, and was also struck by Reverend Robertson’s brilliance. (Way better than the freaky way that Rick Warren pronounced “Sasha and Malea,” but I digress…).
I so have a crush on my country right now. First time for that, that is for sure!
Thanks Yolanda and Marisa. I’ll listen to that webcast next time I have some space. Also by way of digression, I did wonder whether Rick Warren could not have tidied up his hair for the occasion…
I saw him on Jon Stewart, he really rocked.
Thanks for the links, cool images, you’re right! Thanks Tess!
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