President Obama gave the address of his life last night. Part speech, part sermon, part call to arms – if by arms we mean reaching out with love.
As he spoke I could see the case
he was building. Slowly... Gently... A trail of love from one's
own children to all the children. From one's own personal love for a
baby to care and responsibility for one another. For the children's
sake. Those who are now lost but whose tragic deaths must remain a
beacon of light – showing the way. Those alive and growing. Those
yet to be born. And the child in all of us.
It seems to me the president
has not only found his voice but has sketched out a unifying
theme for his second term. A theme which touches on every piece of
important legislation facing us as a nation.
It is time to put away tools
of violence. Be they metal or verbal. Time to turn our hearts to
healing. Time to care for all God's children. Here. There.
Everywhere.
In old age – I think I'm
now qualified to know – it's so easy to resume the timelessness of
childhood. Spending a day with a two year old, for example. Living
in the now. A state you could call enlightenment having been granted
along with increasing years.
So engrossed in the now
was I on Friday that I knew nothing of the tragedy. Until my beloved
little one had been collected by his mother. Wearing his new socks
and shoes that had just been delivered to my door that day. Oh, yes,
he is not mine – but my heart is walking around in him. My heart
will be warm - in the snowsuit and mittens that came the day before.
Somewhere I read that
“clothing” someone – in biblical terms – means “encircling
with love.”
That's what Obama is talking
about. As a society we must reach out and encircle with love.
