I pride myself in being rational. I pride myself in being realistic. And sometimes I hide from hope behind a veil of fearful sarcasm and jaded wisdom. But not today.
Today I watched President Obama take the oath of office. Today I watched a church filled with little black kids watch as two other little black kids prepare to move into the White House. Today I heard the call of my president to be what Americans are supposed to be: just, bold, compassionate, strong, and forever laboring in the fields of freedom. Today I cried as the oath was taken and again as Aretha sang, and again as the National Anthem was sung.
Today is not a day for fear or sarcasm. Today is a day for unfettered hope. God will bless America and all the world.
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Unfettered Hope...Amen!!!
V'imru amen!
And amen again.
An inspiring moment for us in history. President Obama's words and actions will hopefully encourage all of us to look within to tap into our individual greatness to share with all.
My son, who was to be home on leave from Afghanistan, was able to get tickets for the swearing in ceremony. We followed all the instructions. Waited in line for 4 hours to get the tickets on Monday and then waited again for several hours at the gate on Tuesday and were, along with thousands of others with tickets, denied access to the ceremony.
There were security guards around, police and other officials, but no one told us that the area we had tickets to was closed. They allowed us to wait, in a very dangerous mosh pit environ, in 16 degree temperatures, I am sure - to contain us. Someone in the crowd was watching CNN and it was announced that the purple gate was closed and the standing area was filled. Imagine a crowd large enough to fill a two block area, packed in so tightly that I could not tell where my body stopped and their’s began, all deciding to go in different directions or to hold their ground. Children were screaming and being crushed, people needed ambulances; others froze in terror as the crowd took on a life of its own.
Some of us, were able to break free. Being a mediator I rotely assessed what the people around me needed and gave it to them. “You want to stay? Then let’s trade places.” I traded my way out only to be hit by a cold that put me into shivers that numbed my reactions, scared me and separated me from my son. Did I mention the cell phone lines were jammed? Eventually, we were able to find each other and make our way to safety. It was like a scene from an apocalyptic movie.
Because we waited in line and followed directions, the mall was closed by the time we got there. We found another purple line that was longer than the one we had just escaped from. People were waving their tickets and screaming, “We have tickets, let us in”…to no avail. Oh and by the way, we were told in advance that because of overcrowding if you had tickets to the ceremony, you most likely will not get to see the parade. In thousands of cases people who just wanted to take part in history making, could not see the ceremony or the parade. The police chief lied by saying that all ticketed people gained access, and now there is a Senate investigation. What a bumbling mess.
As horrible as this experience was, Eric said it best; I may not have witnessed it, but at least we can say good-bye to the old administration and have hope that things will change.
My lasting memory of the inaugural weekend, while severely overshadow by personal disappointment and down right fear, will be standing on the mall at the “We are One” concert on Sunday. My son was home and for now, safe. We were with close family sharing an historic moment and we were surrounded by the nicest, happiest crowd I have ever experienced. With the Lincoln Memorial looming large in the distance, the energy was electric and hopeful. Seagulls and ducks were flying low over the reflecting pool, enjoying our heat and occasional potato chip. I was for the first time in my life completely surrounded by African Americans, they were praising god and dancing as if in church and had a sense of “atlastment” that I will never understand. John Mellencamp was singing…”Ain’t that America we’re something to see baby, Ain’t that America, home of the free….”
It was amazing, surreal and yes Rami, unfetteringly hopeful.
Rami, I just read 3 of your most current postings of discussion for your blog...one about how good laughter is and another post of how
you would like Christians to bar non-Christians from heaven to line up more with the admonition and respect of the Jewish faith... and now I read this posting of the inauguration....
"that God will bless America and all the world"
I actually was thinking the same thing until I found out later that day that Obama had chosen a gay activist to do part of the praying for the nation.
Tell me do you think GOD will bless America before another gay activist bishop prays for our nation or has He blessed it from the first one that Obama requested in his entourage of prayer warriors?
As a Christian (who has repented and learned that GOD's way is best for our world) then I know that Obama is not really a Christian with GOD's spiritual wisdom by choosing what he did in allowing a gay so called biship lead a nation in prayer. I know that we can forgive Obama for his ignorance but we must also recognize that we (some) have chosen Obama as a leader of our nation but not as our LORD. He says "GOD bless" when speaking in reverance to GOD but he has yet to know GOD's ways himself. You as a Jewish man should also easily recognize that Obama isn't practicing the true Christian faith in having a gay bishop (who really isn't a true church bishop according to the text of the Bible)lead our nation in prayer.
I am at present very disgusted with Obama and his staff's decision making regarding our GOD (the same GOD over the Jews whether they beleive in Christ or not...He is the same GOD of Jacob, Moses, Israel, and so on) because I also wanted a special day of prayer to GOD at the Presidential Inauguation and I did see much prayer but it was til much later in the day that I learned that Obama had yielded to having a gay activist lead prayer and that upset me for now I do not know this Obama as a practicing Christian and I am concerned about how he can lead without GOD leading him.
Remember that Israel went into bondage to their enemies when they played games with GOD's grace and favor towards them. So how do you think GOD will bless this nation for some of the leadership turning to immorality leaders to pray for it?
Remember He took out two sons of a priest when they offered 'strange fire' before the Lord.
(Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.) GOD the Father is the same GOD who detests men lying with men...hasn't changed His mind about that for He perfected the machinery of a man and woman to become a family. Though one can obtain forgiveness with GOD thru repentance...GOD still desires that works of repentance come forth and is not wanting that one who will not turn away from sinful behaviours teach others...such as being a 'gay activist bishop' is about as much as a slap of insult in GOD's face as one can get.
I do not know Obama and I do hope that he is an effective wise leader...but he is not a Christian born of the Spirit of Christ or he would not have admonished an evil work (and it is evil to want the world to listen to a man stuck in immorality even if he calls himself a father or bishop)...Obama is a 'church goer' without certain understanding and without being filled with the Spirit of Christ in truth of GOD's ways and words. Perhaps like Saul, Obama might be encountered for leading people in wrongful choices...so there is hope that he might have a Damascus wake up!
I am very concerned that Obama would 'man please' so much that he would dishonour GOD and choose to allow a gay 'bishop' to be as a leader among people in leading in prayer. It is time for leadership towards GOD not lack of leadership. You may not believe in Christ as your Messiah but you surely do admonish being a Jew and acknowledge that Christ is a wise man. Then clearly you would seee that having Gene Robinson, a gay man, lead a prayer in the most important inaugural address of our nation was an insult to GOD's wisdom and intelligence and did not speak highly of Obama's decision making in calling himself a Christian. That was like telling a nation that we should enforce laws to protect our children from child predators and then let an unrepentant molester lead the national address. I am concerned that they may see that judging child molesters is violating their rights to free choice next in the entourage of corrupt practices in wisdom next.
Yet I know that Obama couldn't possibly know the difference as he has yet to receive the Holy Spirit and be given the wisdom to know that GOD abhors 'whoredom'.
And GOD looks forward to more people agreeing with Him as Amos said, "how can two walk together except they be agreed"...which was entirely a reference to Israel in walking with GOD so then and also now they needed to agree with His point of view.
I am so disappointed in Obama's wrongful sense of admonition towards GOD that I cannot say that I think he is the answer to lead our nation as a leader....but I know that Almighty GOD was able to use a donkey to speak to an ungodly Balaam...so evidently there is some hope....cause the donkey wasn't a Christian either.
Maybe it is my mood when reading your posts (I read 3 of them before commenting) and I decided to speak up about what really happenened that day of the inauguaration....there was a lot of prayer...and there will be more prayer I am sure...but 'the lying lips' have always been one of the abominations that GOD Our LORD has detested. I hope that GOD doesn't turn this nation over to the Islamists to rid this nation of immoral conduct (for some Islamists do the same things even though they have laws against sodomy)..rather I hope GOD promotes leadership in just the right people who want to agree with His way regarding promiscuity and the desire to overcome the harlot spirit and its practices thru mankind.
But as the other nations keep seeing more and more 'gay lifestyles' among the Americans then there will be a desire to overrun it (especially Iran who has sodomy laws enforced). Babylon overran Israel when the "gay life" showed up there as well with the other immoral conducts/behaviours...so I surely hope we that we that believe that GOD's way is best are equipped to weather any storms ahead. The 'gay lifestyles' are a result of a spirit of whoredom and it surely is a despicable spirit that GOD hates...Christ came to equip mankind to be able to withstand such an evil as Christ indeed came to deliver people from the power that His enemy satan was using against mankind.
It is not just GOD and mankind...it is a spiritual higher battle that has been going on for centuries.
The best blessing GOD can bestow on America these days is to clear it of its immoral behaviours, even its immoral commercials (how many times a day can one stand to hear about cialis?) and use of products that encourage immorality. Of course maybe some would think that the word "immoral" has changed to "acceptable" which it hasn't, thank GOD.
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