Dare I, dare we Presbyterians hope in a new way today?
Dare we to hope that the imperial presidency will quickly give way to one that reprises on the world stage our role as a nation that serves, partners, and supports peoples worldwide? Might we take a posture that pursues not America-first jingoism but human and environmental interests everywhere?
Dare we to hope that the executive branch of government will again be an accountable partner in government alongside the legislative and judicial branches, subject to constitutional oversight and the rule of law? That the detention and torture of uncharged, suspected enemy combatants will come to an end?
Dare we to hope that the signal initially perceived abroad — that Americans have jettisoned the legacy of wealthy white male privilege in favor of a multicultural community — will be sustained by a government that will befriend opponents more frequently than it will alienate friends? That we will no longer equate peace-seeking conversations with enemies as equivalent to a moral surrender? That we’ll again be known worldwide for an unrelenting commitment to promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all?
Dare we to hope that mission co-workers that we and others send overseas might be welcomed rather than be suspected of being CIA operatives?
Dare we to hope that we Christians will humbly assess where we went wrong through the presidential campaign? Our determination to contend for faith and values — a good thing — too often devolved into misrepresenting and demonizing other ideas and candidates. Might we accept as divine chastisement the young voters’ disregard of our exaggerations?
Dare we to hope that one unintended benefit of an Obama presidency might be a revival of appreciation for the power of the pulpit? His oratory reminds us that the spoken word can comfort broken hearts, can stir sacrificial service, can reconcile differences, can elevate vision, and can empower hope. Wouldn’t it be great if the word “preaching” could eschew the pejorative connotation so often associated with it? Okay, so maybe that hope is too audacious!
Dare we to hope that this new president will restrain his Democratic colleagues in Congress from stampeding over their Republican colleagues, and instead, extend to them a cross-partisan Marshall Plan. Will he help them to refocus their core values by affirming their best intentions and learning from their accumulated wisdom, so that the nation’s highest good gets accomplished rather than just the goals of a single party? Indeed, might their commitment to providing universal health care, defeating poverty, and ending the Iraq war be matched by a commitment to reducing abortions and to developing a culture of life?
President-elect Obama has encouraged us to hold out such hopes. In his election night acceptance speech he declared, “And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright, tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth but from the power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.”
What’s so audacious about that?
— JHH
PS — Speaking of hope, three hope-filled Ruach… articles highlight this issue of the Outlook. Under the leadership of Presbyterian Pastor David S. Lindsay, Ruach… is, in his words, a “visible, viable, and ongoing forum from which the stunning hopefulness of the voices of young adults — unique in their theological perspectives and personal experiences” can find an audience in the pages of The Presbyterian Outlook.
