Obama reflects on Rev. Wright’s sermon: “Having the audacity to believe despite all the evidence to the contrary that we could restore a sense of community to a nation torn by conflict; the gall to believe that despite personal setbacks, the loss of a job or an illness in the family or a childhood mired in poverty, we had some control—and therefore responsibility—over our own fate. It was that audacity, I though, that joined us as one people.” Is it audacious to hope? How do you find hope?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Audacity of Hope, Question 4
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2 comments:
Well, this is a tricky question for me. I guess it depends on what I'm hoping for... With regards to politics, I'm hopeful that we will have leaders that will act in good conscience, following through on what they say they will, use money to build our society rather than to the gain of just a few. But in the end, I'm terribly cynical when it comes to politics. Sure, I'd love to see "change" as we've heard Obama say over and over. But do I realistically think that will happen? Not really. Part of the problem is that up to this point in my life, the decisions of politicians haven't affected me personally in my day to day life. Sure, I may not see any social security 50 years from now but it's hard for me to believe that my life would be any different today had President Bush never come to "power". I realize how self-centered this sounds, but that's truly how I feel.
The only thing that gives me true hope is the knowledge that there is a much better life after this one. The knowledge that all of the wrongs and injustices will one day be made right. And in the mean time, we are subject to the decisions of man, which often fall short and lead to disappointment.
Perhaps someone has something more optimistic to share...
I hope it isn't audacious to hope, though probably for some people it is. I like to believe that we live in a country where people can accomplish whatever they set their mind to, etc. Realistically I know that isn't true, so if you're talking about the people that Rev. Wright is referring to-children growing up in inner cities, often without financial support or quality education, then it probably is audacious to hope. But that is also one of our country's biggest problems. Ideally hope should be available to all of us in equal measures, but of course that is not the way it it. It is much less audacious for any of us to hope than a lot of other people in this country.
Like Marci, I have been feeling cynical about politics, but I do think change is possible if we can get the people in our government working together instead of toeing party lines and remaining divided by partisan loyalties, and I do think that the president has the power to make a big difference by setting a tone. I also think that the president does affect us individually too, though often the affects come after having trickled down through layer after layer of bureaucracy, business, and social society so we don't always notice the direct impact our leaders do have.
Ultimately our greatest hope is in the coming of Christ, but until then, we have the responsibility to make this world as good as it can possibly be by sharing the gospel and working to make positive changes around us, despite our own and our leaders' shortcomings.
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