A quote from the Montgomery Advertiser:
Weary physically, but energized spiritually, the sojourners from Montgomery arrived in Richmond on the eve of the inauguration of America’s first black president with destination Washington on the brain.
I realize it’s simply news copy, but I do believe the Advertiser is correct: for some this is a spiritually significant day. They see Barack Obama, both the man and the event, in a spiritual light.
Witness this quote from Nancy Wigal (from CNN.com):
“Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day in our country’s history since its creation,” she said.
Really? The biggest day in our country’s history since its creation? Bigger than, say, the passage of the Bill of Rights? Bigger than the Emancipation Proclamation? Bigger than the passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments (you do know what those say, don’t you?)? Bigger than the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment? Bigger than the victories in World War I, and World War II? Really?
So goes a cult of personality.
I suspect many Obama supporters are experiencing the same feelings I had eight years ago when President George W. Bush was sworn in. After eight years of the Clinton administration, I was full of hope, joy, optimism. Not to put too fine a point on it, I put a lot of confidence and faith in Bush. I was, in most respects, disappointed, but more on that later. In any case, it behooves us to remember that our hope is not in political leaders, but in the Lord, who raises up leaders, and brings them low.
“People who don’t believe in anything will believe anything.” G. K. Chesterton.
Comment by Jenda — January 20, 2009 @ 9:03 pm