Friday, August 22, 2008

Being Strong

Strength isn't always brawn and grit.
It is often lean and unassuming,
yet powerful and stately.

This is how I see Barack Obama.

8 comments:

- A - C - said...

You're naming here the Ying and Yang of strength. How I wish you represented the average US citizen....

Judith Ellis said...

The US citizens are a great people and I hope and pray that we will consider different sides of the same coin as apposed to only one. I also must say that in the world of politics it is important to have a balanced image. Joe Biden brings the needed image balance to the ticket as Johnson did for Kennedy and Bush for Regan. Maybe the "average US citizen" will see two as one without necessarily flipping the coin.

JOHN O'LEARY said...

Judith, I'm happy as a clam with B's pick of Biden. Biden was my first choice at the beginning of the primaries before I knew anything of Barack. By US presidential campaign standards this is a pretty high IQ ticket. Let the Swift-Boating begin!

BTW, did you get subliminal message behind McCain's ads against Obama as "The One"? On one level it was a humorous dig at the celebrity nature of Obama. On a darker level it fed the fears of those who consider Obama the Antichrist. Quite clever actually, but completely shameless. If there wasn't so much at stake in this election I could just sit back and be entertained by it, but...

Judith Ellis said...

John - I love Obama's pick! What a great ticket! I was hoping that he would pick Biden early on. Before Barack, I was simply waiting.

Yes! We can only imagine the hate images and spouting fearmongering that await us. I just hope that the American people can see beyond such ads. This ticket will hopefully quail some of the negative swift-boat ads.

I most certainly got the subliminal message of "The One" ad. My sister called to ask if I had seen it. The thing that is most distressing about much of the religious right is the claim to even be religious. But perhaps this is the distinction between being religious and following the precepts of Christ. I am not religious!

JOHN O'LEARY said...

Yes, Judith, I'm concerned that voters will make decisions from their amygdala rather than from the reasoning portion of their brain.

I share your concern about the "religious" right. "But perhaps this is the distinction between being religious and following the precepts of Christ." This is PRECISELY why I have difficulty calling myself a Christian, while I attempt to follow the precepts of Christ. If Jesus were walking the streets now I believe he would have difficulty locating Himself inside of what passes for Christianity today, at least in the US.

Judith Ellis said...

I thoroughly understand and share your sentiments, John. I do, however, call myself a Chrisitian.

I so appreciate the Apostle Paul who understood human nature very well. While he didn't agree with all of what was going on in the early church during his time (as we do not agree with many things today) the message of Christ (the death, burial and resurrection--the actual and metaphorical, representing so much) was nonetheless being preached and he was glad.

So, from this standpoint I am glad. The principles of Christ are lovely indeed and will not be overshawdowed by idealogues from any religion or sect, internally or externally. God is love.

And speaking of positioning,Christ himself had difficulities in locating himself in the religious institutions of his day. He was in many regards a kind of revelutionary. Though he preaced that he did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.

May God bless us one and all.

JOHN O'LEARY said...

Hey, are you watching the Democratic National Convention? Reminds me of the vibe of the 1960 convention. (I know you were just a twinkle in your parents' eyes then.) Once again I'm dating myself. (But I save a hundred bucks a week that way.)

Judith Ellis said...

I am and it's great! Just wrote a piece about C-Span. Check it out! Oh, how I wish I was there during the 1960 Convention. Wow! And by the way, John, you look M-A-R-V-E-L-O-U-S!