>     It’s difficult not to continue
to follow and comment upon Barack Obama’s remarkable rise to the top of
the Democratic Presidential nomination process. As I watched his speech
last night in Houston, Texas following his victory in Wisconsin, making
it 9 in a row, I was simultaneously captivated by both his delivery and
the crowd’s response.
    It goes without saying that Obama has
what it takes in the charisma department. He has presence, passion and
is gifted in the art of delivery. He is speaking the language of the
present to the hearts of the many. He uses the words “change” and
“hope” in ways that are credible.
    But we must stay alert,
because he is using those words, and others, in a way that also
satisfies a deep hunger within us, and hunger can run so deep and be so
pervasive as to consume good judgment.
    It’s not my intention to
say that he is disingenuous or manipulative when, by his words, he
rallies us to believe in the best of ourselves and our country. Words
are powerful fuel and fuel is needed to drive the engine of change. My
caution is not around his words but rather around our hunger. Because
if I hear him correctly, his is not just a condemnation of the way
things have been, nor a panacea that he alone possesses that will
change the present, but a call to ongoing commitment by each of us to
change the future by changing the way we prioritize, and the thereby
live, our lives.
    It is incumbent upon Obama to fully mean the
words he speaks and equally incumbent upon us to fully listen to all of
those words, not just the one’s that temporarily alleviate our hunger.
For the hunger runs deep and a snack will not cure it. The long-term
solution requires dedication, hard work and perseverance in remembering
that we are each responsible for self-nourishment. And while, in times
of lesser abundance, a helping hand can make the difference between
survival and extinction, it is but a temporary bridge to the place
where our reality is the product of how successfully we live our truth
and how fully we take on the responsibility to nourish and care first
for ourselves and then for those who for whatever reason, are truly
unable to care for themselves.
    Barack Obama cannot save us. He
can, if he is authentic, leads us in the path of righteousness as some
before him have done…although rarely have they been politicians. But
there is nothing wrong with rarity and a fisherman or a shepherd were
no more likely candidates.
    My job, and yours, is the more important one. We must listen to our hearts and not our stomachs. We must discern for ourselves,
without being swept up in the crowd’s momentum, whether this man…who
aspires to be the bearer of a profound and transformative
message…understands the gravity of his task and whether we,over time,
are willing to carry the majority of the weight of it for it is surely
too heavy for any one man.
    Coming from a place of truth with an
intention to prevail through both word and deed, there is nothing we
cannot do together.

P.S.   Remember to click here to get my FREE e-book download “TOO MANY SECRETS”

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