The Audacity Of Hope

It's been a bit of a frustrating business, watching the US election from the far side of the Atlantic: knowing how important the outcome is but not having a vote! I think many Americans would be surprised to learn how closely the election has been followed by Europeans, but the world is so interconnected these days that our fortunes are very much bound up together. So many of the issues which face us, such as the economic crisis, climate change, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are shared by us all. It could be argued that the result of the US poll has as much impact on life here in Britain as that of our own elections.

But if yesterday was a nervous night for us, I guess it must have been even more stressful for those of you who actually live in the USA. It was interesting, for instance, to watch this video of Neale Donald Walsch (of Conversations With God fame) urging people to vote. He doesn't mention a specific candidate but most of us could take a pretty good guess who he's rooting for. And it seems to me that the Neale in this video sounds not like Neale Donald Walsch at all but like someone who is attached to an outcome! I make that comment with great affection and respect for the man: just to illustrate how much we have all invested in this.

Before I go on, I feel I should acknowledge the fact that, in spite of what I've written above, I'm looking at events in America from a long way away, so I hope that my US readers will indulge me if I write about the way things seem to me.

As you may perhaps expect, I was rooting for Barack Obama, and I woke this morning to hear news of his victory with a sense not of elation but of relief. It would have been just so depressing if he hadn't won - not because John McCain is such a 'bad' man (which I don't think he is) but because it seems to me that a great opportunity for change would have been lost to us.

Watching the faces of those who were gathered in Chicago to hear Obama's victory speech, I found myself being moved by the light in their eyes: full of expectation for that change, full of gratitude and even disbelief at the miracle which has occurred, that a black man has risen to be the leader of the most powerful country in the world. This in itself is surely a cause for celebration, sending as it does a message of unity to the world. And better still, the man is Barack Obama, a bridge builder, a healer, and a great orator, whose choice of words is every bit as resonant as the timbre of his voice. As I watched, it seemed to me that this would be viewed as an iconic moment ten, twenty, even fifty years from now. It seemed too good to be true. It was like a movie.

And oh, the weight of expectation in those eyes. Can it really be good to expect so much from any one man? Does Barack Obama really have it in him to make that change, to deliver so much?

To attempt at an answer, I'd like to go back to something which almost derailed Obama's campaign in its early stages: his relationship with the controversial Minister, Jeremiah Wright. It may seem contrary to revisit this now, but I believe it points to an understanding which Obama has, and which is vital not only for him but for all of us.

I probably don't need to remind you that Wright made some very outspoken comments about racism in America, comments which were made in the church which Obama attended.

It seemed to me that Obama knew exactly where Wright was coming from when he made those comments. He understood - and how could he not? - all the long years of genuine grievance and discrimination which fed the roots of the preacher's invective. He understood the reasons for Wright's outspoken anger, which was why he was so slow to distance himself from the preacher. Yet he also understood that the anger was part of the past. If genuine change was to come, it was not to come through bearing grudges. It would be through a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. It was not that everything the preacher said was wrong. It was that he had failed to let go of the past.

As regular readers of The Secret Of Life will know, I believe that we all have to come to a similar realization: to let go of our past grievances, the stored emotions which keep us apart from each other and separated from our true nature. Only in leaving the past behind can we come together as one and solve the many problems our world is facing. This is true on a personal level and also internationally.

Can Obama do this for us?

The answer of course is 'no'. We have to do it ourselves. But it helps to have a leader who is coming from the same place, who shares an understanding of what is needed.

So I don't look to Obama with a heavy weight of expectation, but I do look on with hope.

George Bush thought in terms of 'us' and 'them'. Obama thinks in terms of 'us', of consensus, of coming together. And that is a start.

What will Obama do? What will he deliver? The answer to those questions is uncertain. Which perhaps is for the best, for only from uncertainty can genuine change arise. Perhaps now is a good time for us to facilitate that change, to imagine the kind of world we wish to see. Not to look with expectation at one man, and wait for him to succeed or fail, but to search inside ourselves and bring forth the imagination of hope. Not the usual kind of hope, the kind of hope we pin on this or that and is often disappointed, but enduring hope, resilient hope, audacious hope for the future.

Comments

[Chase March]

Why is Obama such a change? He's a politician.
I don't like to think in terms of race and gender. I don't think he does either.

So the fact that this is all anyone in the world seems to be talking about right now is quite strange to me.

[Jenny Mannion]

Hi Simon,
I absolutely love your last paragraph Simon! I am very happy Obama won and feel his outlook that WE ALL must work together for change is crucial in this time. The feeling here is hopeful now and I am excited to watch the President speak and feel uplifted and hopeful instead of cringing and embarrassed.

I don't think McCain is a "bad" man either but believe it would have been a lot of the same stuff and way of looking at things if he had been elected. Plus the thought of Palin ever being in charge downright scared me.

Thanks for another wonderful post!
Love,
Jenny

[Phil Bolsta]

Very well stated, Simon. I agree that Barack represents a fresh start for the world. I hope with all my heart that we can keep this optimism going and usher in a new age of love, compassion and empathy.

Phil Bolsta
bolstablog.com
Author of "Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything" (www.sixtysecondsbook.com)

[Suzanne]

Hi Simon, there are many, many of us in the US that have long considered ourselves one with our family around the world. You just never hear about us :) We absolutely know how closely you all watch. That fact has been a great source of inspiration for me personally, and I know that others like me greatly appreciate the support and cheering you all provide.

There are thousands and thousands of us who have been working quietly in our pockets around the US, raising consciousness from within, with love, not fear. I'd like to think that the outcome of this election is in part due to this work we've been doing. It has been a long, frustrating road in some cases, but the emergence of one of our own, as the president elect of the US, is absolutely surreal to say the least. The energy here Tuesday night was incredible and the best part for me was watching the videos of people around the world celebrating with us.

Obama is a reflection of that spirit that's emerging. So when you see a symbol like that, that represents the US, the "us", you know what's stirring more and more within the population. I believe he is as much yours as he is ours. Maybe he is a gift to the entire world. I like to think so. Those in fear will be paralyzed by such a profound symbol of love, but we have to keep on despite that.

Please keep cheering. Do not believe for a minute that we do not recognize and appreciate your enthusiasm and support. We do. Some aren't there yet, but know that many are and the rest will make it. We are grateful.

[Miruh]

Hi Simon,
Thank you for this well written post.

"Not to look with expectation at one man, and wait for him to succeed or fail, but to search inside ourselves and bring forth the imagination of hope...."

This is an invitation for all people to bring personal accountability for the world we live in. If we heed this call, aligning to this period of hope, what a paradigm shift we can make; each one of us can.

[gypsy-heart]

Beautifully written Simon...I am in the US and I voted for Obama which upset some.
I live in Florida which was one of the battle ground states, so it has been intense here for months! Needless to say, I am VERY happy he won, but I am also very happy it is over.

We have a new energy so may the healing begin!

Good energies to you and peace of heart.

[Simon]

Hi Chase - It's always good to hear from you! It's a very good point you make about race. I know you're young, so you didn't live through the sixties, when segregation was still in force in parts of the US. I didn't see it first hand, but I remember being amazed to read that in America, that glorious land where all my favorite TV programs came from, there were places where blacks and whites couldn't even use the same toilets. That we should have gone from that situation to having a black president in little more than forty years seems astounding for those of us who have lived through it, even those like me who have watched from a distance.

But what is even better is that some young people such as you *can't* see why it's such a big deal. That's brilliant. That's what this victory is really all about, because it's making sure that the next time it happens, it *won't* be a big deal, not for anyone. Because this is a giant step along the path to leaving such injustice behind forever.

And yes, Obama is a politician. You are right to remind us of that. It is a reality check. He had to do the stuff that was needed to get elected and he has to function in the real world. But I take reassurance from the fact that Nelson Mandela was a politician too, yet he managed to negotiate a bloodless transition from injustice to democracy in his country, something which had seemed impossible. What Obama has in common with Mandela is an understanding of the importance of forgiveness, of reconciliation, of working together. Perhaps this consciousness will empower him to achieve similarly magnificent things, even here in the real world. Let's imagine it to be so...

[Simon]

Hi Jenny - Thanks for your lovely comment and thanks for the stumble! Yes, it must be great to have a leader you admire. I'm not sure I've ever had that. Here in Britain, our electorate always seem to vote in the wrong people. Our two most 'significant' leaders in recent times have been Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, both of whom have had me hiding behind the couch. But I take comfort from Suzanne's words. Perhaps we can have Obama too!

[Simon]

Phil - It's great to hear from you! It's interesting that you mention 'empathy'. That's an important one, isn't it? Even if we don't agree with others, it helps a lot if we can understand where they're coming from. That's important for us in our dealings with our neighbors - and equally so in international diplomacy.

[Simon]

Hi Suzanne - Welcome to my blog! That really is a lovely, heartening comment you left - thank you so much. I feel very included now!

It's funny. More and more these days, I feel caught between two worlds: the ordinary one in which I've always lived and a new one I glimpse occasionally when the curtain lifts, one which promises a new way of being. It is just the same with Obama. Chase comments (quite reasonably): "he's just a politician!" This seems like a reality check. Then you, Suzanne, speak of Obama in an entirely different way: as "a reflection of a new spirit that's emerging". And my heart tells me that this may be a reality check too: a reflection of a *new* reality.

So I am partly in one world and partly in the other. But if the world is truly in transition, what else should I expect?

Simon, there are so many points you bring up that I could comment on! I hardly know where to start...

What I hope the controversy over Jeremiah Wright will do is alert white Americans to the fact that they really don't understand the perspectives or the life experiences of African Americans. Whites think we all live in the same America.

One reader said "I don't like to think in terms of race and gender." It's one of the current American myths, that we're beyond all that, while women still make 77 cents to a man's dollar, etc., etc.

It will be very interesting to see how Obama's presidency plays out. One of the dangers of running on change is that people can very quickly become disappointed.

[Simon]

Hi Miruh - It's great to hear from you again. Yes, I think we can make a difference. It's interesting that (at this auspicious time) Lynne McTaggart has announced some feedback on the Intention Experiment (which I posted about a while back). Apparently data from the Global Consciousness Project suggests that the random event generators they run throughout the world were significantly affected by the Intention Experiment. This is further evidence that the power of our thoughts *can* make a difference to events in our world. I'll be posting some more about this later.

[Simon]

Thanks for your comment and good wishes, gypsy-heart! Your words strengthen my impression that Americans in general got very much involved in this election. My impression here in Britain is that we keep elections a bit at arm's length. They're on the media while they're taking place but most people don't really talk about them all that much. We tend to act as if the whole process is a bit beneath us! I guess we need a candidate like Obama to fire us up, but I don't see one on the horizon...

[Simon]

Hi Anonymous - Welcome to my blog! Thanks for taking the trouble to leave a comment. As you rightly point out, Obama's election doesn't mean that discrimination is over - Jesse Jackson has reminded us of that - but it's a massively significant step along the way. There was talk of whites being unable to vote for a black man once they were staring a ballot paper in the face. Now we know that at least we've developed beyond that - and thank goodness for that.

As you also say, there is a great danger of disappointment here. If you compare it with our past experience, you could say that it's pretty much inevitable. But how about if we've really broken the mold?

[Sue Ann Edwards]

*told* ya' he was going to win...months ago!

This is the *new* paradigm at work. And no matter any of our fears and resistance, it's coming on through.

A simple fact of the matter is that those of us who only look at the color of a man's skin, are plastic and superficial. Now, there is nothing *wrong* with being plastic and superficial. It is simply with the *new* paradigm, ~power~ is ALL related to our INNER nature.

And btw...Jeremiah Wright was quite accurate in his assessments and statements and I really don't even CARE how many of us were/are "offended" by his statements. Offense can ONLY be taken, never given.

On one news show they interviewed a group veterans, who were extremely disappointed and upset. "How could America vote against a war hero?" To this I would say, #1 that being shot down and captured isn't very "heroic" and #2, RESPONDING in a manner and attitude of conflict and "warring", is NOT supported by the *new* paradigm, in ANY way, shape or form.

Conflict is OUT and Unity is IN. It is the very basis of the Unified Quantum Field that has changed. Time for us to wake up and realize that if we desire Peace in our World, then it is up to us to put it there, through our RESPONSES.

For Peace is a RESPONSE to Reality and not a condition of it.

Yahoo! This *new* energy fish is no longer swimming upstream, for the flow has changed!

[Liara Covert]

It is easy to get wrapped up in what other people may or may not do in the physical world. As each thought and feeling has intrinsic value, nothing you do is a waste of time or effort. You can also choose to view your mindset as part of a valuable learning and self-healing process. Whenever you have the courage to explore any feelings, this is a step toward creating an uplifting sense of hope.

[Simon]

Hi Sue Ann - Thanks for your comment. It certainly jarred with me to be writing something like: "a *black* man has risen to be president..." because, as you say, it is plastic and superficial (or whatever you want to call it) for us to think of people in such terms. But as I mentioned above, we are celebrating this now because it is an important transitional step to a future where such things will *no longer* be important. And it is certainly Obama's "inner nature" which won him the election, not the color of his skin.

Although Jeremiah Wright might have been accurate in what he said, he clearly hasn't forgiven America what it has done. What is important is that Obama *has* forgiven - just as Mandela forgave South Africa - so he is coming from an entirely different energy. He is able to move on - and empower others to move on - to a brighter future. As you would put it, Sue Ann, he is coming from Unity, not from Conflict.

[Simon]

Hi Liara - Thanks for reminding us that creating the world we want isn't all about feeling good. Facing the 'darker' feelings within ourselves is also important. I'll be posting some more about this shortly.

[Robin]

Hi Simon - yeah, it's great Obama has won, isn't it. Here in Australia the election was very important to a lot of people, and we were all talking about it.

Simon - it would be great to get a recording from you - see my latest post! - R

[Simon]

Hi Robin - Thanks for the feedback from Australia. I guess the election will have been followed all over the world. We're all connected, these days. Thanks too for the invitation to join your recording project. I'll be in touch about that shortly...

[2Da1]

Nice post. Thanks for sharing.

Peace.

2Da1

[Simon]

Hi 2Da1 - Welcome to my blog and thanks so much for leaving a comment. I hope I'll hear from you again!
love and light - Simon

[Marion]

Even with the tension involved in watching the election, I felt very strongly Obama would win. I tried and could not envision any other option, during this huge shift of consciousness. I'm glad I was right!

This was a well-written post, Simon...I'm in Canada and I was consumed by the US election,as well.