President Barack Obama

Our 44^th President, Barack H. Obama

Barack, Blow on the Embers

Andrew Bard Schmookler:

Dear Barack,

I know that you understand that your leadership has an important spiritual component, and is not just political: that is why you have spoken so consistently of the need to replace fear with hope, and why -- during this transition period -- you've focused on the work of reconciliation. You understand the necessity for the spirit of America to be transformed in order to make possible all the other changes, in the political sphere, you will be striving to achieve. People recognize that your victory represents a victory of light over darkness.

That's why the night you won the election an extraordinary celebratory energy burst forth in this country and, indeed, around the world. In the hearts and minds of many millions of people, your victory went beyond the level of politics. Never before has the election of an American president been greeted with this kind of joy, and that's because never before has a presidential election had such important stakes at the spiritual level. [...]

It is because of the depth of spiritual darkness of your predecessor's leadership that so many people turned to you -- relatively inexperienced politically, but of such palpably exceptional spiritual qualities -- as a means to come back toward the light.

That joyful upsurgence in the hearts of so many millions of people represented a recognition of that spiritual victory the night you won the election, the release of a spiritual force, long pent up, the recognition that the hope you offer had dispelled the despair and dread brought over our spirits by your predecessor.

I hope you understand how important it can be, for your ultimate success, to tend to that spiritual force. I hope you will regularly blow on the embers of that fire that your victory ignited.

Please don't let it die out, or even die down.