Finding the center

Last night on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen said he felt he was seeing President Obama "trying to find the moral center" of all the challenges that face him, and I was struck by the power and clarity of that phrase. First we can be grateful that we have a President who cares about the moral center of things--people, places, and predicaments. We can also be glad that his reaching is visible and real--the windows of the White House have been thrown open* and we can see the good thought and effort going into the search. This is imporant, because it leaves the lasting impression that the moral center of anything is worth working for and it isn't a yes-or-no answer to a question; it's a thoughtful, persevering, compassionate listening that eventually clears into right knowing.

We can be thankful that the "moral center" our President watches for is not a "Center of Morality" where people get judged and ousted based on whether or not they believe the "right" thing. The "moral center" of any situation is its heart--the place where compassion, sharing, equanimity, justice, health, education, clean air, safety, the free pursuit of happiness--belong to all.

Thank you, God, for bringing us a leader with a clear and discerning mind, a compassionate and courageous heart, and a vision that encompasses all of humanity. In our own lives, help us to discover, embrace, and act from--of many, One--the moral center of love.

*This is a Vatican II reference with a tip of the hat to Pope John Paul XXIII. If you've never read his journal I highly recommend it.

New life, new day, new light

We have moved into the springtime of recovery--a long, gradual, and muddy process that involves removing the dried and dead vines from last year's growth, preparing the soil with nutrients and love, and watching in hope and tenderness for the first signs of new life. Clearing away the deadness has been happening over and over again the last several weeks...it involves difficult things, like seeing the truth, questioning accountability, making plans, arguing, remaking plans, and seeking steps toward cooperation and consensus.

It may be tempting to see the consternation and miss the progress, but spring is here. Soon she will be calling to us from everywhere--in birdsong, in the change of light, in the lifting of our hearts and the return of vitality, fresh sap coursing through our veins. There will be those of us still focused on the disappointments of last year's growth; there will be others who rush with abandon into the new season perhaps a little too fast. But we all, gracefully, over time, inch toward a full realization of the promise of spring together. Uneven, yes. Stumbling, undoubtedly. But we move forward together and demonstrate once again--and over and over--the courage, tenacity, and harmony possible when the ideals that cradle us are keystone; unfailing, immovable, eternal.

Father-Mother God, All Loving Intelligence, Friend and Companion, thank you for the spring, for new life, for the growing light in our days and hearts. Open our eyes that we may discern what can be cleared away and quicken our spirits to know best ways to plant right now. Touch our ears with the tender songs of your emmisaries and gives us courage and vision to reach in friendship to one another--a trust that is honored, received, and returned--as we experience ever more deeply a sense of rootedness in You. We ask you to bless President Obama as he continues to lead our nation forward through this time of challenge and opportunity; bless his entire cabinet and administration with vision, compassion, and a love for all the world; and bless his family with peace, joy, and a sense of value and appreciation that blankets them with protection and care during these important years. Thank you, God; for every moment and each breath and every sign of spring, we are grateful. Amen.

David, Buddha, and friends

President Obama continues to introduce reforms, programs, and much-needed changes, bringing to light difficult issues, challenging systems, inviting the best thought and intention we can muster to collectively address this challenging time. I, for one, am wowwed by the continuous stream of positive and bold moves. I feel as though we are clearing the ground and beginning to seed a great beginning that will truly improve life for our children, grandchildren, and their children.

This morning I was thinking of the number of changes President Obama is making and David popped into my head--not perfect, certainly, but courageous and risk-taking and dedicated to truth. Most of all, he had a heart for God, and even though his mistakes caused him to listen to his desires more than to God for a time, ultimately he returned to God as his primary source for love and wisdom. Buddha sought truth and freedom and enlightenment in a different way, and having explored external paths and studies, turned within and resolutely sought to transcend the self. He too was successful, setting a course for those who sought within and were dedicated to truth, light, and compassion.

Whatever religious tradition we might follow, we are acting out our beliefs every day. Letting someone go ahead of us in traffic is an act of compassion. Asking God for clarity on a situation instead of just forging ahead blindly is an act of faith. Considering the best way to connect with our children is a gift of love and consideration (plus an investment in the future). We are David, Buddha, Daniel, and President Obama, making choices that arise from our deeply held belief in goodness.

Loving, all-present God, no matter how we call your name--or whether we call it at all--we are grateful for the goodness in our daily lives; we are thankful that we have the opportunity to grow and learn; we claim the agency with which we act and set it firmly on a vision that supports the happiness and flourishing of all beings throughout the world. Please bless President Obama, his advisors, his family, and all citizens of this country and the world, as we together listen to our highest ideals and begin to rebuild systems, programs, and lives that arise from the good we know deeply in our hearts. In you and with your help, this is more than possible--it is time! Amen and amen.

Harmony at work

The timeline on Recovery.gov shows that tomorrow is the day when agencies begin reporting they way they are using recovery funds in an effort to be transparent and accountable to the American people. This is an important step in our recovery; honest and responsible disclosure, good stewardship, a continuing commitment to ethical and good practice. I marvel that change is happening on so many levels and in so many ways, affecting so many people and calling a country's population and partners throughout the world to a new standards based on shared values, collective response to world problems, and the highest ideals of our nature.

Change is harder for some than others, and often our striving for self-gain is based on a fear that the lower natures rule. If there is no spirit of collaboration, if harmony is not allowed to work as it naturally will in the hearts of caring humans, we have good reason to believe no one will help if we are in trouble, no government or individual will assist when things get bad. But when harmony is invited and welcomed--as it is in the Obama administration--we begin to listen, we begin to trust, we begin to hope, and soon, we act.

God, Father/Mother, Friend, Divine Wisdom, we ask that you open and secure the way for continued harmony, peace, hope, and belief to grow in our world, our government, and our homes as we continue on this path led by our new President. Bless his vision and passion, continue to bring him advisors whose hearts hold the seed of true servant leadershipi, and continue to hold his family in your tender, all-presence care. Thank you for the wonderful changes you are already bringing to this country, Lord, and help us to continually listen to you, to the good, to the prompting of our higher nature as we emerge together from a difficult past. Amen.