Big questions, worthy dreams

I’m just today coming up for air after two weeks of complete immersion in a variety of things (my guild meeting, the missional church consultation, and… oh yeah, an election). I haven’t been able to read blogs, let alone write any. But this morning I woke up very early, and in the dark quiet hours had a chance to see the video of President Obama thanking volunteers in his Chicago office. I am so deeply moved by it, not because he sheds a few tears (I’ve often thought of tears as a form of prayer), but because his experience reminds me of mine.

No, I'm not a public figure in any powerful way. That's not what I mean. But he and I are roughly the same age. I, too, started out as a young 20-something trying to pour my life into making a difference in the world for people on the margins. I, too, remember the early years of Reagan and what that meant for those of us who cared about justice. And I, too, am blown away by the energy, commitment, and sheer accomplishment of what this generation of 20-somethings are achieving!

I think I know a little bit of what he means when he says that in the midst of the grindingly slow change of bureaucratic institutions he has hope, and that that hope resides in the young people he has all around him who are making such a difference in the world. I'm so grateful that I have Alex and Nate in my life. I'm so deeply moved by their commitments -- Alex is a peace studies major at SJU/CSB, and Nate is a musician and a political advocate.

This morning I am living in gratitude and hope.