Ali, I know what you are siayng. And in a way, I do agree with you. What has been passing through my head this morning is Martin Luther King's words from the night before his assassination: "I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!"I think that we, the American people, have indeed arrived at a Promised Land together, and it is worth honoring and rejoicing in.But you don't have to be much of a student of the Bible to remember that the story does not end with the arrival in the Promised Land. We do not live in a country with justice for all, freedom for all, compassion for all. We live in a country that is deeply and often bitterly divided, in an ecosystem under siege, and in a time of wars that will not be easily resolved.And Barack Obama, the man, is just a guy. But he is borne on a wave of history, and his victory represents the sacrifices of thousands over the last three hundred plus years. Today, I am pausing to rejoice and give thanks.Tomorrow, buoyed up by the knowledge that, sometimes promises are kept, I'll work to move into that Promised Land, and to inhabit it and fill it with the promises not yet kept.There is a place in the world for ritual experiences and thanksgiving. For me, at least, it's a great antidote to cynicism. I know there is work to do--I haven't forgotten.But today is for a different kind of remembering, at least for me.Blessed be.

by Rocio 02:38:12 PM 2012.02.26