Steadfastness

So, my last post was more of a semi-transcript with a few of my thoughts on the inauguration as things were happening. Now that I've had a few hours to think about what Pres. Obama said and have discussed it with others, and listened to the speech on NPR again, I think it's for me an even more powerful speech than it was upon first hearing. I know, it's a political speech--it's intended to play on emotions and push buttons. I also know I'm not exactly an objective audience; nevertheless, the speech spoke to me powerfully and was timely and inspiring, and yes, faith-affirming.

I went visiting teaching this afternoon and read this month's visiting teaching message shortly before listening to the inauguration, so I'm quite sure that colored my impression of the speech. Even so, it struck me that the speech was really speaking to the much the same thing as the visiting teaching message--standing strong and immovable in faith (though in the case of our nation, faith might more properly be replaced by freedom, liberty, or any number of other attributes to which we aspire as a nation). This is a nation that was formed by inspired men--imperfect men--but men who stood strong and immovable in their convictions, focused on a set of ideals that was unique at the time and has changed the world we live in. Those ideals--freedom, democracy, liberty, justice, equality--bless my life and the lives of my loved ones. Our predecessors have done great things by holding to the ideals upon which this nation was founded; now it's our turn to push forward to a better world than the one we have inherited. What a wonderful challenge, and wonderful opportunity!