Thinking in slow motion

I've been doing a fair bit of reading lately. I'm finding my thoughts in a lot of what I've read. For instance, I've called this blog 'Echoes of America' because I believe that the American ideals that lay out the foundation of the country have faded into the past. All that is left of the greatness of the American Experience is an echo.

When I picked up N.T. Wright's Simply Christian (2006) and read his first chapter I was dumbfounded. In his opening chapter he talks about an echo that we have all heard. The echo that he refers to has to do with spirituality. He talks about what God has done in history and how the West has tried to separate the spiritual from the rest of life. In doing so we have covered over our spiritual inclinations with 'concrete'.

In my thoughts I have explored some many issues and ideas - but I haven't written them down. I suppose I need to spend more time writing. I think that I need to be able to get my ideas out more quickly. I guess a more appropriate title for this post would have been Writing in slow motion because there is nothing slow about my thinking.

President Barak Obama just passed his 100 day milestone. As I've been reflecting from on his first 100 days from a foreign land I can see so many things that has begun to turn around. For instance, the President has opened the door for normalising relations with Cuba. He is acting with grace and humility - something that I know most American's possess - even if they don't display it. Our government has been the face of our country. Our reputations overseas has been soiled under President Bush, who used the royal 'We' to speak on behalf of the rest of country. When I hear President Obama use 'we' I interpret it as being 'us'. He will not be able to change America on his own. It will take everyone of us doing our part.

Every since I was a young child I had thoughts and desires to be involved with politics. I wanted to get involved because I thought it could be done differently. What I see happening in America at the moment, under the leadership of President Obama, is politics done differently. Time will tell and mistakes will happen. Situations may change which may demand a return to the 'old way'. But at least for the moment there appears to be a hope and a future for America. I hope that if we are able to let go of the past eight years we may realise that hope and future in my life time.