Your election represents a paradigm shift some said was impossible when your campaign began. But the fact that America has elected an African American candidate with a Semitic name represents the next stage of human evolution. For as Dr. Howard Thurman said, it is impossible to love humanity in general; it is only possible to love humanity in particular. And for the next four to eight years, Americans will be introduced to an African American family that will shatter the media's stereotypes of black people. This is indeed a powerful moment in history, not just for Americans, but for the entire world.
In addition to informing readers that you, like Abraham Lincoln, are a genius at stagecraft and write your own speeches, the November 24 issue of Newsweek drew attention to a rare quality you also share with Lincoln: humility.
It is this humility that is the most trustworthy informant to your decision-making and subsequent actions. An attitude of humility is a powerful disarmament that neutralizes past grievances, that graces dialogue with the energy of possibilities, that grants space for negotiation to emerge. It is impossible for any world leader to ignore the political potency of a Gandhi, a King, a Mandela, a Chavez, a Tutu-all of whom were guided by the strength of their humility, which eventually disarmed their seeming enemies. As we read in Proverbs 15:33, "humility goes before honor." To that I would add that humility goes before the attitudes of arrogance that have been attributed to our nation's leaders of late.
Your self-revealing books and speeches show that you realize that you are not only here to serve a particular nation-you are also here to serve an emerging paradigm of unity, a worldview of global citizenry. At no other time in history has the world been more prepared to embrace such a notion. The insular, myopic view of the past has proven that the slogan "America, right or wrong!" does not serve us or our global family.
Within your term of presidency, you have the opportunity to shift the image of America and Americans to one of wisdom, compassion, and generosity, to heal some of the world's wounds which we have caused. Isn't it time we proffered the hand of apology to the Iraqi people for the senseless loss of their loved ones? And perhaps an apology should be offered to all of the countries in which our CIA was instrumental in destroying democratically elected leaders and thus fomenting some of the hatred that is being aimed at us from around the world. I realize that we must have the capacity to defend ourselves from those who consider us their enemy. However, America has been known for its tremendous military might, and now is the time for us to be known for our humanitarian commitment.
As I write this letter, news about the auto industry bailout is flooding the airwaves. It is good when the light of truth is shone on hypocrisy. You have inherited a mandate to move in the direction of green-powered energy sources and fulfill the goals initiated by Jimmy Carter during his presidency. The auto industry may be an ideal place to begin. After all, it was the auto industry that killed the electric car. Some American car manufacturers build cars in other countries with higher fuel efficiency, while their American counterparts are gas guzzlers. If there is a financial bailout for the Big Three, it is reasonable that they should restructure and provide Americans with fuel-efficient vehicles, and that the people should be given equity in the bailout so that it is not simply a handout, a reverse reward for poor organizational leadership and no social conscience.
Perhaps a portion of the taxes that you want to impose upon the oil companies can be used to assist the auto industry restructure, since those oil firms have been the beneficiaries of this gas-guzzling mentality for a long time. A real shake-up, however, would require more than restructuring, which is a cosmetic approach, or the creation of green jobs: it would require us to realize that because Wall Street, our financial institutions, and the auto industry are so obviously broken, a new system may finally emerge. (We wouldn't bail out the typewriter industry and prevent the emergence of the computer, would we?) Now is the time for what Van Jones described in his book as a "green-collar economy."
You have said that you want to use American resources to track down bin Laden. It is my considered opinion that our resources could instead be allocated to create a world in which everyone-including Americans-have access to food, clean water, education, and health care, for as the Rand Institute's recent research revealed, there is no military solution to terrorism and, when individuals have their fundamental needs provided for, the climate of terrorism is diminished.
Evidence of your impact was clearly exhibited on television news when the faces of people at all socioeconomic levels throughout the world were lighted with expressions of hope while symbolically holding your photo. Of course this also carries with it a tremendous responsibility, and I want you to know that you are both humanly and divinely supported, guided, guarded, and protected. I bless you, your dear family, and all that concerns you.
Peace and blessings.
Michael Bernard Beckwith is the founder and spiritual director of the Agape International Spiritual Center and author of Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul's Potential. He has appeared on Larry King Live and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
