America's Hope: The Renewal of the Soul of a Nation

The vision of the future that many carry for America today is not one of hope, but one of sorrow and one of despair because the ideals upon which a proud nation once stood are being undermined by practices which depart from the high ideals of democratic functioning. Nevertheless, the hope for America lies in these ideals in the clinging to the virtues which were embedded in her founding which still shine with their own light as a beacon to other peoples and other nations.

America's hope cannot be found in those practices which corrupt her willingness to compromise with others because it would diminish her power. Nor can it be found in the wish to ensure her control of energy resources at the expense of those same resources being made available to all. Nor does it lie in the many ways in which the sense of entitlement has taken hold of a consuming public with a voraciousness for new things and new technology that is both the envy of much of the world, and also the sadness of much of the world, for this indigenous greed leads to a distribution of wealth that is not beneficial to the planet, but only to those who have the means to satisfy their appetites.

In contrast to this picture lies the awakening of America's consciousness of moral uprightness - the desire to be a source of peace not a source of war; the enmity toward those in power who pursue power for their own purposes, not for the purpose of national integrity or wellbeing as is so often claimed. The awakening of America's consciousness is an important step in the rebuilding of the moral center of her foundation which has become weakened by policies and practices which depart from her true center. This weakening has also created a departure from the sense of generosity and selflessness which historically has been her relationship with others who came to her shores to seek a better life.

The longing for renewal that beats so strongly and increasingly in the hearts of many, is a longing for a restoration of the single note of pure idealism that once so informed America's outlook on life and her purpose in the world. It is the wish for a restoration of the sense of positive movement forward that has been present in other epochs in history and that, in the view of many, is not present at this time. We, who are waiting for this renewal of the soul of a nation, may have longer to wait before the desired outcome can appear and the heart feel a sense of ease from having removed itself from the precipice upon which it now stands. We may need to wait through times of turbulence before the darkening that has taken place to America's collective conscience can be dissolved in the presence of greater light. As we wait for this inner and outer transformation, let us hope that those who are granted positions of leadership that allow them to represent the will of the people, will once again turn toward the consensus of the governed in order to develop a policy and a point of view toward others that will be the source of pride and of national unity. As we wait for this transition into a new state of being, let us also pray for the soul of a nation to be strengthened, so that one in vision and one in purpose, those who are part of a once-noble nation can join together in common bond and extend America's hand as an offering of peace and prosperity to the rest of the world.