The new US prez

We are all connected in some way.

As Barak Obama formally swears the oath of office of the US president - putting his hand on the Bible that Abraham Lincoln had used - we have a message of possibility broadcast far and wide.

In our part of the world, where so much of political power still depends largely on being born into the right family and/or scraping your nose on the floor till you get some power, to see a man being chosen by the people - a man who so many said would never be chosen because of his race - is inspiring.

When asked by the BBC about a 1964 prediction that the late Robert Kennedy made that America would have a black president in 40 years, Dr. Martin Luther King's reaction was that he thought it would be possible within 25. The fact that it took a bit longer than 'predicted' points to the challenges involved - but also the the possibilities present in a society where the Bible has had a significant role to play (even if in often truncated and splintered ways). You can see a clip of what Dr. King had to say by clicking: here

Would that we could see something similar here in our country. The emergence of people who speak with clarity and candour - who actually inspire instead of fill with dismay.

There are a lot of people cheering on this side of the pond as the president of a far off (but still very powerful) nation takes office.