January 20, 2009: the day the United States of America inaugurated its first minority president in its history. While I disagree with some major philosophical/political ideologies, I recognize the significance of this moment. So I decided that given the fact that I'm a hop, skip, and a walk away from downtown Washington D.C., I would be part of history in the making by joining with millions of other Americans in celebrating the new dawn when the office of the presidency is not an exclusively Caucasian office. Despite the impassable crowds, the frigid temperature, and the minor inconveniences and annoyances, I am glad I ventured out into the crowd to witness this momentous occasion.
A quick side note, it is indeed amazing how the son of a Kenyan immigrant who was virtually an unknown junior senatorial candidate from Illinois in 2004 came to hold the ultimate office of leadership in the country. Only in a country like the United States can that even be considered a possibility. It speaks volumes of the maturity of our democratic process in an age when many "democracies" still resort to violence and policies of exclusion to direct their domestic policies. I am proud to be an American citizen. I am even prouder to be a Korean-American. I wonder if it will at all be a possibility of seeing an Asian-American ascend to the highest office of this land. For all intents and purposes, what Pres. Obama has achieved is a milestone for all minority groups, but we have not yet arrived.
Back to the inauguration. Pastor Rick Warren's opening invocation was powerful. I know that liberal and secular commentaries are saying how overly Christian the prayer was, but the dude is a Christian evangelical pastor. What were they expecting from him? But from my vantage point, where I was standing (near the Washington Monument which is about a mile away from where it all happened), his prayer was indeed powerful. Echoes of "amen" and "hallelujah" were heard from around, while tears flowed in the eyes of some other believers. I, too, was moved by the content of his prayer. I especially liked when he prayed, "When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you—forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone—forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve—forgive us." Powerful.
Like some other commentaries and analysis I've read and heard, I did not think the inauguration address was all that impressive. Don't misunderstand me. It was a fine piece of writing delivered in typical Obama-style brilliance. But the content in it of itself seemed a little less memorable than previous addresses like the JFKs and the Lincolns and the Reagans. Perhaps Obama's 2004 DNC speech and many of his subsequent speeches have spoiled me to the point where I expect his next speech to top his previous.
I have so many thoughts from the inauguration. Perhaps I shall share them on a post later on. But for now, I leave you with words from his inaugural address that I liked and a few pictures I took. More pictures can be found on my flickr site.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny."
"America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
Last night, the 43rd President of the United States addressed the people one last time. In a rather short-winded speech, President George W. Bush thanked the people for the honor to have served as president. Immediately following the live telecast, media outlets wasted no time in colorfully commentating on all the negative legacies of President Bush.
It has been eight long years for sure. I supported George W. Bush in 2000. I knew, even back then, that he was not the most eloquent speaker, the most charismatic leader the United States could offer. I wasn't completely sold on his credentials. But I thought he would be the better person for the job than the seemingly smug and condescending Democratic nominee, Vice-President Al Gore. His campaign for compassionate conservatism seemed attractive at the time.
I also supported him in 2004. While his actions immediately following the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 were commendable, he had led the country into an ill-advised war, stirring up the hornet's nest in Iraq. His decision to proudly land on an aircraft carrier with a banner that proclaimed that the mission was over would come back to haunt him. The years following the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom was not what he had envisioned. Thousands of U.S. soldiers returned home in flag-draped caskets, and many more returned physically and psychologically disabled. Yet, I could not get myself to support the Democratic nominee for President, Senator John Kerry. I could not agree with Kerry's domestic policy plans and more importantly, his foreign policy goals. The election of 2004 became the election of the lesser of two evils.
Forgotten in the midst of all the political backlash from his decision to invade Iraq on faulty intelligence is one of President Bush's greatest foreign policy achievement. Former Senator Bill Frist wrote an excellent commentary for CNN today that gave the American people a rather positive view of the outgoing president. President Bush's commitment to fight AIDS in Africa produced the PEPFAR bill in 2003 that committed $15 billion over the next five years. It was more money committed to fighting the disease in Africa than any other presidents before. And it is widely credited by doctors, health officials, and aid workers from across the political spectrum as being highly effective in addressing a critical health need in the world. The commentary also goes on to speak of President Bush's legacy on the fight against malaria in Africa and other domestic health initiatives.
All this being said, the eight years of President Bush's administration is up. There have been many successes and failures. From rising on the ashes of the World Trade Center to flying past New Orleans in the wake of Hurrican Katrina, from passing the bipartisan led No Child Left Behind to deregulation of the financial industry, the past eight years have been eventful to say the least. But he made the hard decisions based on what he knew at the time like President-elect Obama will do when he takes office on Tuesday. Hindsight is 20/20, and knowing what we know about Iraq and Afghanistan, we can blast the President all we want. But what's done is done, and I loved how he quoted Thomas Jefferson last night when he said, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."
On Tuesday, Barack Hussein Obama will take the oath to become the 44th President of the United States of America. It is the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. May God bless America!
Tomorrow, I start my second semester. It is exciting in a new way. I kind of know what to expect now, now that I've got one semester under my belt. The last two-and-a-half weeks of the previous semester is not something I want to repeat this time around. I vow to keep up with my work and not leave all my final papers til the last minute. I found out that one of my classes has a 30-page paper due. At least it's due a month earlier than most finals, if that is any consolation. But given the craziness I endured last semester, I'm very pleased with my performance. I've never seen grades that high next to my name and the letters "GPA". Horray for God's awesome faithfulness.
Recently, I finished Randy Pausch's book, "The Last Lecture" and watched the last lecture he delivered at Carnegie Mellon University where he had been an associate professor of computer science. If you've never heard of him, Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a type of cancer in which less than 10% of those diagnosed live past six months. With less than six months of good health left, he went on to deliver a poignant lecture that touched the hearts of those in the room and beyond. If you have not listened to that lecture and/or read the book, I strongly urge you to do so. They will surely not disappoint.
The book/lecture got me thinking about some stuff. Often times, good books and/or talks will do that to you. Here was a man diagnosed with one of the most severe forms of cancer there is and he's so optimistic on life. Yes, he is deeply saddened by the fact that he will soon leave his wife by herself to rear three children who will never fully know who their dad was. But he does not live with bitterness and a woe-is-me attitude. He does not play the victim. He says in his lecture, "That is what it is. We can't change it. We just have to decide how we'll respond. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." And he played it as best as he knew how.
There are so many life lessons I got out of this short little book at first reading. I'm definitely planning on going back and re-reading it. I believe it has valuable lessons of what it means to be a person. But the one lesson I want to focus on today is the power of attitude. I look at myself and I see someone different from this Randy Pausch person. I get one parking ticket, one paper cut, one lousy grade, one missed lunch, and I get all bent out of shape. Here is a man who's been sentenced to death, and he lives happily and fully to his bestest abilities. There is something wildly attractive about that. Sometimes I fool myself into believing the lie that I cannot change who I am. I'm a pessimist, a half-empty kind of guy. But that doesn't mean I need to stay that way. I want to be optimistic on life. I want to be able to live a full life where even if something doesn't go the way I would hope, I can still move on quickly to bigger and better things.
That is what I'm going to try to do this new year. I don't necessarily believe in new years resolutions. But I want to try something new. I want to remain as upbeat as possible no matter what may come.
I came across this article on the cover of espn.com. I've grown up rooting for the Florida Gators. I've loved them from the Fun 'n Gun days of Steve Spurrier. With the likes of Danny Wuerffel, Ike Hilliard, and Fred Taylor, the Gators were one of the most fun to watch teams in college football since the mid-1990s. But that is not why I love Pat Forde's article on Tim Tebow. I love the article because Tim Tebow represents everything good and right in a world that sorely lacks good role models and humble heroes.
The media craves attention and drama. Throughout the past several seasons, sports shows and even newscasts have highlighted the ongoing saga of Terrell Owens, the much-maligned "cancer" in the locker room. Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, Randy Moss, Stephen Marbury, Plaxico Burress and all the other drama kings have spent time plastering the covers of all major media outlets. The media loves the sensational storylines these characters offer in selling to many sports consumers, especially those who are still very impressionable. The youth of our generation is being taught subtlely that it is okay to cheat, to cause dissension, to play the victim, to intentionally injure. And by participating in such activities, they can expect to cash in. The media spends considerably less time on the good characters, those that every aspiring athlete should try to model himself after. This is why this article on Tim Tebow has captured my heart today.
The author writes, "There are plenty of athletes who talk the pious talk. Plenty of athletes who write scripture on their eye black the way Tebow does or thank God after victories. But how many have walked the walk like Tebow -- walked it into the prisons, into the slums of the Philippines, into the hearts of people in need of a role model? How many, at age 21, have done as much work on behalf of those less fortunate?"
I'm not trying to make Tim Tebow into a demi-god. Neither is Pat Forde or all the others who admire and respect this young man. All I'm saying is that given how important sports is to many boys and girls across the country, I would expect that more people would see the need for people like Tebow. Wouldn't it be advantageous for those growing up in low-income and underpriviledged neighborhoods to look up to good role models whose actions speak louder than words? I'm not suggesting that teen (and gang) violence, inner city poverty, failing school systems, racism, and other major social issues can be simply tackled by having greater role models. But hey, it's a start isn't it? Especially in neighborhoods where they look up to these athletes that routinely get into trouble.
If only athletes and celebrities and politicians and others who have been given opportunities to do good with their position of influences can walk the walk...
I'm reading through the book of Judges. I come to Gideon's story. The man is recorded in the hall of faith (Hebrews 11) as being a man of great faith. But when Gideon is introduced, he does not seem to possess such faith. He seems insecure when God calls him to lead the Israelites against their Midian oppressors. But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. This man of faith tests God by demanding God show him signs to prove to him that God is going to fulfill His promise. And I feel I am a poorer reflection of Gideon. But God, how can you use me in your redemptive purposes? If you are really God, do this for me, and then I will believe.
But Gideon did have faith. Like other great men and women of faith that came before and after him, Gideon eventually believed, despite overwhelming odds, and God rewarded such faith. God worked in spite of his insecurities. God answered Gideon and showed that He was trustworthy. And with 300 men, he conquered the Midianite army, which was said to have had been impossible to enumerate.
How timely I revisit the story of Gideon at the start of a new year. As I wrote last time, I really want to learn to live in a manner that requires radical faith. How much more radical can it be than fighting an army too large to even count with a mere 300 men? How did a man who was so insecure in his identity believe in God when it did not make any logical sense? How does one live with such determination and seemingly reckless behavior and end up doing amazing things for God?
I want to live like that. I want to live like Abram, who left the comforts of his home in Ur and Haran for the vast unknown promised land. I want to live like Abraham, who obeyed God and brought his only son, Isaac, to the altar. I want to live like Moses, who had to deal with his past issues and insecurities to stand up to the most powerful man of his time and order him to let his people go. I want to live like Joshua, who had to fill the biggest shoes left by the death of Moses, and lead God's people into the promised land. I want to live like David, who rose from being a shepherd boy to the greatest King of Israel from whom would come the eventual Messiah. I want to live like Jesus' disciples, poor fishermen and zealots and tax collectors, who gave up everything and followed a carpentar's son to transform the world. I want to live like Paul, who went from the greatest persecutor of the church to one of its greatest missionaries. I want to live like Hudson Taylor, C.T. Studd, David Livingstone, Adoniram Judson, William Wilbeforce, Jim Elliot.
They all forsook the comforts of this world for something more eternal. And the world was not worthy of them.
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