Posted by Jenna Sieker in Nobel Peace Prize: Listening to the Rest of the World
by Craig Detweiler
(from his blog on the Purple State of Mind website)
U2’s sight and sound spectacular lands in Los Angeles this weekend. Evidently the Rose Bowl already has all manner of stagecraft already in place. Ads have been taken out to try and reduce the onslaught of fans converging on Pasadena. Thankfully, U2 will oblige those of us who failed to buy tickets six months ago with a “global live webcast” of the concert here. (Thanks to my friend Joe for all the crucial links.)
Bono has also decided to enter the dustup over President Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. While Americans on both sides of the aisle seem incapable of celebrating the award, Bono dares us to see from beyond our borders. In a rousing New York Times editorial, Bono challenges us to reclaim the best of our American ideals, to rebrand America. According to Bono, it is the idea of America, embodied by the unlikely rise of our president that probably earned him (and us) that Peace Prize. It is a hopeful sign that everyone recognizes (but us). We are so caught up in our economic problems that we’ve failed to recognize what an extraordinary moment and achievement has already occurred.
I was reminded of this historic turning point by the Reverend Joseph Lowery. You may recall his rousing and rhyming benediction at the Obama’s inauguration. This week, Rev. Lowery brought his wit and wisdom to Pepperdine University. What a privilege to shake hands with a living witness and essential player in the Civil Rights movement. We brought our kids to the event so they could someday tell their children that they met Rev. Lowery. He asked the diverse audience, “What happened to us in the community of conscience?” He suggested there will never be another beginning quite like this. Someday soon, we will have our first female president. Lowery even suggested Michelle Obama might be our first African-American woman president. So he wondered, “How could we so quickly lose the joy of a new beginning?”
He spoke with such significant Christian l hope in his heart. Lowery celebrated the possibility of communication rather than isolation. He considered President Obama’s Nobel Prize as an opportunity to listen to others, for us to pay attention to what others are saying–about America, the peace process, and the world stage. We have just been granted a huge, affirming vote of confidence. Have we missed the joy of this new beginning? Rev. Joseph Lowery sang a new song. Bono and U2 will sing it on Sunday for all the world to see.
