The song of my country

Today I was lost in the middle of a big hospital. I asked a staff person to direct me to the right area and he motioned for me to follow him and he would show me the way. He was tall and lanky, very dark and shy. We walked up and down many hallways and the entire time he was singing a beautiful song, very quietly to himself. When I asked him what he was singing he seemed embarassed, as though he didn't know I could hear it. He said "Oh, it's the song of my country, that's all". I asked him what his country was and he told me he was from the Sudan. He said he missed it and would be going back.

This made me think today, what is the song of my country? I don't think it is the Star Spangled Banner, or even God Bless America, though both of these make me weep every time I hear them.

Today, on the eve of the most exciting inauguration of my lifetime, I feel the song of my country is a homogeneous blend of so many cultures. It is the song of zydeco from the bayous of Lousianna, it's the sound of smoky jazz from Chicago, it's salsa and the blues, it's hip hop and reggae and Chopin and klezmer, it's the native American flute and rock and roll and it's all of us from all walks of life. Our song is a chorus, not a solo.

There has never been a time when I felt more hope for a country that is so broken at the tender places. We are humbled, we are in need and what we need is each other. We are hungry for the partisan politics of the past to be replaced by the unity of a nation.

Barack Obama will not be a perfect president. He will let us down, make mistakes and come up short to be sure. But he is the first man in politics in a very long time who has the ability to call out of us that which has long been in slumber-hope.

My song today is "It's a New Day" by Will I Am. It speaks to my soul and it makes me happy.

I Dream A World By Langston Hughes

I dream a world where man no other man will scorn,

Where love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn

I dream a world where all will know sweet freedom's way,

Where greed no longer saps the soul nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white, whatever race you be,

Will share the bounties of the earth And every man is free,

Where wretchedness will hang its head and joy, like a pearl,

Attends the needs of all mankind- of such I dream, my world!

I am deeply touched by the men and women who have gone before us. These luminaries who bore our sins and dared to dream of a future that they themselves could never see. I am ever grateful to the dreamers, the poets, the long suffering grandmothers and grandfathers who, with quiet perserverance kept the faith.

Some of those wishes will come true tomorrow when the United States of America swears in Barack Obama as it's 44th president. We should bow down in thanks to the ones who cleared the way, both black and white, who marched against the water hoses and tear gas, who sang out hymns of peace while being spat upon by those with hooded robes. We have not conquered all of our demons, but it's a good start.

I feel so hopeful, so proud to be an American today. I feel the anticipation of something brand new up ahead. I know there will be mistakes, and there will be danger, but we are coming together now more than we ever have before and defining ourselves in a broader more integrated way. We will do our part, and then those behind us will do even better.

We can be proud that the day has finally come when a black man can lead this country. Yes we can. We can relax and know that torture will no longer be tolerated, yes we can. We can rest assured that in time, everyone will have affordable heathcare, yes we can. And we can know that the international community will open it's arms in collaboration, yes we can.

The call to service is one I will ponder. There is much work to do, but together we can do it. Yes we can!