Inauguration of President Barack Obama
K
im and I were blessed to attend the historical inauguration of President Barack Obama. I say blessed because we had no tickets; no flight and no hotel until the eleventh hour literally. I don’t think it is a coincidence that we were praying and expecting God to show us great and mighty things…
We received inauguration tickets on Sunday, January 18… Booked hotel and flight arrangements on Monday morning and departed Monday evening. Let the church say favor…I sat on the flight thinking retrospectively to the time when African-Americans could not vote, eat in restaurants, stay in hotels or drink from certain water fountains. Whew!!! In the words of the saints of old-”The Lord has brought us a mighty long way.”
Although it was cold as all get out and the largest crowd of people I’ve ever seen, I am glad that we made the sacrifice to go. We stood there in awe as we watched history being made. The temperature was extremely cold but the atmosphere of the crowd was one of warmth and harmony.
I wondering if this is what Dr. King envisioned when he looked over the mountain and saw the promised land. This inauguration is a reminder that we can be whatever we like. Faith has no glass ceiling. Congratulations Mr. President!!!
President Bill Clinton
Got a chance of a lifetime to attend a rally with Pastor Keith Young and Darhyl Watkins where President Bill Clinton was the guest speaker. The rally was held at Clarke Atlanta University. Although I didn’t attend Clarke I was proud that the powers that be chose a historically black college and university (HBCU) for this occasion.
It is an interesting phenomenon to see someone that you respect on television as opposed to seeing them in person. A couple of things caught my attention regarding Mr. President: First, Bill Clinton has an extraordinary gift of speaking. I was close enough to notice that he had notes but he never used them. Second, was his ability to connect with the crowd by personally recognizing people by name in the audience. Two keys to his success: being good at your craft i.e. public speaking and name recognition.
We were actually invited into the VIP section where all the movers and shakers of the school and the state of Georgia were seated. There we were sitting three rows back from an American icon. Three rows back from the former President of the United States of America. Simaltanously my mind ran back to my humble beginnings in rural Mansfield, Louisiana. Who would have ever thought it ???
I actually owe a debt of gratitude to Representatives Alisha Morgan and Rashad Taylor whom I’m blessed to serve as their pastor. Both of them have an uncanny ability to “walk among kings yet never lose their common touch.” Kudos to you guys!!! Couldnt help but think about the scripture that says, “Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great people.”
Leadership Lessons from President-Elect Obama’s Victory
The election is finally over. After seemingly unending months of being glued to CNN; countless rallies across the country and ongoing debates between the opponents, its a done deal. While I cannot, nor should I as a pastor tell people how to vote. I do believe their are some invaluable lessons we can learn from this historic victory regardless of which side of the aisle we sit on (republican or democrat). Here are the lessons:
1. Dare to dream and envision the future.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela wrote these inspiring words to President-Elect Obama, “Your victory has demonstrated that any person anywhere in the world should dare to dream…” His words teach us we should never allow anything outside of us hinder our ability to dream. Learn to dream in spite of your: tainted past, limited resources, lack of education, negative voices etc. We are only limited by the scope of our thinking. “As a man thinks so is he.”
2. Assemble a competent and cohesive team.
Someone has well said, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Obama assembled a dream team of individuals who could get the job done. From media moguls, celebrities, critical thinkers, to the guy or girl next door with willing hearts and hands. Whether they were paid staff or community volunteers everybody felt like they were a part of a winning formula. Quality of your team not the quantity determines the outcome. Who’s on your team?
3. Build from the ground-up.
Not only did the Obama team assemble a quality executive team but also a grassroots organization of everyday folks. He was able to galvanize many people who had either been overlooked, undervalued and unappreciated. I read somewhere that more people voted in this election than any other in American history. Wow!!! This victory shouts from the rooftop the statement, “Their is strength in numbers.”
4. Listen and learn from your critics.
Every dream will attract its share of critics. In my youth I used to think that someone being critical was such a waste of time. But now with a few grey hairs, I’m learning to value the presence of critics. They keep us on our toes; show us our blind spots, and help us to maintain a level head. President-Elect Obama obviously heard a childhood proverb, “Eat the meat and spit out the bones.” As Portia Fox of V-103 would say, “Make your haters your motivators.”
5. Offer people hope.
Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy offered hope to all people. Hope is living in expectancy when things are otherwise hopeless. There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of a better tomorrow. Something about his demeanor and calm disposition caused people to look beyond their current circumstances and believe that the sun would shine again.
6. Communicate
Dr. Charles Sargent, my homiletics professor at ITC, used to tell us when preparing to preach, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you told them.” This approach all but assures the speaker that he or she has communicated well. Barack’s team did an extraordinary job of staying in touch and keep people informed. From television, radio, mail-out to e-mail they utilized every availible means to get the the word out.
