It’s more than startling that perhaps half our nation – persons younger than 65 – don’t understand the import of this day. It was an unusually warm day as I was rushing to a class when a fellow student grabbed me by my shoulder and shouted, “The President’s been shot!” Rushing into a classroom with a television, I slumped into a chair in stunned silence as Walter Cronkite announced that John F. Kennedy was dead.
For the young generation of that time, Kennedy represented possibly a new way of thinking about politics and the world. Much of it was myth, of course, but we often live in myth. It was politics of a different sort then as not inured to violence, the brutality of segregationists shaking us into a realization many did not have.
The world has hanged a great deal since then, and our politics reflects that. People are angrier now, many focused on what they have lost or never had. Our sense of who we think we are is fragile. It seems the task for us now is to rebuild community, but first we must have a common understanding of our past history, and that is difficult to achieve.
Prayer for the Day
Struggling to define who we are as a Nation,
We come to you, O God, for guidance;
Unsure of how to build a society of justice for all,
We look to you, O God, for the path to tread.
Be with us and grant us the strength in the days ahead
So we reflect the true meaning of the Nation’s promise.
In the name of the One who opens our minds,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The faults of history cannot be undone, but if we confront them we can begin to learn, change the present, and create a better future. Discussion is a good place to start, but talking can never be enough.
Howard Schultz, writer, from From the Ground Up
To realize the American dream, the most important thing to understand is that it belongs to everybody. It’s a human dream. If you understand that, then it may be possible.
Cristina Saralegui, Cuban-American journalist
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne,
Steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Psalm 89:14