All Men Are Created Equal

I am writing this on Monday, January 19th, the day before a major milestone is planted firmly along the path of U.S. history. When Barack Obama takes the oath of office, it will in the minds of many be the beginning of a new era for our country. It will strengthen our resolve around a truth formed by God, affirmed by the Declaration of Independence, inspired the passion of a man like Abraham Lincoln, and served as a foundation for a major movement in our country. That truth is "all men are created equal."

It is interesting that the phrase is credited to Thomas Jefferson. The phrase, lifted out of the beginning sentence in our Declaration of Independence was written to respond to the concept of the "Divine Right of Kings" wherein the King of England claimed to be God's representative on earth and what he said and did was to be seen as a directed by God himself. In other words, questioning the king would be considered the same as questioning God and that would not be tolerated. It is easy to see why a leader of a nation on the brink of rebellion against such authority would begin his document by saying in essence, "the king is just a man like the rest of us." How ironic is it to think that he might have penned these words while a black slave swept the floor around his feet and another brought him tea, while another lit the fire over which she would cook his dinner?

History is full of irony but now we see and attach an additional meaning to that phrase. We no longer have a despotic king breathing threats of military occupation for our non-compliance. Now we are mourning a grievous contempt for human rights that once existed among us. We are healing from wounds inflicted by a culture addicted to conquest and greed that was by no means unique to a pre-Revolutionary America but had been in existence in some form for millennia prior to the first slaves arriving in the "New World." These wounds have been further infected by attitudes of racism, and hatred of those whose only offense is a few shades of difference in skin color.

While I may not agree with many of Barack Obama's political positions on the issues, I can hope that with his administration comes continued healing. I hope that his presidency will provide a balm for memories of black children looking through the fences of "whites only" playgrounds. I hope that his presidency will heal the injuries inflicted by phrases like, "we don't serve your kind here" and "you need to sit in the back of the bus."

I pray that those attitudes become more and more a bad memory from our past and that all races comprising these United States will go forth from this inauguration with a renewed sense of unity and purpose. I pray that we will take to heart the God given truth that "all men are created equal" and that this phrase will form within each of us a passion for working together to make our communities our churches, our workplaces and our nation the united around that truth.