The speech Obama made to 84,000 delegates at the Democratic Party Convention of 2008, concluded with this invocation of the Promise:
"America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done....
"Let us keep that promise, that American promise, and in the words of Scripture, 'Hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.'"
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The Scripture may be drawn from Hebrews 10:23. Here is that verse in its context:
"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries."
The book of Hebrews is a highly controversial document. But there can be no dispute that the passage clearly begs people to "consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds...encouraging one another".
We seem so desparate to see our enemies burn. We overlook the opportunity, the invitation, “to love and good deeds”. For my part, I will CUT OUT the part of me which longs to see my adversaries suffer. The longing is admitted, but I will thrust myself into Hell before giving it my intention.
ReplyDeleteThe number of US people who tuned into The Speech were first estimated by Nielsen at 28 million -- 2x Kerry, and more than saw the Opening Day of the Olympics. The calculation has now increased to 48 million US. The largest international audience in history.
ReplyDeleteSadly, Hurricane Gustaf will be hitting Louisiana at the same time the RNC was planned, and so it is being scaled back.