Are we on the verge of a collective spiritual awakening? Are we living in transcendental times?
"Change appears to be afoot," writes California blogger, Martin LeFevre. "But," he asks, " is the political process in America actually moving toward adequately addressing the ecological, economic, and ethical crisis facing humankind?" That is the $64 dollar question for many millions, both in America and around the world, as we watch history unfolding as Barack Obama breaks so many firsts in his run for the presidency - first African-American, first post-Baby Boomer, first Hawaiian, first in many years with real life experience living outside the United States, first in several generations to inspire real hope in our future. And this from a Canadian without the voice of a ballot in what will in all likelihood be the most important and decisive election since Roosevelt and Churchill ran for office respectively during the Second World War.
"The spiritual vacuum in America is why many have invested Obama with religious fervor," Mr. LeFevre presciently notes; observing, nonetheless, that such investment "means that the spiritual and the political are being mixed together in both fascinating and dangerous ways."
"The question is," he asks, "is the Obamenon the political expression of a spiritual awakening, or the psychological projection of a spiritual void?"
Undoubtedly it is both. Let us hope that for most who are affected - and who is not in the global unity of this day and age? - that this turn of events is the "political expression of a spiritual awakening." I sense it is. However, even if the hopes instilled in Mr. Obama's persons are merely "the psychological projection of a spiritual void", this indicates the recognition of a collective yearning of, perhaps, the many far and wide that is in itself a seminal event. Any such collective yearning if recognized will be a catalyst for profound conscious and beneficial change. Mr. Obama is far too intelligent and moral a man it seems to miss or duck from such a calling from our collective psyche.
Mr. Obama in his writings and his person seems so cognizant of the transcendent times we live in and the collective need and thirst there is for meaningful, conscious change - whether the thirst is for a politically effective spiritual awakening, or just the reflection of the diminished aspirations of the rote state of politics that seems so spiritually void and unsatisfying - that one can only pray he is able to fulfill what seems to be his and our destiny as an agent of conscious change.
