Here's an interesting insight that recently caught my attention.  It comes from Ivan M. Granger, who writes a fascinating blog on sacred poetry at www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com, where he pointed out the esoteric meaning of President-elect Obama's first name: "...barack, like the Hebrew word baruch, means blessing or blessed. But that's just the most surface translation of the word. A deeper exploration of the word relates to sending down roots, or to kneel down in prayer. Both of these meanings carry the sense that what is above is reaching down to what is below ... rooting its blessings in the earth, weaving its life throughout the world."

 

While men with names like George, Bill, Ronald and Jimmy undoubtedly brought their own measure of power to the Oval Office, it's assuring to know that "Barack" carries a rich and compelling symbol of blessings being grounded in the physical plane. At a time when our country seems to be adrift and seeking solid ground, it's good to know that our newly elected leader has such a powerful imprint of sacred nomenclature on his soul.
 
Of course, it's not realistic to expect any one person to fix our nation's many problems - whatever his name or potential.  For that matter, from a metaphysical perspective, it's not helpful to focus on "fixing" anything. Nor is it helpful to turn over our hopes, much less our personal, creative powers to Senator Obama (or anybody else), no matter how charismatic he may be.   Because each of us is responsible for wielding our own, considerable energy in co-creating the New Story emerging in our midst.
 
Still, why not align ourselves with the awareness that we're all "barack"?  That Spirit is sending blessings to each of us, all the time?  Why not accept responsibility for grounding those blessings in the rich soil of our daily lives? Why not harness our personal powers of prayer and meditation to support the socio-political shifts happening on the material plane at this unique point in time? Is it possible to do so without getting caught up in the "need" to fix or change anything?
 
I think so, although it requires a delicate balancing act: letting go of "either/or" thinking (i.e. either work to change the political situation or ignore it in favor of the "real" work of spiritual growth), and learning how to dance with the paradox of "both/and" (i.e. coming to peace with both the ways things are, as well as how we can envision them being)?  Sure, it's a big challenge.  But then, we're Infinite Beings with a limitless capacity for Love, learning and growth, right?  That's why I'll be focusing on this process in our Sunday morning gatherings and Wednesday evening meditations for a while... I look forward to the possibility of learning the dance steps along with you!

With blessings and hopes of seeing you Around the Circle,