A Brand New Day?

Today Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president. It was amazing to see the millions of people croweded in the Mall in Washington DC. The news showed clips of people around the world celebrating. There is just such a hope from everyone - especially young people - that he is the person who is going to save our world. It's also amazing to see the faces of African-Americans as they watch a black man become President - the day after we honored the birth of Martin Luther King. There is such hope and pride and a sense of victory. Yet there are those who are not celebrating today. They think he's too inexperienced. They think some people may have voted for him just because he's black. They are scared when they hear his full name - Barack Hussein Obama. I don't know what I think yet. I want to believe in the magic but worry - have we put this man on a pedestal? Has the world built him up too much and made him into their savior? What an awesome weight is on his shoulders. He faces war, economic problems like we haven't seen in decades, terrorist threats, and building tensions in the Middle East. But, I'm praying and pulling for him to fulfill the hope that the world has pinned on him - hope for better times, hope for peace, hope for equality and freedom, and hope for goodness in our leaders. Time will tell. For today, I'll hold those incredible images I saw of people coming together in hope. I don't think I've ever seen or felt anything like it.