Pearls of Wisdom and Foolish Mutterings

A Moment of Grace

Today, our nation said goodbye to former President George HW Bush, the President who declared in his inaugural speech on January 20, 1989 that the purpose of our great nation was to "make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world."  He prefaced that mandate with the statement that "America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle."

How fitting then, that the funeral of the gentleman—for indeed he was a gentleman—who called for the people of the United States of America to return to a place of high moral principle was itself a return to civility, common decency and respect. Rarely are we given the opportunity to view the humanity behind our public servants, but it was on full display today. For a brief moment, political differences and agendas were set aside and we were allowed a glimpse into the better natures of those in our political arena. Empathy and kindness were on full display and we were given a respite from the tumult of the times.

The grief of the Bush family was met with fine displays of respect and love by many in our government, including Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, James Baker, and President Donald Trump. A grateful nation surely was heartened to see three former Presidents sitting together with the current President of the United States in a show of unity and compassion. If only for a moment, we saw these men step above factions and division to embrace what makes us all human, and in doing so, they gave us hope. Human nature is such that the act of expressing love, in whatever form it takes, be it compassion or comfort or kindness, binds our hearts together, however briefly it may be. Love soothes. Love heals. Love brings us together.

Yes, tomorrow may well bring us right back to the place we were before this moment of grace. But for a moment in time, we are changed, we are heartened by the transformative power of love for one another. Grace has been visited upon us and we are made better because of it.

May we remember the words of the late President George HW Bush:

"America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world."