“Listening, Listening, Listening . . .” by Rev. Angela Zimmann

Rev. Angela Zimmann and Sen. Barack Obama

On a stifling Sunday afternoon in October in the Ohio heartland, the last person I expected to be walking around our working-class neighborhood campaigning for Barack Obama was… Barack Obama. But there he was, in the flesh, doing what he does: listening, listening, listening. When I arrived on the scene, tripping up the cracked sidewalk in front of the low-slung ranch homes and introduced myself as the precinct captain, he said “I have to give you a kiss for that!” – and so he did.
As a Christian, and a member of the clergy, I take seriously the responsibility to vote; first I research the candidates, including their policy platforms, voting records and personal histories; then, I observe their actions during the course of the campaign; finally, I choose my side of the fence – and this year, without a doubt, I am on the side of Barack Obama. It was my privilege and honor to meet this man; may God bless him. May God bless the USA. May God bless the world. It will take a miracle to bring peace and prosperity to this ailing planet. Fortunately, our God is in the business of making miracles, and using our hands to perform them. Good luck, Barack Obama! May America win on November 4th!

Rev. Angela Zimmann

Toledo, OH

“Yes, We Must” by Rev. Sean Dennison

Rev. Sean Dennison

I have heard Senator Obama speak about healing this nation of the ugly wound of racism, and I have found myself saying out loud, “Yes We Can!” I have heard Barack Obama speak about educating all our children and caring for their health and well-being and I have found myself shouting and praying, “Yes We Can!” I have heard Barack Obama call for an end to a foreign policy of bullying with threats and violence, and engaging instead in diplomacy, and I’ve said again, “Yes. We. Can.” In truth, I have often whispered, “Yes, we must.” We must do these things—we must build a nation we can be proud of—we must join together for change.

Barack Obama has urged this nation to return to governing in a way that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. He has inspired millions of people to get involved for the first time—to give, to work, to vote. Barack Obama has called us to have faith in ourselves: faith in our ability to change the destructive patterns of greed and waste; faith that this nation can rise to be a leader again—not just an economic or military leader, but a moral and ethical leader that leads through multi-lateral relationships of trust and respect. And again and again my heart has swelled with hope and I have found myself not just saying, not just hoping, but believing that Yes! We! Can!

I am here to tell you that people of faith—people of faith like you and like me—are a part of this movement of hope. We are here because we believe that Barack Obama embodies our values, our principles, our commitment to being part of building a better world together. We are here as people of faith, and we’ve got hope for the future of this world. We have hope, and we are here to put that hope to work for Barack Obama, for our nation, and for our future and the future of our children. We’ve got hope, and we know how to use it. We will use it in November, and we will use it to support the Presidency of Barack Obama. We’ve got hope and we are ready. We’ve got hope and we know that Yes, we can. Yes we must. Yes we will!

Rev. Sean Dennison
Salt Lake City, UT

“One More Thing” by Rev. Holly McKissick

My Dear Fellow Clergy:

Rev. Holly McKissick

Ask Nellie—bright, spirited, engaging—why she moved to Kansas City this summer to work on the Obama campaign—why she gave up her home, her job, her boyfriend, and she says: 

“I have worked on a lot of campaigns, stumped for a lot of candidates, but, I’ve never felt this kind of hope…. I knew I could not wake up on November 5th and wonder if there was ONE more thing I could have done to change the outcome?”

I can’t wake up on November 5th, either, and think, “Was there one more thing I could have done?”

I’ve been working on the Obama campaign since July—following the lead of my 13 year old daughter who is a campaign intern.

But it hit me last Monday—we have to do more.

In his acceptance speech on August 28th, Senator Obama stirred our deepest longings for a country that works together for a common good. His speech reminded us of something important: Americans deeply believe, “Our government should work for us, not against us.  It should help us, not hurt us.  It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who’s willing to work.  That’s the promise of America, the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation, the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.”

The last two weeks, we’ve seen the politics of fear and anger rising up…threatening the hope and promise that the Obama campaign embodies.  Many have asked, why isn’t Obama “striking” back harder in the face of attacks and lies?  A part of me wonders, too: Who are the strategists? What are they doing?

But, this is the truth: Barack Obama is a brilliant leader. Absolutely brilliant. He knows what he is doing. By not striking back, he is making a place where you and I, as clergy—as leaders in our communities—have to step up.  He is creating a space where all Americans have to take responsibility for their communities.

Obama is a skilled community organizer. This campaign has been grassroots from the beginning, built on lessons in community organizing learned in Chicago neighborhoods working their way out of poverty.  As Clergy, we are full time community organizers. We know it’s about building relationships, helping folks to name their dreams and needs, and then building alliances and strategies to make them real.

Anyone who has been involved in this campaign “gets it.” This is not about Barack Obama. It’s not about November 4th. It’s about changing this country we love so dearly.  It’s about making a world where all of God’s children live in peace, no matter where they live.

It’s about embodying the change.

Join me. And wake up on November 5th ready to get to work.

Rev. Holly McKissick
Leawood, Kansas

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