Hillary Clinton missed the zeitgeist, while Barack Obama not only recognized and embraced it, but due in large part to his diverse cultural and racial background, actually embodies it.
Barack’s message of Hope and Change found greater resonance in the Democratic electorate than Hillary’s message of Experience and Leadership. The latter no doubt polled well in Mark Penn‘s focus groups, but that was the past talking, not the future. Clinton’s adoption of Bob Shrum’s “I will fight for you” trope was subsumed and transcended by Barack’s appeal to “we the people” as the agency of change, to thee versus me.
That, I suggest, is a key part of the post-Bush era zeitgeist, a German word generally translated as “spirit of the age,” taken from the Latin genius seculi— literally, “the guardian spirit of the century.”
The notion of a guiding hand in history finds expression in The Urantia Book in a Paper titled “The Seraphic Planetary Government,” a council comprised of twelve divisions of “angels” (none of whom have wings, but some of whom have “friction shields”!). At least two of the divisions are relevant here. They are:
The epochal angels. These are the angels of the current age, the dispensational group. These celestial ministers are intrusted with the oversight and direction of the affairs of each generation as they are designed to fit into the mosaic of the age in which they occur. The present corps of epochal angels serving on Urantia is the third group assigned to the planet during the current dispensation.
The angels of nation life. These are the ” angels of the trumpets, ” directors of the political performances of Urantia national life. The group now functioning in the overcontrol of international relations is the fourth corps to serve on the planet. It is particularly through the ministry of this seraphic division that ” the Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men. “
Believing such a narrative is, of course, a leap of faith. But if political Hope has a spiritual component, this may be it.
One can be forgiven for asking, however: Where the hell have they been for the last few years?!? Why would they allow an incompetent, messianically deluded, malignant narcissist like George W. Bush to occupy the most powerful office on the planet, to take a wrecking ball to the world?
I assume the answer is found in a spiritual mandate requiring them to walk a fine line between human free will and celestial overcontrol. On their way to ruling in “the kingdoms of men,” the Most Highs must funambulate their way across a vast canyon separating spirit and matter.
Hope is thinking that the historical pendulum is now swinging away from the selfishness of the past and towards the more inclusive, spiritual pole of the future. In the end, Hillary was the candidate of ideas, Barack the candidate of ideals:
Ideas may take origin in the stimuli of the outer world, but ideals are born only in the creative realms of the inner world. Today the nations of the world are directed by men who have a superabundance of ideas, but they are poverty-stricken in ideals. That is the explanation of poverty, divorce, war, and racial hatreds. (ibid)
So be it.
As a Urantia Book reader I resent your use of the Urantia name to further your policitical agenda. The current administration is but the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things – concern yourself with the spiritual mindset of the general population and forget about relying on people such as Obama, Clinton, McCain or Bush for any real solutions. Besides, both ideas and ideals are nothing without action and whenever someone takes action – there’s always going to be more than enough whiners around who think they can do it better. You have discovered the most fascinating book in the universe, yet you rely on temporary political figures to create your happiness.
Aside from the fact that I completely disagree with your political views, it feels especially cheap to me to watch you use such a fantastic, life changing book in this fashion. Your positions are not supported by the Urantia Book. What is happening in the world is simply a result of ignorance – the people simply do not know. So forgive them and seek to enlighten them in an intelligent and respectful manner. For example, it’s very selfish of someone to say that we should pull our troops from Iraq. Why? Because if we do, Iraq will be less likely to ever experience the freedom that the average American enjoys today. It’s very short sighted to think that the Iraq war was only about one thing, such as WMDs – when it is really about so much more. You mustn’t listen to the main stream media so much, they are ignorant as well.
So how do you get your point across without upsetting people like me? Stop using names. Do not use names. Look at your keyword cloud. Write more about PEACE and LOVE and JESUS so your keyword cloud produces larger fonts for those words rather than the large fonts for the temporary political figures of our time. Provide solutions – your own ideas and ideals. Maybe the right people will read it someday and take action, and maybe you’ll affect real change in the world. Think majestically.
Thank you.