BL1961, Flickr Creative Commons

On a historic day when millions of Americans of all faiths, races and backgrounds braved freezing temperatures to witness one of the greatest moment’s in our nation’s history, it’s hard to not be moved by the magnitude of the moment, whether or not you voted for Barack Obama in the election. The arc of justice, leveraged at one end by Rev. Martin Luther King who changed history when he stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial over forty years ago. His movement and vision encompassed generations of Americans who lined the Reflecting Pool then and today and was buttressed at the other end at the steps of the Capitol with our first African-American president.

While listening to some of King’s speeches on the radio yesterday, I was struck by the similarity of his language and Obama’s–unity over divisiveness, justice to triumph hate and the potential for genuine personal and societal transformation. As I listened to the esteemed Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the father’s of our civil rights movement quote passages from the Bible about peace, righteousness and “let justice will roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24) while seeing shots of other icons of the civil rights movement, such as Rep. John Lewis and the Tuskegee Airmen, I couldn’t stop nodding my head.  Generations of Americans have heard the cries for change and righteousness and it’s been a long journey by many brave people who have brought justice to the doors of our government on this momentous occasion.

I was surprisingly most teary-eyed during the musical performance by a group of  people who are of multi-generational, religious and ethnic backgrounds who reflect the diversity of our country; the strength and ingenuity of our nation and our unity. After listening to Obama’s forceful words of change, determination and extension to all of us to become soldiers in his journey to better our nation, how can one say no?

Now is the time for us to help our nation rise up from its time of darkness to bring it into the light to be the beacon the world has known us to be.  Join with millions of others to transform our country, whether it’s by starting at your school, neighborhood block, city, congregation or state, we all need to heed the call of our leaders to bring change now.