Wanted: Leaders with Courage to Dream Bigger

Those of you who are parents may understand when I say becoming a father helped save me from myself. Through the late 70s and into the 80s I had become pretty cynical about our culture and especially its leadership class. But as my children began to grow, it occurred to me that if they wanted to be cynical about the world they should have the right to earn it themselves. They shouldn’t inherit it from me.

Granted, you can find a share of cynics and pessimists in any generation, but in general young people are hopeful by nature. This helps explain why so many have flocked to support Barack Obama with his optimistic message of a new direction. But Obama’s wider popularity may stem from a loss of confidence in our leadership class and the basic institutions of our culture. Conservative pundit David Brooks, of the New York Times, says the failure of our leadership class will be the number one issue of the next election. I tend to agree. Mr. Obama is a skilled and inspirational speaker. But more importantly, because of his race, his youth and his limited time in office, he’s also is the candidate least associated with past failures.

In his column today, the Times’ Bob Herbert writes that up to now none of the candidates have laid out the vision for which the nation hungers. Until someone does, elections can be won but the bitter divisions within our nation will continue. Eventually, those divisions will lead America into decline. It is fair to estimate that a third of the country believes that modern liberalism is a failed philosophy. Another third believes the modern conservative philosophy is fatally flawed. The remaining third thinks both should be tossed on the scrap heap. However you figure it, two-thirds of the people believe the two philosophies which have defined our nation through the 20th century are now defunct.

Herbert writes: “There are moments in history that demand not just talent in a nation’s leadership, but greatness — men or women with the courage to dream bigger and the ability to convince others that those dreams can be realized.”

Finding that new dream, that new vision to inspire faith, is the challenge facing our political leaders — and our spiritual leaders as well — in this new century. Without that vision the election will still be won, but the nation will remain broken, church attendance will continue to decline, and spirits will not be healed.