With the plethora of polarizing stories in Washington these days (and with the Intramuralist taking a few extra days to invest in intentional respite), I found the following to be the more encouraging reports of the week. While aspects of each sometimes serve cause for annoyance for some — missing the bigger picture, I believe — the reality is that the bottom line of each brief story has something to do with great joy, empathy, and hope.
From NBC News this weekend…
“This 106-year-old admitted she never thought she’d live to visit the White House — and then gave the president and first lady a surprise of their own.
Virginia McLaurin danced her way across the room as she met Barack and Michelle Obama as part of Black History Month.
‘Slow down now, don’t go too quick!’ joked the president, clearly taken aback at the diminutive centenarian’s energy. The first lady told her: ‘I want to be like you when I grow up.’
McLaurin was born in 1909 in South Carolina and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1941, according to a community Facebook page set up for her. She told the Obamas: ‘I thought I would never live to get in the White House… I am so happy — a black president.’
The video of the meeting received almost 11 million views on the White House’s Facebook page in the first six hours after it was uploaded late Sunday.”
From ABC News…
“John Kasich ended his town hall at Clemson University in South Carolina this afternoon with a hug from a young man who told the Republican presidential candidate he gave him hope amid his personal despair.
During a question-and-answer session, 21-year-old Brett Smith told the Ohio governor he had driven up from Georgia to see him. A man close to him had recently killed himself, his parents had divorced and his father had lost his job, Smith said.
Amid a dark time in his life, Smith said, Kasich gave him hope.
‘I found hope,’ he said, standing before around 200 attendees. ‘I found it in the Lord and in my friends, and now I found it in my presidential candidate that I support, and I’d really appreciate one of those hugs you’ve been talking about.’
Kasich obliged, coming down from the stage and embracing the young man, a senior at the University of Georgia, as he choked up and blinked away tears.
‘The Lord will give you strength, I promise you, if you ask him,’ Kasich said in Smith’s ear.”
And finally, from the homily delivered by Rev. Paul Scalia, the son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, at the funeral Mass for his father on Saturday…
“…In the past week, many have recounted what Dad did for them. But here today, we recount what God did for Dad, how he blessed him…
God blessed Dad, as is well known, with a love for his country. He knew well what a close-run thing the founding of our nation was. And he saw in that founding, as did the founders themselves, a blessing, a blessing quickly lost when faith is banned form the public square, or when we refuse to bring it there. So he understood that there is no conflict between loving God and loving one’s country, between one’s faith and one’s public service. Dad understood that the deeper he went in his Catholic faith, the better a citizen and public servant he became. God blessed him with the desire to be the country’s good servant because he was God’s first…”
Here’s to great joy, empathy, and hope. May those aspects never annoy us. May we never miss the bigger picture.
Respectfully…
AR
Refreshing!
I saw that video and I LOVE it! It’s a food reminder that the Obamas are human beings. Even our Mortal Enemies (Not saying the Obamas are) are human beings and God’s creation. We should always try to find common ground so we can have a relationship and get to know the PERSON. We may be the only Christian they know. And we need to show them the Jesus who talked to the tax collector and the woman at the well.