BRINGING IT HOME

I just finished listening (again) to Howard Thurman's commencement speech to Spelman college students in Georgia (1980). As someone who used to help write political speeches, I loved this one-- the contemplative slowness, pauses, and the retelling of a remarkable story I had not heard before, The Blue Cat of Castle Town.

Given that Thurman's speech was to college students, it made me think of prime minister Carney's pre-budget speech to students at the University of Ottawa last week. Which is making me think of a joint announcement on semi modular reactors made by prime minister Carney and premier Doug Ford in Toronto last week. The resounding (for me) mic-drop moment of the joint announcement came at the end of Carney's remarks when he "whispered" to Ford, "I got us to first, maybe even second, now you bring it home premier."

Pause.

Fast forward: Now I'm imagining Howard Thurman giving the same 1980 Spelman College speech, "The Sound of the Genuine," but this time to Canadian students at the University of Ottawa (where Carney gave his pre-budget speech). I can see Thurman in my mind's eye. He's making his way slowly to the microphone. He is old and not well. Then just before Thurman begins to speak, Carney whispers in Thurman's holy mystic ear the same thing he whispered in Doug Ford's ear at their joint announcement in Toronto: "Okay, I got us to first, maybe even second, now you bring us home pastor."

Go Jays and Dodgers go, bring it home!

"Shine Jesus shine, flood the nations
        with grace and mercy."


Cb

Amen

https://thurman.pitts.emory.edu/items/show/838

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