October 14, 2009

Learning from Moses

by Richard A. Kauffman

Moses has been an important figure for Americans since the time of the Pilgrims. Bruce Feiler thinks Moses can serve as a model in these times for President Obama.

According to Feiler, Obama must offer people "milk and honey"—that is, offer a story of hope, not just details about policy. He has to work at building a society that nurtures everyone, even the strangers (immigrants) among us. From Moses, Obama can learn how to take the heat from his opponents, some of whom ask, as people asked of Moses, "Who made you leader over us?"

Finally, Obama could learn that he may not se the promised land himself, so he must prepare his followers to succeed without him—the most trying lesson of leadership.

2 comments:

debradeanmurphy said...

I suspect that any linking of Obama and Moses (by the President himself or his supporters) would be mercilessly ridiculed, even if the comparision was simply meant to indicate a humble desire to be more like Moses.

It strikes me that Obama's most impressive quality as a leader--his humility--is the thing that sets off his critics the most, on the right and the left. Too many years of leadership in the form of macho bombast, I suppose.

October 14, 2009 9:54 PM
Norm Evans said...

Comparisons between Obama and Moses are probably best kept in the heart of those who see the similarities of hopes and realities. And from the heart such comparisons can call upon us to stand up, to see the dream, to engage in some creative risk-taking, and to embody the envisioned change (vis a vis "Yes, We Can!)

October 15, 2009 2:13 PM

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