The Constitution of the United States begins with “We the people,” and the the Nicene Creed begins with “We believe.” Seeing the world through eyes that recognize our interconnectedness is a deep one in political and religious life. Episcopalian Diana Butler Bass notes that President Obama urged the nation to see health care through the lens of the “moral we””
Doing late-night duty after President Obama’s speech, Bass writes from a faith perspective about the speech in her blog at BeliefNet:
“Almost 2,000 years ago, a fellow named Paul wrote to a fractured community in the ancient city of Corinth urging its members, “that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions between you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” People had divided into camps, calling themselves by the names of their leaders, and casting others out of the community. Paul called this foolishness and begged the brawling Corinthians to “seek wisdom” by working together and having a common purpose. Wisdom begins by understanding the “we” that is needed to accomplish that which is healing, beautiful, and just.
Tonight was about the moral “we.” President Obama delivered a hope-filled speech that called us to stop being part of a camp–and instead see our “camp” as the wider American family. Those of us who are rich, who are poor, who are in-between, those who are ill, who are healthy, who one day may be infirm. We are in this together. He made the case that we need each other, that we have a common purpose of caring for each other and making a better future together. He did it inclusively–inclusive in his ethical reach, inclusive in his political reach, inclusive in his reach toward civility.”