Obama's True Religion (Nice Story About Barack Helping Girl at Easter Egg Hunt)

[JPZenger]

http://www.mcall.com/features/religion/all-faith_gerard.6868042apr25,0,3069997.story


'Obama showed his true religion over the course of the Easter holiday weekend...But on Monday morning a spontaneous act that history will not record illustrates that our president embodies the highest values of all three monotheistic religious traditions. It happened at the annual Easter egg roll on the White House lawn. TV commentators wondered if the president would root for his own children who, lacking competitive fire, quickly failed to take the lead.

Obama's eyes, however, were not on his own girls, who anyway soon began to gain some ground initially lost. Rather, the president's attention was drawn to a younger and less skilled girl who had fallen way behind. He ran to her and, bending over so as to make eye contact, encouraged her to press on, even seeming to coach her in how to get more distance from each push of her spoon. Emboldened by his advice and encouragement, she found the ability to make up for some lost ground and catch up to the others.

...a rabbinic teaching goes further. It points out that the weak and vulnerable are always the ones most easily left behind -- at the rear of our march. The Israelites themselves, according to this view, were significantly guilty, because they had failed to help the weakest among them to keep up.

Obama may not be a theologian. But he is what Jews call a ''mentsch.'' His intuitive and instinctive impulse not just to root for the underdog in this Easter egg roll, but to strengthen her in her struggle, illustrates a profound truth about what is at the core of this remarkable leader. His policies and his goals seek to assure that no child really be left behind, and no grownup either."

-----
Jonathan Gerard is a family therapist in Easton, a past president of the Delaware Valley Association of Reform Rabbis, and a part-time chaplain at Pa.'s largest maximum security prison in Graterford.

Printed in the Allentown PA Morning Call

[annabanana]

1. I saw that footage...

And it just reinforced what I had suspected was the man's true nature.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. I think this is the little girl being referenced. I love this picture!

[JPZenger]

8. "Look! Look! He's Bowing to that Little Girl!"

Thanks for posting the photo.

[Qutzupalotl]

21. LOL! n/t

[Dollface]

26. Of course he is. Like all little girls, she is a princess.

[connecticut yankee]

31. But --

did he shake her hand?

[HughMoran]

10. That's a cute photo

He's a nice guy.

[gblady]

14. There were so many great snaps of those moments.....

I think he was kinda sweet on her!

[roguevalley]

24. oh sweet god. lady bug boots! this is so lovely. what a good family

we have leading us. so very, very lovely.

[FrenchieCat]

15. It is 9:05 p.m. here in California,

and I am sitting at my computer with tears coming from my eyes.

Oh well! :)

[madmax]

16. I can empathize

I get that way a lot when I realize that we have such a man as President. The last 8 years were truly '1984'.

[angstlessk]

19. good to know I am not an odd ball...I to an dropping liquid onto my laptop keyboard!

and I JUST blew my nose before reading this!

[goclark]

34. Me too -- just such role models for all of us ~

That little girl is adorable!

[roguevalley]

23. aaaawwwwwwwww. what a lovely moment.

[havocmom]

5. 'the man's true nature' Yes indeed. Pictures of him with youngsters

show youngsters trust and are drawn to him. Good signs, very young kids usually have great character radar.

[eleny]

2. that scene got me misty each time i saw it...

and now again reading about it in this context. thanks!

[mopinko]

4. yes, he is a mench

truly.

[PDittie]

6. Best thread of the day.

Heartily recommended and kicked.

[applegrove]

7. I saw a picture of that today. I wondered about the little girl who was so far behind

and noticed Obama was giving her special attention. I agree that is how you can judge people on how they treat those not as lucky as they are.

[elleng]

9. He certainly is a mentsch,

one reason I want my Dad to see photo of him embracing and kibitzing with Morris Rosen at Holocaust remembrance event.

http://www.canadaeast.com/news/article/644932

[Skittles]

11. rooting for the underdog

:thumbsup:

[dalaigh lllama]

12. "His intuitive and instinctive impulse not just to root for the underdog

...but to strengthen her in her struggle illustrates a profound truth about what is at the core of this remarkable leader."


What a guy!

[pnorman]

13. That brings to mind the below.

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

-You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had traveled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.

-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her." Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.

-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.

-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.
.
.
.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/barackobama/a/random_act.htm

pnorman

[grantcart]

35. and the status of this urban legend?

Status: True

[MadMaddie]

17. The children know don't they?

[Psychic Consortium]

18. He is president to all of us. nt

[mainegreen]

20. He's a good guy. And smart. And powerful. And charismatic. A rare combination.

Fortunate for us.

[Qutzupalotl]

22. Re: underdogs

There is a similar concept to that of the "mensch" in Mahayana Buddhism: the Bodhisattva. This is someone who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.

Now here is the most powerful man in the world, caring enough to help one of the least among us.

I'm not saying Obama is a Bodhisattva, just that he displays a level of compassion that is a mark of greatness.

[Enrique]

25. this is what's so unamerican about him

equality is a European value, not an American one. By helping that little girl, he saps our precious bodily fluids. The founding fathers would have wanted Obama to make sure that girl was as humiliated as possible, to set an example for other children who might be tempted to be weak.

[whathehell]

30. You're kidding, right?

.."saps our precious bodily fluids"? "Equality is a European value"?..Founding fathers would favor of humiliation?:freak:

[kestrel91316]

33. After you've been here a while you will "get" our DU humor and sarcasm.

[grantcart]

36. at which point you will be ready for therapy

[noiretextatique]

27. there are so many stories about obama's essential decency

he is my definition of a role model.

[Myrina]

28. ... because if it had been the Bush or Palin kids ...

... they would have been guaranteed the 'win' even if they were bigger and older than the "underpriveleged" kids participating.

What a refreshing difference the Obamas are. :loveya:

[pnwmom]

29. He wasn't the only one. Malia and Sasha are clearly holding back, too.

Nice girls who don't need the limelight!

[tbyg52]

32. Now *there's* a good TEACHER!

Man, I would give a lot to go back in time and be in his class!

[marew]

37. Just imagine...

When she's 80 years old looking at these pictures. Obama and Michelle are the best!