State of the Union

First televised in 1947, the State of the Union address traditionally takes over the airwaves on a chilly night in January. Its roots lie in Article II of the Constitution, as the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Based upon that directive, President Barack Obama stood in the House chamber on January 28^th, 2014 to speak to elected officials, Supreme Court justices, invited guests, and the American people as he outlined his perception of the state of our Union (the United States of America), as well as his hopes for the days to come.

Since Mr. Obama’s appearance pre-empted our usual Tuesday night slate of NCIS, I was faced with the choice of re-runs on cable, turning in early with a good book, or performing my civic duty to be an informed and engaged citizen who keeps up with the political happenings in Washington. The prospect of watching one more bathroom demolition was agonizing, and since I was in-between books, I gathered with my husband and son to watch the State of the Union Address.

First impressions? Michelle Obama’s forest green silk Alaia was a great frame for her famous First lady smile. The VP’s spouse, Dr. Jill Biden was lovely in purple, accented with a camouflage cast on her broken wrist, strengthening once again her connection with military families. I do envy the powerful women gathered in the senate chambers, with their wide array of colors and styles, but with my deficient fashion sense, I’d be terrified I’d end up on the worst-dressed list of the night. At least the dark suit/white shirt uniform most of the men chose relieved them of that pressure.

But enough for fashion. I felt sorry for VP Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner – imagine having to sit alongside the president for the whole speech. I’m afraid I’d smirk, burp, or roll my eyes at the most inopportune moment. For a while, it looked like the Speaker of the House was playing the game where you see how long you can last without blinking. He did quite well.

And the message of the night? Oh, yes, that is the point, isn’t it? When we stop being distracted by the fashion police and the endless stream of tweets, we must hear the message. Jobs and unemployment, financial security and the national debt, immigration, health care, the role of government; they were all spelled out for the American people, couched in the political rhetoric of Washington with a Democratic twang.

Here’s my challenge in listening to the State of the Union address. I kept thinking of the scripture verse from II Timothy 4:3 where people will gather to themselves teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. So I – and we – have to ask ourselves: are our ears itching? Can we listen and look for the truth, or do we only want to hear what we want to hear?

What shape is our country really in? It’s the same question we ask about our marriages and families, our churches and communities. How can we tell? Policies and pronouncements can distort reality, but in essence, one truth remains. Regardless of what we think of the rest of his speech, President Obama got this right: “It is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.”

The closing image of Mr. Obama’s speech was a young Army Ranger, horrifically injured in Afghanistan. Here’s how the president likened Cory Remsburg’s tough recovery to our American future: “None of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us . . . with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow, I know it’s within our reach. Believe it.” Yes, we have troubles, but we have hope. Whether in our families, our communities or our country, our “union” is worth fighting for. We can change our tomorrows. Itching ears or not, it’s what I needed to hear on Tuesday night.