Cometh the hour, cometh the man

(Photo by Alex Brandon courtesy of AP )

If ever the above were true not only the USA, but the world, needs that man. Whether Barack Obama proves to be that man only time will tell, but there is certainly a collective hopefulness that he will prove to be a great President; that he will not only meet and deal with the economic crisis, but also be a world leader to be proud of. Looking at the TV pictures from DC, all over the US, and also from around the world, it is obvious that there is a palpable sense of occasion, of something special happening. The African-American population, rightly, sees his inauguration as historic, but shut your eyes and listen to the speeches and there is a message there for every man, woman and child in this country, and beyond.

He, undoubtedly, has a heavy burden to carry and to have so much hope heaped onto the shoulders of one man is an awesome responsibility. Watching a review of his life on TV last night, and seeing his meteoric rise from community activist to a world leader one can only feel that there is something extraordinary in the man. Jorg and I have also been struck by his ability to take time out (from what must be long hours preparing for office) to do "ordinary" things - like helping at a shelter for teens the day before his inauguration, or writing an open letter to his daughters for Parade magazine.

It does seem that crises bring out the persons with the capabilities to overcome them - Lincoln, Roosevelt, Churchill. But of course those same crises were failures for the men who preceded them - Buchanan, Hoover, Chamberlain. We can only hope that Barack Obama goes down as one of the greats, because these times demand nothing less. On a personal note, I am proud to be living in a country that has elected President Obama as its head of state, and it has spurred me to apply for US citizenship. The final step in my US journey, and one that I have agonized over since becoming a permanent resident.

(Photo by Alex Brandon courtesy of AP)

The origin of the quotation is not really known, but some notable variations and one actual use are as follows:

John 4:23 has ‘But the hour cometh, and now is'.

William Yancey, said about Jefferson Davis, President-elect of the Confederacy in 1861: 'The man and the hour have met'.

It was notably used (about himself) by Cliff Gladwin, the Derbyshire and England cricketer, during the first Test Match against South Africa at Durban (20 December 1948). England were 117 for 8 requiring 128 to win, when Gladwin walked out to bat, remarking to Dudley Nourse, the South Africa captain, as he did so: ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man!’ The last ball of the match hit Gladwin on the thigh and he and Alec Bedser ran a leg-bye to win the match for England.