From My Perspective - - -
The awarding of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner was announced this past week. The Prize was instituted and named for Alfred Bernard Nobel 1833–96, Swedish engineer, manufacturer, and philanthropist. He was the Swedish chemist and engineer who invented dynamite (1866). The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Bernard Nobel wrote his last will, and bequeathed most of his fortune to institute and establish the Nobel Prizes. Since 1901, the intention of the prize was to honor men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, for work in peace and economics.
In its announcement and citation, the following was stated: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. President Obama has created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to his initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened. Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as President Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population. For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which President Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that - Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
On another hand, The American Heritage Dictionary defines Noble as: “Possessing hereditary rank in a political system or social class derived from a feudalistic stage of a country's development. Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor: a noble spirit. Proceeding from or indicative of such a character; showing magnanimity…” Interestingly, a news article in the New York Times, written by Raymond Hernandez and Christopher Drew - Published: December 20, 2007 the following was stated: “In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature — to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate. In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted “present” - effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator. The record has become an issue on the presidential campaign trail, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, has seized on the “present” votes he cast on a series of anti-abortion bills to portray Mr. Obama as a “talker” rather than a “doer.” Mr. Obama’s use of “present” is being raised as he tries to distinguish himself as a leader who will take on the tough issues, even if it means telling people the “hard truths” they do not want to hear.” Perhaps this issue of being a “talker” rather than a “doer” is what the Nobel Prize Committee is honoring – but it haunts him still with his current values and decisions (or indecisions).
We need to be careful in our lives so we don’t fall into the same snare – “talking” rather than “doing”! There are several Biblical guidelines – one of them summarizes most of them – James 4:17, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it - sins.” The Message Translation states: “In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that…is evil.” Talk is cheap (unless you’re in Congress voting on spending bills) whereas significant and practical action are of considerable value. Consider these things with me!
The awarding of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner was announced this past week. The Prize was instituted and named for Alfred Bernard Nobel 1833–96, Swedish engineer, manufacturer, and philanthropist. He was the Swedish chemist and engineer who invented dynamite (1866). The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Bernard Nobel wrote his last will, and bequeathed most of his fortune to institute and establish the Nobel Prizes. Since 1901, the intention of the prize was to honor men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, for work in peace and economics.
In its announcement and citation, the following was stated: “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. President Obama has created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to his initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened. Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as President Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population. For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which President Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that - Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
On another hand, The American Heritage Dictionary defines Noble as: “Possessing hereditary rank in a political system or social class derived from a feudalistic stage of a country's development. Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor: a noble spirit. Proceeding from or indicative of such a character; showing magnanimity…” Interestingly, a news article in the New York Times, written by Raymond Hernandez and Christopher Drew - Published: December 20, 2007 the following was stated: “In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature — to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate. In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted “present” - effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator. The record has become an issue on the presidential campaign trail, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, has seized on the “present” votes he cast on a series of anti-abortion bills to portray Mr. Obama as a “talker” rather than a “doer.” Mr. Obama’s use of “present” is being raised as he tries to distinguish himself as a leader who will take on the tough issues, even if it means telling people the “hard truths” they do not want to hear.” Perhaps this issue of being a “talker” rather than a “doer” is what the Nobel Prize Committee is honoring – but it haunts him still with his current values and decisions (or indecisions).
We need to be careful in our lives so we don’t fall into the same snare – “talking” rather than “doing”! There are several Biblical guidelines – one of them summarizes most of them – James 4:17, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it - sins.” The Message Translation states: “In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that…is evil.” Talk is cheap (unless you’re in Congress voting on spending bills) whereas significant and practical action are of considerable value. Consider these things with me!
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