So Obama fired the General. In meetings since the news of the Rolling Stone article started emerging, Obama in a stern manner commanded his staff, the military personnel and the whole country to put aside “pettiness,… personalities or reputation…” Almost sound biblical. However, what I found lost in all of this is the unanswered question about the war: What in God’s name are we fighting this war for? What is fighting? What is war? Where is the victory? What do we hope to accomplish? Comforting to have General Petraeus in charge, however, does this not feel like déjà vu all over again? I keep hoping to hear of bigger changes and one big change would be to stop the General and stop the war…

One of the things I like about the Episcopal Church is that we pray for the President every single day. With slipping approval ratings (some would say tanking); the President, like all Presidents, needs our prayers. He has a plateful. However, I guess, being a president is like being a bishop: you better know what you are getting into. (I would have no desire to do either, well I could never be president anyhow, and bishop… good lord, I am serious; I do not have that vocation…) I cannot help but think how hard it must be to be president in the technological. I see the president having to look stern, contrite, happy, relaxed, presidential, priestly, upbeat – looking at him in the words of T. S. Eliot “preparing a face to meet the faces that he meets” makes me want to go fetal… God bless America and God don’t forget the President…

And the oil keeps gushing
And the bridge keeps burning
And people keep losing
And people are birthing
And people are dying
And the music keeps playing
And the soldiers keep fighting
And you?