Barak Obama Wins?
A Look at the Nobel Peace Prize

Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize! Unbelievable. I think that his response to the
award was noble, though. I think that Obama, himself realizes that he wasn't really supposed
to win that award! People's overall reaction to this has, for the most part, been, 'huh'? Quite a historical hiccup there, if you ask me. Or was it?

I think the revealing of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize speaks to where we are on a global scale. In defense of this I say that it appears that this year’s Candidate, President Obama, is not who the world wanted (at least not who America wanted) as the winner of this award.

And to that I inquire, simply, ‘Why?’ What does this national response infer? What does this international response allude to?

I believe that this response corresponds to the reality that there seem to be few who know how to define peace. And even if we knew in our minds how to fully describe this seeming unattainable reality called peace, would we know how to award others for it? Would we truly be content if someone other than the man Obama, “won” it?

The important thing to focus on though, is the emphasis of the award itself, which is an award that awards peacemakers.

What is peace anyway? Is peace something that can be negotiated, as Obama has sought to do in his infant presidency? Is peace something that is tangible and can be delegated? These are important questions which must be considered in this hour.

Surely the world’s view of peace is something that is distorted: distorted by fear, by hate, through misinformation, by prejudiced people, disorder, world chaos, etc.

Peace is something that we all long for, whether rich or poor, black or white, known or unknown. Peace is something that we all seek in our everyday lives. For without peace, where are we but in a cold and confused mess?

Psalm 37:37 says that we should consider the blameless and observe the upright. It goes on to say that there is a future for that man, a future of peace. What a wonderful promise that is.

We all fall short in many ways. Our words and actions don’t always produce the peace we’re longing for. We’re not perfect.

Having said all this, does Obama deserve this award? Many people are saying, adamantly, and with a confused head, ‘hell no!’ Even so, I believe that it is an urgent call to seek out the heart of peace, and to ask ourselves where we as individuals can make peace in our own lives, and sow peace into others.

It has been well said that it’s not so much what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. I believe that Obama’s reaction to this reward was admirable. I believe that he realized that he wasn’t the perfect candidate for the award. But then again, who would be the quintessential candidate for this award? You?