To his credit, President Obama said that he did not feel he was worthy to be counted among the glorious company of those who have received the Nobel Prize for Peace. He was, of course, correct. He is not. Nominated for the prize two weeks into his presidency, and having made what some would consider a fair muddle of things since then, it’s difficult to see what Mr. Obama has achieved in his short lifetime to merit this award. So he is to be applauded for his altogether appropriate modesty.
To his great shame, however, Mr. Obama intends to accept the prize. Of course, he will donate the $1.4 million gift to charity, but this is not a matter of money. This is a matter of hubris, arrogance, and an outsized ego that believes, deep in his heart, that he is, in fact, the right choice for this award. Perhaps he reasoned, “Look, if they could give this to Al Gore, they can give it to me.”
I’m not surprised; I am, however, disappointed. The Apostle Paul regarded himself as chief of sinners. Mr. Obama is happy to be considered chief of peace-makers, the worthiest man of his generation for so prestigious an award. Paul said he was the least of all the saints; Mr. Obama considers himself the most eminent of the world’s leaders. Jesus called His followers to humble anonymity; Mr. Obama insists on the big splash whenever he can get it, so why shouldn’t he go to Oslo and be honored in this way?
Again, our Christian president demonstrates that he has strayed a long way from the Gospel of Paul and Jesus. Someone should remind him that pride cometh before the fall.
T. M. Moore
