It was the Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery whose speech struck a chord that every American can identify with. He described the path our nation must take -- one of inclusiveness and love, and he delivered it with character and heartfelt humor. This is the man who should have delivered the invocation. A man whose religious roots are familiar for conservative Americans and whose open love and willingness to fight for the rights of every minority is strongly understood by the most liberal members of this nation. He is a man who stands for cohesion of our country at a time when we need it most. It is possible to appeal to both left and right, to compromise without compromising integrity and to reach out to the other side of the debate without sacrificing your own position. Below, Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery’s benediction and some of my favorite quotes from it. Feel free to offer your comments and favorite lines in the comments.

“to turn to each other and not on each other … help us to make choices on the side of love not hate, on the side of inclusion not exclusion, tolerance not intolerance.”

“say amen, say amen, and amen”