President-elect Bush called upon U.S. citizens to pray for him, his family, Vice President Gore and his family in his acceptance speech before the nation. Americans, whether or not they actually pray, understand and warm to such a request.

However, not all the world's citizens think the same way.

An Indian columnist wrote that liberals and leftists in India would not want to be seen or thought of as praying themselves, much less asking others to pray for them. "They would die of shame if they ever admitted to praying."

The columnist continues, "For many in India, modernism is negation of religion and God. So, anyone who turns to God or to religion is treated as an evolutionary vestige."

This is a small, but realistic demonstration of the challenges in communicating to the world community.

Speaking to diverse beliefs and interests within the United States in a way that all are comfortable with and responsive to, is a profound challenge for the president-elect. However, he speaks to a much broader constituency, as the leader of the world's most powerful nation. The challenges are proportionately multiplied.

Source: "The Hour of Compassionate Conservatism," by Parsa Venkateshwar, Tehelka.com, December 14, 2000.