(Cross-posted here.)

Last week, as Barack Obama drew closer to last night's satisfying outcome, The Wall Street Journal's Jordana Horn (my dear friend and former college editor, actually) offered a perspective on the Senator that opened my eyes - a perspective that, as it turns out, was sorely needed.

She introduces us to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a theologian and civic leader whose record of civil rights activism was something I'd never learned about. From marching with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery (above) to speaking out against the Vietnam conflict, Rabbi Heschel drew great inspiration from the writings of biblical prophets in forming his own ideas about justice.

What does that have to do with Barack Obama?

Those following the campaign have undoubtedly seen Obama deified in various ways - even likened to the Messiah. Some have taken such comparisons to ridiculous extremes.

In a lot of ways, it's Obama's own fault. He arrived in the American consciousness at a time in which this country was already searching for a savior, someone to guide America out of the morass of George W. Bush's myriad sins back into the light. The nation met him in 2004, then just a state senator recently elected to the U.S. Senate. Inconveniently timed, perhaps, to save us, but thank God he was here!

Deep down, we knew John Kerry wouldn't save us from Bush. Even if Kerry had been elected, many believed (as did I) that he'd be tarred with the Republican mistakes of the previous years, chief among them the war in Iraq. But wait...look over there at the freshman senator from Illinois! Was he hinting at a presidential run? Could it actually be possible that a man who'd just been planted in Washington could grow roots at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.? A Black man...in the White House?

But how would he get there? He'd have to speak truth to power, no doubt. That brings me back to the late Rabbi Heschel. The prophets that shaped his outlook on human justice weren't polite. Their words were meant to agitate the complacent out of their haze. (Think Jesus Christ made change by coddling folks?) In his work "The Prophets", Rabbi Heschel wrote:

"Above all, the prophets remind us of the moral state of a people. Few are guilty, but all are responsible."

In a way, that second sentence could be considered a part of Democratic Party dogma. Despite its many faults, no party has been as clear about Americans' communal responsibilties as the Democrats. Senator Obama and his groundbreaking campaign have embraced the collective in ways never before seen or imagined in American presidential politics, and as such, a hallmark of his stump speeches (particularly concerning education) have emphasized the responsibilities of the many to care for the few, for communities to take charge of making change for themselves. And as evidenced by his nomination, many of us have been captured by his message and incorporated more than can be reasonable into how we see him. Add in amazing gifts for writing and oratory, plus a hint of a preacher's cadence...and you end up with this.

The question is simple: is Barack Obama a prophet? The answer: not so simple.

Rabbi Heschel defined "the main task of prophetic thinking" as "bring[ing] the world into divine focus." Couple that with the political evils that are often deemed necessary, and I'm not sure any politician can clear that bar. Senator Obama nears it in his own way, but to give him the charge of imparting the divine in any fashion seems outside the job description - even for a President of the United States.

That said, his courage in speaking truth to power - and to us - has been remarkable. This is a man who marched into Detroit and proclaimed that the automotive industry needed to change its ways to help save the planet. A man who tells Cuban-Americans that he'll talk to Raul Castro. But in doing so, he's not being prophetic, per se. He's being prudent.

As the article details, there can be a danger to using prophetic language too much. Obama knows this too well - our pundits call it "lacking specifics". In fact, Obama truly found his voice in this race when he didn't use it, listening instead to thousands of Americans, meeting them face to face, reassuring them that he had their concerns at heart and real strategies to address them. A prophet in politics takes the risk of making the path harder for him or herself. In demonstrating his ability to, as one professor put it, engage in the back and forth of rational justification, Obama shed any hope of being a prophet - and became something even more useful in the process. He became presidential.

The way that some on the other side of the aisle would have you believe it, you need a direct line to Heaven in order to be an effective head of state. Though his personal faith seems to be strong, Barack Obama isn't running for the job of Chief Prophet. He is applying for a position that requires him share whatever "prophetic spirit" he has with a pragmatic mindset that can address problems Americans are struggling with back here on Earth. While passionate oratory that moves grown men to tears is useful in capturing the hearts of Americans, Barack Obama seems to have discovered that much more is required to capture their heads.

Rabbi Heschel may not, as Jordana wrote, sought to have us depend too much on politics. But I believe he also would have hoped we avoid leaning too much on prophecy, too.