A Kumbaya Moment?

 

 

"Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya..."

 

Gullah (Creole) Spiritual Song from the 1930's

Those who have camped, especially at a YMCA camp, are familiar with the word Kumbaya. Many however, are not. The word has been added to our lexicon in the strangest of ways. A word which started out as a type of a modern day hymn has morphed into a word which (I guess) means "get along".

I heard one of the news pundits refer to the "breakthrough" in Iranian nuclear talks as being a Kumbaya moment. You know, where everyone stops bickering. Where everyone hugs, kisses and high fives each other. Where everyone achieves...well, Nirvana. Everyone that is, except the nation which has the big fat target on its back - Israel.

I found it both amusing and bemusing that immediately following the "handshake" and presser, the Iranians were blasting our Administration for getting the facts of the deal wrong. I have been involved in many major negotiations. A "best practice" of any negotiation is once there is a "handshake", the salient points are enumerated on paper. Both parties go over those points with a fine tooth comb to ensure everything was covered. Once every head is going north and south, both parties sign the memo. That becomes the genesis document for the structure of the formal agreement to be bi-laterally signed at a later date. 

It seems we were in such a fired up hurry to get something agreed to before this artificial deadline expired, we forgot a few steps. Like agreement on what we agreed upon. Oh yes - during the presser, the President also forgot to tell the American people what we get out of this deal. We know what the Iranians get - everything. And Israel. What does Israel get? One step closer to Armageddon.

There is so much more to this story we do not know. When Bibi addressed the Congress, he went over what he knew of the proposal in great detail. A deal resulting from the proposal the United States had on the table would be a bad deal for the Middle East as well as Israel itself. No Kumbaya moment there. In addition, before the "handshake", did anyone consult with our number one ally (Israel) in that troubled neighborhood? Again, no Kumbaya moment.

Perhaps the negotiation would have ended better it we did have a true Kumbaya moment with the Iranians. Make a campfire, hold hands, and sing the song as it was intended to be sung.

Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya.

Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya.

Someone is laughing my Lord, Kumbaya

Someone is crying my Lord, Kumbaya 

Someone is praying my Lord, Kumbaya

Someone is singing my Lord, Kumbaya 

 

One final point which is of high importance. Kumbaya translated into English means "come by here." Amen to that my Lord, amen to that.