We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief

The words of Barbara Jordan—“We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed. We believe that.”—are not the idle musings of a politician, but the solemn vow of a prophetess of democracy. They echo with the voice of one who loved her country enough to see its flaws, yet believed deeply in its redemption. Jordan reminds us that nations, like men, are judged not only by their ideals but by how closely they live up to them. America’s creed proclaims liberty and justice for all, but the gap between promise and reality has often been wide. Still, Jordan’s words call us not to despair, but to hope and labor for the day when that gap will be closed.

The ancients understood the power of vision. A city is not built by bricks alone, but by a dream of what it could be. The Hebrews carried the vision of a promised land even in the wilderness. The Greeks dreamed of justice through their democracy, though it was flawed. Rome envisioned a republic where laws, not men, ruled, even as power corrupted it. Jordan’s positive vision of the future belongs to this lineage of dreams—not blind to failure, but determined to turn ideals into flesh. She proclaims that a nation must live not in cynicism, but in aspiration.

History offers us shining examples of such belief. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who during the Civil War declared that America was founded on a proposition—that all men are created equal—and that the nation must undergo a “new birth of freedom” to make it true. The promise was already in the founding documents, but the reality was stained by slavery. Lincoln’s struggle, like Jordan’s words, reminds us that reform and renewal are the work of generations. The promise calls us higher, the reality drags us down, but vision lifts us to close the distance.

Jordan’s insistence—“We believe that”—is as important as the vision itself. For without belief, no bridge can be built. Cynicism paralyzes, despair corrodes, but belief empowers people to labor through disappointment. The abolitionists believed in freedom when it seemed impossible. The suffragists believed in equality when society mocked them. The civil rights movement believed in justice when segregation ruled. Belief is not naïve—it is the fuel that keeps men and women pressing forward when evidence tells them to stop.

Her words also recognize that the task is unfinished. The promise of America—equal opportunity, justice, dignity for all—still clashes with the reality of inequality and division. But Jordan does not abandon the dream; she transforms it into a charge. Her vision is not passive, waiting for time to heal wounds. It is active, calling each citizen to labor in the vineyard of democracy, to push the reality closer to the promise. Such faith is both a burden and a gift, for it demands action but also offers hope.

The lesson for us is clear: do not be content with the gap between ideals and practice—whether in your nation, your community, or your own soul. Hold fast to the positive vision, and work to make it real. Speak for justice when silence would be easier. Strive for fairness when compromise tempts you. Believe, even when belief is costly, for without belief no great transformation has ever been won.

So, dear listener, carry Barbara Jordan’s words as both inspiration and commandment. Do not yield to cynicism; do not abandon the dream. Remember that the greatness of any people is measured not by the perfection of their present, but by their willingness to fight for a future worthy of their highest ideals. Stand tall, lift your voice, and believe that the gap between promise and reality can indeed be closed. For belief, when joined to action, is the seed from which justice, freedom, and hope are born.