Yesterday, the world halted as President Barack Obama took the oath of office on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible. Millions of people, including some Shelby County citizens, gathered in Washington, D.C. to witness the birth of a new era in history. It’s likely that billions more watched on TV or on the Internet. For a few hours, the world revolved around one man.

Those Shelby Countians that were at the Inauguration will bring back a sense of hope and human connection. Some students and teachers from Vincent High School made the trip, and we can’t wait to hear their description of the day.

However, we’re now on Day 2 of the Obama presidency, and the expectations likely have never been higher for any president, except maybe George Washington or FDR.

While Obama can still be a polarizing figure (47 percent of the county did vote against him, after all), he’s still extremely popular. For now. But things won’t always go his way, or our way. The Obama bandwagon has ballooned to historic proportions, but at some point, something’s going to go wrong and people will start jumping off and pointing fingers. Let’s not this time.

This is so far beyond a Republican or Democrat or even a political issue. This has become America’s shot at returning to the country’s position as a world leader. We need Barack Obama to succeed, so pray for him and his administration. It’s time to show the world the best of us.