I've been a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama since 2004, not because of his skin color but because he happens to be a political leader with rare God-given transformative skills and gifts. This is unprecedented, and politics is the last place we look for anything having to do with the latter.

What much of the media and public have yet to grasp is the spiritual realization that something far bigger than politics is happening here. This is a leader with depth of consciousness which is more suitable to the security and success of America than any traditional leadership and war machine.

Of course, we have issues, and we would all be in heaven if we didn't. But there is a truth we desperately need to understand: there are no solutions to problems that exist outside ourselves because solutions to human dramas are always spiritual in nature.

It is also a fact that there is really no one to blame for our dramas because each of us are conspirators to some degree or another. Moreover, you won't hear or read about this insight in the news because it's not considered "politically correct," but in your hearts it will ring true.

Someone once said, "what is in the way is the way." In other words, what good is it to reform health care, taxes, the economy, foreign policies, etc., if the same old fear-based, egoistic, us vs. them mentality continue to operate? All we are doing is re-creating the same destructive patterns in different forms and mislabeling it "progress."

Vietnam was called "a terrible mistake," but lack of attention to this "mistake" led to the "quagmire" in Iraq. It is not only a myth, but an extremely destructive belief that experience or action alone is more important than right-mindedness. Only the opposite is true and good.

Many of us don't realize it yet, but humanity has reached a crossroads in its evolution. The old way of thinking and being in the world no longer works. In fact, it has reached a point of being intolerable in human interactions and the realm of nature. The increasing violent weather is simply a reflection of what's been going on in human consciousness for thousands of years.

People are growing tired of political and religious dogmas and ideologies because they don't touch their deeper spiritual needs. The false respect for the trappings and illusions of materialism and worldly power is dissolving.

As we recently heard in the unprecedented speech given by Sen. Obama, we are being compelled by forces greater than us to open ourselves to the shame, guilt and horror created by racism. This disease along with any darkness must be brought to the light before it can be resolved. Otherwise, it remains in the way of real progress.

The list of issues that are in the way that our egos vehemently keep secret are endless. And yet, paradoxically, through them lies our salvation. Now, for the first time in the history of our species, we are faced with a life or death choice: Evolve to a higher level or die from our fearful identification with our egos. Ancient wisdom teachers have tried to infuse us with this truth for more than 2,000 years, but we didn't listen because our egos convinced us it was neither real nor imperative to do so.

The only potential saving grace I see in this very critical situation is when enough of humanity gets so sick and tired of this vicious cycle that they open their hearts and ask for a better way. In a phrase, WAKE UP!

Some people are already awake, possibly due to extreme suffering and loss. Others wake up after realizing they have a short time to live. There are still others who are old souls and are here to teach others this truth.

But we can all start the process simply by not abdicating our citizen responsibilities. We can demand to be provided with clear and unbiased information instead of what we usually get: distorted and propagandized news, or political leaders who talk to us as though we are children.

More importantly, each of us must be willing to look honestly about what's truly going on within our minds and emotions, and figure out how this is reflected in the outside world.

We need to recognize the signs born out by history, that when people get too stressed or too greedy something has to give and somebody has to pay. If we are not responsible citizens with conscience, we have no right to blame a powerful few for stealing America since it is us who is giving her away.

Let me remind you that Adolf Hitler was democratically elected. This bespeaks not only of Hitler's dark agenda, but the failure of the German people to exercise good citizenship and conscience as well.

We are in the process of birthing a new consciousness and politics is a big part of this. We can choose to remain in the old consciousness and continue to pay the price, or, obey the calling of the Universe to become the love we were created to be. If the latter is chosen, fear-mongering, complaining, faultfinding, reactivity and "us vs. them" must come to an end.

However, I am hopeful that each generation of Americans seems to intuitively recognize more of the insanity in question. They desperately need more wise and caring leadership and guidance from our older generations in order to make a real difference.

"A Course in Miracles" sums it up succinctly: "We cannot change the world, we can only change our perceptions of the world." The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Harold L. Lott is a writer and teacher of spirituality who lives in Gainesville. First published March 30, 2008.