There’s a desperate need to re-engage Americans in the work of our communities – the work of our country. The first step is not to launch into yet another new program, but rather to pry open space for people to see and hear themselves again. This is at the heart of our nation’s challenge today. The perfect leader for this discussion is President Obama.

My house still smells from ashes. Out of the blue last week I got a call that the house next door was engulfed in flames and that my home would be next. At the time, my family and I were in Upstate New York and could do little but wait. But what would constitute good news in this kind of situation? What does one hope for, or even expect? Here’s what I’m thinking about today.

In recent days, many people have urged me to write about the acrimonious and divisive public discourse that has gripped the nation around health care. But each time someone has made this request, I found that they themselves would engage in some form of incivility. The question is: Where are we right now, and where do we want to go?

Today, on the front page of The New York Times, is a must-read story about a 77 year-old nun who is demonstrating that big-time college sports can work. Sister Rose Ann Fleming is the academic advisor for Xavier University athletics, where all 77 senior basketball players have graduated since she came to Xavier. That’s remarkable in age when too many people are willing to dumb-down expectations for jocks.

I know people have said the health care summit came and went with scant notice – that it was either a naïve or cynical political move. But we should look again. There’s genuine potential in holding a series of summits that the Obama Administration should seize. It would be good politics; even more, a real contribution for the country. Before you dismiss me out of hand, please read on.

Just to the north of us sits a grand and vast nation that just hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics with grace and aplomb. As I watched the Olympics unfold, I was reminded of what it means to have a neighbor you respect, even adore. And I was reminded of the beauty of patriotism that comes in the form of humble devotion.

Lots of people are saying the televised health care summit on Thursday will be all show and no substance. While the meeting itself may produce little, the nation is at a critical inflection point. There’s a way out of the current gridlock and acrimony, but it will take real courage and humility by President Obama and congressional leaders to make progress. Here’s how to start.