The one thing that is clear to me about the issue of Jeremiah Wright is that it is far too complex for our media to accurately capture. But one other thing is clear: as much as one can argue that his words were taken out of context before, his speeches to the NAACP and National Press Club contained extremely troubling statements, in context. And Obama was right to forcefully renounce those views today.
It is clear that Wright’s assertion that AIDS was created by the U.S. government is paranoid.
It is clear that his support of Farrakhan is troubling and his implication that white people are his enemy by placing his ancestors in chains appears on its face to be opposed to the teachings of the Christ he follows.
It is clear that he simplistically morally equates U.S. and Israeli military action with terrorism.
And yet to dismiss what he says completely without listening and engaging with it is to miss an opportunity. Why does Reverend Wright believe the things he does? What has he seen in his life which has formed his opinions? And are there nuggets of truth in his message from which we can learn?
Regardless of what happens to Barack Obama’s candidacy, our country needs to deal with its racial demons. What we need is not the vilification of people who say things which are wrong or which make us uncomfortable, but true racial reconciliation. Messy, angry, forgiving, racial reconciliation. White folks are going to need to hear what the Jeremiah Wrights have to say and black folks are going to need to understand the fears (rational or irrational) which continue to drive white racism, without condemning each other. And every other ethnic group will need to join in right along with them in this conversation. We’re going to need to listen much more than we speak, and forgive much more than we condemn.
Like with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this incident is a teachable moment for our country. If we miss the opportunity, like with our failure to address issues of poverty and race after Katrina, we will continue to slog through the uneasy racial peace which defines our country today. But if we grasp it, we have a chance to start to build the beloved community that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to so many years ago.
I pray that it will be the latter, but unfortunately my cynicism leads me to believe it will be the former.
Last night, Jeremiah Wright, the supposedly “racist,” “anti-American” pastor of Barack Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ, was interviewed by Bill Moyers on PBS.
Watch the interview. Please.
If you expected a loon, a radical leftist hate-America-firster, you will be sorely disappointed if you watch the videos.
Instead, what I saw was a man who is deeply committed to Christ and building his kingdom here on earth. A man who loves his congregation and longs to see the African American community emerge from the legacy of slavery and oppression. And a man who was quoted OUT OF CONTEXT and then vilified by the entire mainstream media apparatus.
Two examples:
The media and the right-wing noise machine have claimed that Wright was blaming the United States for the attacks on 9/11 when he stated that “the chickens have come home to roost.”
But if you watch the sermon on context, what he was saying instead was the same as what Jesus said. “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.” Violence begets violence, not peace. And so, as a nation which has engaged in numerous wars in its history, it is only logical that one day war would find itself back in our nation.
Rather than the media narrative that Wright was saying America deserved 9/11, instead he was simply helping people understand why wars happen in the first place.
The second, and more widely mentioned of his two remarks, was the sermon where he stated “not God bless America, God damn America.” However, this sermon too was quoted out of context.
And here this the context: God in the old testament blesses those who do good and curses those who do evil. And it is clear that God would NOT bless the litany of wrongs our nation has committed in the past: stealing the land of native American people, slavery, Jim Crow, and so forth.
Wright was NOT saying that HE damns America or that even God damns America in general, but like when Israel disobeyed the lord and oppressed its poor, he DOES damn the evil actions of its past.
And so should we all.
The bottom line here is that like with Al Gore’s supposed claim to have “invented the internet” (which he never made), and Howard Dean’s supposed crazy scream (which in the context of a VERY noisy room wasn’t so crazy at all), the media and its right-wing echo chamber have chosen to take soundbites out of context to try to destroy the political fortunes of one man (Barack Obama) and vilify a man whose love for Christ comes through loud and clear when you actually listen to what he is saying.
I have supported Barack Obama since early in the primary season, and hearing the words of his pastor only strengthens that support in my mind. It’s time for me to write a letter of encouragement to Rev. Wright and to give some money to Barack Obama. We can’t let these thugs in the right-wing noise machine lie their way to the destruction of another good candidate. It’s time to stand up to them.
For the sake of our country AND the sake of our church.
Wow, has it really been six months since I’ve posted here?
During those six months, I’ve spent a lot of time re-evaluating my faith (for the better), re-evaluating my political engagement (I would also say for the better), and enjoying my wife and three kids. But at least for today, I’ve got something to say, so I’m back.
At least for today.
