The Question: How should Barack Obama have responded to inflammatory remarks made by his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright? Are you responsible for what your spiritual leader says from the pulpit?
I am a 75-year-old, white, male, a proud veteran of the Marine Corps., a retired Episcopal clergyman, and I speak as one who loves this country. Oh how I wish the congregation my wife and I attend had a minister like Dr. Wright. For the past 14 years I have been a sermon listener rather than a sermon preacher. Only once in those 14 years have I heard a sermon that was clear enough and strong enough that real disagreement was even possible. I got so excited I made the mistake of expressing my vociferous disagreement at the door of the church rather than waiting for a more opportune occasion.
Has Dr. Wright used language which I consider needlessly inflammatory and divisive? Of course he has. Has he made statements with which I am in strong disagreement? Seemingly he has done so on many occasions. I am also sure that Dr. Wright cares deeply about the people to whom he has ministered and works hard to relate the Christian message to the community and nation.
On April 4, 1967 Dr. Martin Luther King gave a very strong sermon opposing the U. S. policy on the Vietnam War. I had great respect for Dr. King and remember being quite disturbed by some of what he said. Dr. King called this nation “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world” and said we were in the grips of “creating a hell for the poor.” He said American life was characterized by “racism, extreme materialism and militarism.” Dr. King stated we must seek “significant and profound change in American life and policy.” The events of the last five years seem to me to lend great weight to Dr. King’s words.
Dr. King also said that “the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony” and especially in a time of war. Both Dr. Wright and Dr. King have demonstrated the courage to speak, to go on the record for all to hear. Our country would be greatly helped if more of our leaders, political and religious, had the courage to speak from the heart and not for the polls.
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