After my last post about Obama leaving his Chicago church Trinity U.C.C., I came across a really good editorial in The Huntsville Times by Kay Campbell that comes very close to expressing what I feel about the controvery surrounding Jeremiah Wright, Trinity and Barack Obama. Here's a taste of it:
In this day of ideological litmus tests, we have lost sight of what Aristotle pointed to as one mark of the educated person: To be able to consider another viewpoint without accepting it and without construing mere listening as approval. If we talk only to people we agree with, we're missing at least half of the story.
Could it be that this scrutiny of Obama's influences springs from the anxiety white people have that black people will remember how awful we've been to them and start treating us the way we've treated them? Both McCain and Clinton have been linked to ministers and ministries as outrageous as Wright and Pfleger. Why are Obama's links being obsessed over and theirs barely mentioned?
It seems that the fear coursing behind reaction to Rev. Wright has not much to do with politics, or even theology, and everything to do with the living pain still surrounding race in our land.
We too often forget: Christians are required to forgive even heinous acts. Black Christians, for all the anger and pain left, as Bishop Desmond Tutu said recently, "in the tummy," are, for the most part, a heroic example of forgiveness in action. Most of them leave judgment to God.
Grace and Peace,
Chase
Reflections on faith, life, love, politics, culture and whatever else crosses the mind of a progressive minister
No comments:
Post a Comment