Reflections on a Preacher and a Candidate

Reflections on a Preacher and a Candidate -->
By Pastor Bob Cornwall

As a preacher, I start with the premise that not everyone will agree with what I say from the pulpit. Now, I’ll also admit that you’ll rarely find anything in my sermons that are very radical. I’m a left of center Mainline Protestant pastor with liberal political views (even there I’m not very radical). Indeed, until quite recently I would have considered myself a centrist (and that may still be true). So, it’s unlikely you’ll hear anything like what’s in those infamous Jeremiah Wright sermons.

If you’ve not heard yet, Jeremiah Wright recently retired as pastor of Barack Obama’s church. He married the Obama’s and baptized their children. He has been a spiritual mentor and instilled in Obama an understanding of the social implications of the Gospel. But, that relationship has become fodder for attacks on Barack Obama, precisely because Wright’s sermons have on occasion taken what to whites seem like a radical turn (read my blog post “Why Whites are Shocked”). As a result of this, because of Right Wing attacks and liberal hand wringing, Obama has had to distance himself from his pastor, though to this point not from his church.

If you’ve listened to what Obama has said, he wants to support his pastor and his church, but he also understands that he must separate himself from the statements in question. In large part this is because his candidacy is founded on the premise that he’s a different kind of candidate, one who transcends racial barriers. Yes, he has garnered growing African-American support, but that occurred only after he demonstrated he could win White votes. He is the first candidate of color to move beyond his “base.” He has tried to demonstrate that he’s not simply a “black candidate” like a Jesse Jackson. And to this point he’s been fairly successful. But things are now in a state of flux as he addresses this crisis – one that isn’t really new but only has hit critical mass.

Now, as a white Christian, I must admit that I find some of what is in Wright’s sermons off-putting – especially the conspiracy theory elements — but I have tried to hear them in their context. I also understand that Obama’s context is different from his pastor’s. Jeremiah Wright came of age in the 1960s. He took his theological training from James Cone, one of the pre-eminent proponents of Black Liberation Theology. Obama grew up in a white household in the 70s and early 80s.

Jeremiah Wright’s role in the Obama campaign – unofficial as it was – reminds us why religion and politics often relate to each other like oil and water. At this point Obama’s political needs have clashed uncomfortably with his religious foundations. Of course, if there is a silver lining here, it is that this could clear up the rumor that Obama is secretly a Muslim who’s going to impose Sharia if he’s elected.
Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about Trinity UCC and Jeremiah Wright from a less politicized perspective than what you’ll find in the general media, check out this piece by Jason Byassee from the May 29, 2007 issue of the Christian Century.

Cross-published at Faithfully Liberal

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