Reverend Jeremiah Wright Speaks to the National Press Club About America and Barack Obama

Rev. Jeremiah Wright may have been Barack Obama's pastor for 20 years, but he himself disavowed any role as "spiritual mentor" to Obama in his National Press Club appearance today, mocking such a relationship as "voodoo."

From the outset, he spoke of the intellect, and argued with reason rather than spiritual passion (volume, of course, does not equal passion). Having grown up in the same denomination (United Church of Christ) in the Northeast, I saw the changes as those who fought the battles of the sixties turned intellectual and academic, and I left as the denomination began to tilt towards a church of the intellect rather than the spirit, rewriting doctrine and theology to suit their needs.

I saw a similar clinging to the battles of the past in Reverend Wright, and a similar love of rhetorical devices to prove correctness. As many Christians can tell you, though, a good pastor may have serious flaws, and still have a lot to offer his congregation.

Barack Obama, like the members of the Harvard and MIT community at my church, may very well relate to the intellectual message that seems to be a big part of Rev. Wright's sermons. That may be very reassuring to the public which might be concerned about blind obedience in matters of faith, much as occurred during Catholic John F. Kennedy's candidacy.

Reverend Wright did not back down from statements perceived as condemning America, but rather displaced the issue onto a generalized "government," rather than the American people. Most questions had either an answer that redefined the question to a safe area (such as his relationship with Louis Farrakhan redirected to a single twenty year old quote), or a very simple response: "they didn't hear my whole sermon, so they don't know what they're talking about."

My impression of Barack Obama has been of a man much more advanced than his minister. It's entirely possible that his choice of church was also a social one, as it is for many Americans, and not because of the senior minister's rhetoric. It is possible, also, that he also has a tendency to rationalize his views rather than bring them forward from the heart.

Reverend Wright spoke of black theology and liberation theology, and referred to himself indirectly as enslaved and in chains. His personal battle continues, and I believe that Barack Obama may not share that battle having not shared a similar history, so their relationship may be more distant than most believe. Barack Obama stepped boldly forth to lead a country which has never had a Black president (Maya Angelou's comments about Bill Clinton notwithstanding), while Rev. Wright still waits and demands apologies for slavery from the government that Obama seeks to lead.

From repeated indignant mentions of his comments that were edited out of Bill Maher's show to continued claims from the negative side of liberation theology that outsiders can never know a group's experience, Reverend Wright appears to be another voice from the struggles of the 60's whose identity and strategy are still based in that time, but who have evolved to authority figures and academics in later years. We have a lot to learn from these historical figures, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for taking on momentous challenges during a turbulent time.

What I have heard of Barack Obama, though, suggests that he knows that he's in the 21^st century, and that he sees that for him it is time to move beyond the eternal fight, time to step up and lead the country. Perhaps if the pressures of the press didn't cause him to shy away he would credit Jeremiah Wright for the great deal of insight that he has to offer, but when he was here in Denver Barack Obama spoke of the strength in coming together, while Reverend Wright appears to put his energy into the tragic divisions in our country. I believe Senator Obama needs to continue to address the roots of those divisions, but that his focus on a future of unity and strength is his own greatest strength.

"Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club Pt. 1", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lV8x_-Uk2c (and following)"Trinity United Church of Christ", http://www.tucc.org/home.htm