The Very Reverend Wright and Me

It seems that The Very Left Right Reverend ‘Left’ Wright and I have finally seen eye-to-eye and tooth-for-tooth about some things. They are not at all political and certainly do not concern matters of faith. Although I never sat at the feet of this master of spiritual truth I have surmised from pieces of his ‘sermons,’ published interviews and journalistic research that we have agreed on very little, if anything. But one thing is new under the sun: In recent days The Rev and I have met and momentarily embraced in the middle of the Jordan. He is mouthing off about how Candidate Obama ‘threw him under the bus’ following the exposure of The Rev’s harsh, vulgar and racist remarks from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Once his ugly hate speech – in the guise of preaching – was exposed to the citizens of the good old USA the Obama machine quickly advised their man to leave the building and connive some explanation for why he had been attending that church for 20 years. I recall the shallowness of his reasons; it was appalling to hear the spin and deceit, already knowing that he was going to be our next president. For me this was a foundational moment ushering in The Obama Era: how can a man worship at a church for 20 years and suddenly, for political purposes, deny that he was ever spiritually or emotionally invested in the process. On every level this was hollow, empty and vacuous and, may I add, antithetical to the Gospel of Christ: it is the archetype of the lukewarm believer – you know, the ones who shall be rejected for not taking a stand.

But it has become clear to me that the American body politic votes for individuals who cannot or will not take a stand. I mean, hell – after this and many other obfuscated speeches, actions and ‘policies’ he won the election and is now POTUS. And the magic show continues – day after day – with confusing edicts on the economy, strange approaches to foreign policy, hollow attacks on Wall Street and a simple health care solution that no one understands.

So Reverend Wright – for this one moment I want to be perfectly clear and not lukewarm: We have nothing at all in common but I am on your side on the issue of being abandoned by a former parishioner and friend. I can imagine the sense of hurt and anger you must feel. No, I cannot imagine it – I live it.