This past week Senator Barak Obama has been distancing himself from his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Rev. Wright has received a good bit of attention during the presidential campaign because of his mentoring influence upon Obama.
However, in the past week the attention became unwanted as old video footage was broadcast of Rev. Wright preaching in the week following the tragic events of 9-11. With pretty heated rhetoric Wright made a number of controversial remarks that are considered racist. Obama has completely denounced the remarks and declared that they in no way represent his views. This of course raises the question, “How can the Rev. be your mentor, preside over your marriage, baptize your children and advise your campaign and yet have provocative views that you both are surprised at and repudiate?”
To answer that question we turn to Rosa Brooks of the LA Times. Appearing on the final episode of the now cancelled Tucker Carlson show on MSNBC, Brooks answers the above question by saying Obama was “probably sitting in church and not listening. I can tell you…people go to church and don’t listen.”
Ouch.
As one who spends hours every week in prayer, research and writing messages such words kill me. Though I think Brooks’ “explanation” on behalf of Obama is lame I had to laugh and cringe at the same time. I was literally studying for this week’s message when I took a break for a few minutes to scan some stories online.
Oh well. I’ll turn back to my study with the persevering conviction that God has something He wants to say to those who gather to worship Him Sunday morning and that it is His intent to bring that talk through me.
However, in the past week the attention became unwanted as old video footage was broadcast of Rev. Wright preaching in the week following the tragic events of 9-11. With pretty heated rhetoric Wright made a number of controversial remarks that are considered racist. Obama has completely denounced the remarks and declared that they in no way represent his views. This of course raises the question, “How can the Rev. be your mentor, preside over your marriage, baptize your children and advise your campaign and yet have provocative views that you both are surprised at and repudiate?”
To answer that question we turn to Rosa Brooks of the LA Times. Appearing on the final episode of the now cancelled Tucker Carlson show on MSNBC, Brooks answers the above question by saying Obama was “probably sitting in church and not listening. I can tell you…people go to church and don’t listen.”
Ouch.
As one who spends hours every week in prayer, research and writing messages such words kill me. Though I think Brooks’ “explanation” on behalf of Obama is lame I had to laugh and cringe at the same time. I was literally studying for this week’s message when I took a break for a few minutes to scan some stories online.
Oh well. I’ll turn back to my study with the persevering conviction that God has something He wants to say to those who gather to worship Him Sunday morning and that it is His intent to bring that talk through me.
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