Mandatory Obama Reflection
If you’ve been surfing the web, reading the paper, or just barely this side of consciousness, you’ve heard about Barrack Obama’s speech on race in America. Since everyone else is throwing in their two cents on this thing, I will too, except I promise that I’ll make this short.
I will say that none of the current candidate was my first choice. I will also say that when I saw Rev. Wright’s comments being repeated on the news and you-tube I realized how poorly I’d fare if you looked at my entire preaching history and clipped out some choice moments of poorly chosen words.
So I had some sympathy for the situation that Barrack found himself in, but at the same time I figured he was sunk. I figured his speech would be the standard distancing and denial that we saw both Clinton and McCain engage in just a few weeks ago. I’m glad I was wrong.
My biggest reaction t
o the speech was that it’s about time a politician spoke to us like we were adults capable of stringing together a thought that lasts longer than twelve words. He unflinchingly went right at the heart of how the race issue divides us not against each other, but it divides us against ourselves. He also spoke on a deeply theological level that the covenant that binds and blesses us as a human family is made fragile by the sin of racism.
I don’t know what this will do for him politically, but I hope that everyone gets to hear that speech. It would do the soul of this country some good.
Peace
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Agree. I am tired of patronizing spin control. The issue is more complex then distancing oneself from the stain of someone’s opinion or words. It was well stated that we start by understanding and forgiving. It is too in fashion to blame and posture.
Right on, David. Check out this good article, too: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/03/AR2008020302526.html?hpid=opinionsbox1