Five Minute Course On Black Liberation Theology

Image via WikipediaThis is the best five minute explanation I've seen concerning Black Liberation Theology. 

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2008/03/24/intv.hopkins.trinity.church.cnn

Help put an end to unjust drug laws

Some people wonder what Reverend Jeremiah Wright meant when he talked about our government treating blacks unfairly with sentencing laws.  Here is an example and something you can do about it.  Should people be doing crack?  Of course not.  But, is it fair to treat a user of crack the same as a dealer of cocaine?

The so-called "war on drugs" has created a national disaster: 1 in 9 young Black men in America are now behind bars.1 It's not because they commit more crime but largely because of unfair sentencing rules that treat 5 grams of crack cocaine, the kind found in poor Black communities, the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine2, the kind found in White and wealthier communities.
These sentencing laws are destroying communities across the country and have done almost nothing to reduce the level of drug use and crime.

Senator Joe Biden is one of the original creators of these laws and is now trying to fix the problem.3 But some of his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee are standing in the way.
Join us in telling them to stand with Joe Biden and undo this disaster once and for all:
http://colorofchange.org/crackpowder/?id=2030-528653

At every step in the criminal justice system, Black people are at a disadvantage -- we are more likely to be arrested, charged, and convicted, but less likely to have access to good legal representation, and get out of prison on parole.4 While there's no denying that the presence of crack has a hugely negative impact in Black communities across the country, it's clear that the overly harsh crack sentencing laws have done more to feed the broken system than improve our communities.
You have to be convicted of moving roughly $500,000 worth of cocaine to trigger a 5-year sentence.5 For crack? About $500 worth.6 These laws punish the lowest-level dealers, while providing a loophole that helps those running the trade escape harsh sentences.

Recently, attention has turned to these ill-conceived policies as prisons burst at the seams with non-violent drug offenders. The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which provides sentencing guidelines for judges, has petitioned Congress numerous times to change the sentencing laws.7 Senator Biden was actually one of the original architects of the disparity, but now he's working to undo the damage with a new bill in Congress (Senate bill 1711). The new law will completely eliminate the sentencing disparity and end the mandatory minimum for crack possession, while increasing funding for drug treatment programs and providing additional resources for investigating and prosecuting major cocaine kingpins.8

But of course, there are foes of this plan. Others want to see the disparity reduced to 20-to-1 or 10-to-1, but not eliminated. As Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance recently said, that "would be like amending the Constitution's three-fifths clause to make African-Americans fourth-fifths citizens or desegregating 60 percent of public establishments instead of all of them."9 Senators on the Judiciary Committee need to hear that there is strong support for a full elimination of the disparity.

References


1. "1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars, New Study Says," New York Times, 02-28-08 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28cnd-prison.html


2. "Crack/Cocaine Sentencing Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance 
http://www.drugpolicy.org/drugwar/mandatorymin/crackpowder.cfm

3. 
"Legislative Proposals for Reform of the Crack/Cocaine Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance, 09-07-07 
http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/raceandthedr/crack_cocaine.cfm


4. "Annotated Bibliography: Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System," Sentencing Project 
http://tinyurl.com/297waj


5. "Cocaine Price/Purity Analysis of STRIDE Data," Drug Enforcement Agency 
http://www.dea.gov/concern/cocaine_prices_purity.html


6. "Cocaine Addiction," Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center 
http://www.dual-diagnosis-treatment-center.com/cocaine-addiction.html

7. 
"BIDEN Calls for an End to Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity," Biden for Senate, 02-13-08 
http://tinyurl.com/2bb959
8. See reference 3.

9. "Congress to Hold Historic Hearing Tuesday on Draconian 100-to-1 Crack/Powder Sentencing Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance, 02-25-08 
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom/pr022508.cfm

Additional resources:

"Race and the Drug War," Drug Policy Alliance 
http://www.drugpolicy.org/communities/race/

"Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing," The Sentencing Project 
http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=573

Help Put An End to Unjust Drug Laws

Image via Wikipedia

Some people wonder what Reverend Jeremiah Wright meant when he talked about our government treating blacks unfairly with sentencing laws.  Here is an example and something you can do about it.  Should people be doing crack?  Of course not.  But, is it fair to treat a user of crack the same as a dealer of cocaine?

The so-called "war on drugs" has created a national disaster: 1 in 9 young Black men in America are now behind bars.¹ It's not because they commit more crime but largely because of unfair sentencing rules that treat 5 grams of crack cocaine, the kind found in poor Black communities, the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine², the kind found in White and wealthier communities.  These sentencing laws are destroying communities across the country and have done almost nothing to reduce the level of drug use and crime.

Senator Joe Biden is one of the original creators of these laws and is now trying to fix the problem.³ But some of his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee are standing in the way.

Join us in telling them to stand with Joe Biden and undo this disaster once and for all:

http://colorofchange.org/crackpowder/?id=2030-528653

At every step in the criminal justice system, Black people are at a disadvantage -- we are more likely to be arrested, charged, and convicted, but less likely to have access to good legal representation, and get out of prison on parole.⁴ While there's no denying that the presence of crack has a hugely negative impact in Black communities across the country, it's clear that the overly harsh crack sentencing laws have done more to feed the broken system than improve our communities.

You have to be convicted of moving roughly $500,000 worth of cocaine to trigger a 5-year sentence.⁵ For crack? About $500 worth.⁶ These laws punish the lowest-level dealers, while providing a loophole that helps those running the trade escape harsh sentences.

Recently, attention has turned to these ill-conceived policies as prisons burst at the seams with non-violent drug offenders. The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which provides sentencing guidelines for judges, has petitioned Congress numerous times to change the sentencing laws.⁷ Senator Biden was actually one of the original architects of the disparity, but now he's working to undo the damage with a new bill in Congress (Senate bill 1711). The new law will completely eliminate the sentencing disparity and end the mandatory minimum for crack possession, while increasing funding for drug treatment programs and providing additional resources for investigating and prosecuting major cocaine kingpins.⁸

But of course, there are foes of this plan. Others want to see the disparity reduced to 20-to-1 or 10-to-1, but not eliminated. As Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance recently said, that "would be like amending the Constitution's three-fifths clause to make African-Americans fourth-fifths citizens or desegregating 60 percent of public establishments instead of all of them."9 Senators on the Judiciary Committee need to hear that there is strong support for a full elimination of the disparity.

References



1. "1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars, New Study Says," New York Times, 02-28-08
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28cnd-prison.html

2. "Crack/Cocaine Sentencing Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org/drugwar/mandatorymin/crackpowder.cfm

3. "Legislative Proposals for Reform of the Crack/Cocaine Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance, 09-07-07
http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/raceandthedr/crack_cocaine.cfm

4. "Annotated Bibliography: Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System," Sentencing Project
http://tinyurl.com/297waj

5. "Cocaine Price/Purity Analysis of STRIDE Data," Drug Enforcement Agency
http://www.dea.gov/concern/cocaine_prices_purity.html

6. "Cocaine Addiction," Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
http://www.dual-diagnosis-treatment-center.com/cocaine-addiction.html

7. "BIDEN Calls for an End to Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity," Biden for Senate, 02-13-08
http://tinyurl.com/2bb959

8. See reference 3.

9. "Congress to Hold Historic Hearing Tuesday on Draconian 100-to-1 Crack/Powder Sentencing Disparity," Drug Policy Alliance, 02-25-08
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom/pr022508.cfm

Additional resources:

"Race and the Drug War," Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org/communities/race/

"Federal Crack Cocaine Sentencing," The Sentencing Project
http://www.sentencingproject.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?PublicationID=573

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• Racial Disparities Persist as Drug Arrests Rise
• Shorter Sentences for Crack Cocaine

Why I Go To the Church I Go To

Image via Wikipedia

What a difference a few days can make.  According to Christian tradition, on Good Friday, things looked hopeless and on Easter Sunday, we have new life and hope springing eternal.  The last few days or couple of weeks has been that in a microcosm for me.  A few days ago my attention was turned to things that were making me frustrated, disappointed and yes even angry.  But, over the weekend, I saw some things that have renewed my hope, lifted my spirits and made me proud of my pastor, my church, my denomination, my country and even a little prouder of my wife and kids (if that's possible).  I posted  a poll on my blog, asking why you attend the church you attend.  One of the things I explore in this post is why I attend the one I go to.

No need to go into the things that were frustrating me last week.  If you've read my blog, you're probably painfully aware already.  But, I would like to share a few things that have happened in my life since then. 

First, as my family and I sat glued to the news coverage this weekend, I saw a more even-handed treatment of the Barack Obama/Reverend  Wright situation beginning to unfold. While a lot of whites (I'll avoid saying a "typical" white person) might be uncomfortable talking about these things, my guess is the majority of black people are jumping at the chance to have these conversations.  I know my family is all caught up in this.

The talking heads began going beyond the 30 second sound bites and the parroted uncritiqued criticism and began showing some empathy for the  Reverend Wright situation.  Some wondered aloud what they would do in their churches if such things were said.  Some began asking "Just what is this black theology or black liberation theology?".  Some even took the time to listen to the sermons of the Reverend in their entirety.  Those are the responses I would expect of responsible media/journalists.  I, of course, wished those things would have happened sooner.  But, as they began happening, I saw a softening of the criticism of both Reverend Wright and Barack Obama begin to emerge.  I even saw some news people on FOX news step up and criticize their peers for being so biased in their reporting.  I was surprised to see that kind of integrity actually on camera at FOX news.

One of the reporters who had been on FOX  blogged about an entire sermon (as I did last week).  He gave a link to the entire audio tape of the "God Damn America" sermon (that was actually titled "Confusing God and Government").  I listened to the sermon.  In case you don't have time to, let me make a few quick points about it that might surprise you:

• The theme of the sermon this: Governments fail, governments lie and governments change.  Not that governments lie, fail or change constantly.  But that, over the course of time, all governments do all three.  No government lasts forever, tells the truth all of the time or is 100% consistent.  He gives specific examples to make his point.  And, not all of the examples are the United States government.
• The Reverend begins by saying that people are looking for their government to give them what only God can.  Unchanging values, unswaying truth and the ability to deliver on what He promises.  The main point of his sermon is we should not do that.
• The Reverend specifically says:  "Not all colonizers are white.  Turn to your neighbor and say that oppressors come in all colors."

People might disagree with some of the specifics of the sub-points the Reverend makes to back up his thesis.  You might say that he is overly critical of America or that some of his charges are unproven (and some of them are).  But, I expect and want my preacher to "speak truth to power".  I expect and want him to carry on in the tradition of Jesus and the other prophets (you did know Jesus was a prophet didn't you?) and to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable".  Jesus' death was very much a political assassination as well as a sacrifice for us. Jesus spoke truth to the powerful political structures of the day, the Roman government and his own "church", the Jewish temple system- so much so that they killed Him to shut Him up.  I'm proud to be a member of the same denomination as Reverend Wright, the United Church of Christ.  The UCC takes its role of remaining true to G-d's principles of justice for all very seriously.  And puts that before being "patriotic" (as some people define patriotism).  Speaking truth to power, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable (those in positions of power and those who would oppress people) has always been of paramount importance in the black church and in the United Church of Christ.  As I listened to Reverend Wright's sermon yesterday morning before church, I disagreed with some of his sub-points.  I wished he had brought more "hope" into the sermon.  But, I could not disagree with his advice to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to G-d what is G-d's.  IOW, don't place all of your hope in the government for things only G-d can provide.

My parents were in town yesterday and they went to church with us.  My parents have never attended our new church with us and I'm pretty sure they thought the Vineyard was flaky enough with its rock music and jeans-wearing congregation.  I didn't know how well church in a YMCA gymnasium would go with them.  As has been well documented here, I'm conflicted about Sunday mornings services and their role in my life.  I was prepared for another pat "Aren't we happy Jesus rose from the dead?"  message yesterday.  Nothing wrong with that. I am happy Jesus rose from the dead.  But, I've already heard that sermon about 42 times (I'll be 47 this year.  I'm not counting the 4 times I heard it before I was 5 years old).  I've had some buyer's remorse about Nexus.  I'm very critical when it comes to just about everything.  I'm always looking to make things better.  Barack Obama's words about "perfecting our union" rang very true to me.  We can and should appreciate what we have.  We can and should be joyous in our present moment.  But, that does not preclude always working to make things better.  People have been asking how Barack Obama could attend a church "like Trinity" for over 20 years.  As I've mulled that over and thought of my own situation, I haven't attended a church just for the sermons in my entire adult life.  The sermons at most churches are just boring pablum. They're just "blah, blah, blah".  I'm willing to bet that most people a week after a sermon couldn't tell you what their pastor spoke about last week, let alone last month or last year.  When I was attending the Vineyard, I was usually bored to death on Sunday mornings.  Just about every week I'd leave the service I had to consciously try not to be too negative when I was talking to Ty about the sermon.  So, if you went back and listened to tapes of those sermons over the 10 years I went there and asked if the message being delivered there represented my views, I'd have to say that much of it did, but much of it did not. Why did I go then?  I love the people.  I love the mission of the church.  I love that the Vineyard reaches out to the unchurched and, even better, the dechurched (those who  had been poisoned by toxic religion).  I love that the Vineyard actively gives to the poor.  Not just words but bread (and jobs and cars).  That's why I went there.

The same holds true for Nexus.   I don't attend Nexus for the sermons.  I grew up listening to some very, very good preachers.  Some of them very similar to Reverend Wright who reminds me of both of my grandfathers, BTW. He looks a lot like my mother's father and he sounds a lot like my "Pop" who was an Apostolic preacher and is the preacher I heard every Sunday for the first 11 years of my life. But, again I digress. I'm at the age now where a lot of pastors are younger than I am.  My own pastor is almost a decade my junior.  So, I have more life experience than he does.  While he has been to seminary, I've spent most of my life studying the theology that is most relevant to me. Not that I could do what Gregg does.  I could not.   And, not that Gregg is not a fine preacher.  He is.     But, from my personal butt-in-the-pew perspective, there are very, very few preachers I would really want to listen to week after week.   So, from the POV of going to church on Sunday morning to be "fed" with some words of wisdom that I would have never been able to figure out on my own, that's not my reason for going on Sunday.  I chose Nexus because I had heard it was a progressive church and was interested in the concept of emergent and its slogan was "God is still speaking..."  I was thrilled to find out the history of the UCC and its dedication to not building a "kingdom in the sky", but to bringing G-d's kingdom to Earth by feeding the hungry, taking care of the poor and challenging the government and other institutions to do better.

Yesterday, Gregg announced the conclusion of our food drive to collect food for Shared Harvest, an organization that equips food pantries around the area.  Our little-old-church of about 40 Sunday morning attenders spearheaded a drive that collected close to 2,000 pounds of food over the last six weeks.  That, I was reminded, was one of the reasons I chose Nexus.  Then, Gregg went on to preach the best sermon I have ever heard Gregg preach.  He, of course, talked about the resurrection.  But, he expanded its meaning beyond just the fact that it "gets our butts into heaven" and he said again one of my favorite lines from Gregg "If this was just about getting our butts into heaven, I  would want no part of it."  As I've been reading the comments on blogs over the last couple of weeks a lot of people have asked why churches have to get political anyway.  Why was Reverend Wright speaking about the government at all?  Last night on CNN one of their guests (who shall remain nameless suffice it to say he's a Black Republican- an oxymoron in my book) implied that the Reverend had no place in criticizing the government.  Hello McFly?  Is there anybody in there?  Did you not read Jesus' words about coming to the oppressed?  Did you not hear Him rail against the social injustices of His day? Do you think the Roman's were complicit in His death because they thought He was was of no threat to Him.   Prophets, like Jesus, the Old Testament prophets and Jeremiah Wright make people in power uncomfortable. That's a major part of their job.  If Jesus were preaching today, my vision is He'd be a lot more like Jeremiah Wright than like Joel Osteen or Robert Schuler.

Back to Gregg,  he did a masterful job of talking about how the empty tomb brings hope to oppressed and disenfranchised people today.  As part of his sermon, he had to give some uncomfortable statistics about where we are in America today. 30 million people without access to the best health care system in the world,  people of color four times more likely to be put to death for the same crimes as people who are white, etc.  While no one is going to confuse Gregg with Reverend Wright (this is Gregg), his sermon was in many ways similar to the ones Reverend Wright has been criticized about.  And, Gregg stepped up and talked about the Wright controversy.  I was beaming.  Gregg and I had lunch on Friday and talked about it extensively.  While we agree that Reverend Wright probably did go over the top and we certainly don't agree with all of the sub-points, we both see a lot of merit in what the man preached and we agree that it's the job of the preacher to point out the flaws in our society and in our government.  I was proud of Gregg for saying the things that I thought needed to be said.

Lastly, yesterday, I was so proud of Ty and Shayna.  Ty sang a solo, acoustic arrangement of one of my all time favorite songs in church (Sun & Moon by Sarah Laughing).  She was so nervous and wanted to back out right up until the last moment.  Shayna was very nervous, too. But, they both stepped up and they did an amazing job! 

So, yesterday, I was reminded again why I joined the UCC and, more specifically, Nexus Church. The UCC has not backed down or even flinched in their support of Trinity UCC or of Reverend Wright.  As this Obama and Reverend Wright thing has been allowed to unfold, I've seen more of the reaction I was hoping to see.  That is seeking to understand and facing up the the fact that we are not a perfect nation ( which is the first step to making the changes to become more perfect).  America is a great country.  We have been tremendously blessed.  We have done great things.  But, America is made up of human beings.  While we try very hard to to do the right things, we don't always get it it right.  True patriots don't just go along saying everything is perfect. True patriots help us see our flaws and help us correct them.  I'm seeing that kind of patriotism and it makes me proud to be an American. 

Jesus Loves You, But...

Image via WikipediaThis is the kind of logic I was taught when I was growing up.



I accepted the "good news" very early in life. I loved Jesus. Why? Because Jesus loved me enough to save me. So far, so good. Right? But in my little mind, Jesus didn't save me from sin or the consequences of my sin. Jesus saved me from God. God was the one who created me the way I was- tiny, weak, flawed and God wanted to eternally damn me and would have had Jesus not stepped in. How was I supposed to love this God?

I can laugh at this cartoon now. But, for decades, this was not so funny. And, I tried and tried to make this logic work and to force myself into loving God because I had to.

Diary of a Mad Black Man

Warning:  Rant Ahead I've got to vent somewhere.  I might as well do it here.  The political events of the last couple of weeks have left me tired, disappointed in the American people and not so proud to live in American in 2008.  The American people seem to be falling for the same old political crap we always say we're tired of and I'm sick of people saying one thing and doing another.

The last couple of weeks, I've seen an historical political candidate who seemed to be able to transcend race and who was going to be judged solely on his merits, systematically forced back into the box.  Attempts have been made to frame Barack Obama as the "black candidate" by Geraldine Ferraro and then by whoever put together the videos of Reverend Wright. I thought America was ready to take a huge leap forward on one of the stupidest issues of all time- race. I was excited.  I was energized.  But, as I read the comments in the blogosphere and listen to the news, my hope is slowly being sucked out of me.  We seem to still be stuck in the quagmire of our past and some people are just not ready to move on.

Contrary to what some will believe, I am not an Obama supporter because *I* am a black man.  The fact that he is a black man does play a role in why I am a supporter.  I will not deny that.  The fact that his candidacy is historic and his election would represent a huge leap forward for America does play a part in why I support him.  We can argue all day about whether he's an empty suit.  I'm prepared to give you my reasons why I think he is far from it. Hope is just one thing Barack Obama offers us.  He also offers great intellect, compassion, wisdom and the ability to work with people.  He represents everything that is best about America.  He's multicultural and from a working class background.   If Barack Obama is the least bit qualified to be President (and based on his resume alone, he is as qualified as many good ones we've had before), the bonus is that he would show the world and America just how far we've come. That's not affirmative action, Ms. Ferraro.  Just being black doesn't mean you should get the job.  But, it also doesn't mean you should be subject to extra scrutiny.

Because of the race issue first raised by Geraldine Ferraro, Obama's supporters have been characterized as guilty white liberals and blindly loyal black folks.  Barack Obama has shown remarkable restraint (as he has to) in the face of these attacks.  As a black man, he can't afford to let his anger show because he'll scare people.  I know how he feels though.  I remember the white guys in college telling me they wished they were black so they could get the affirmative action scholarship I got.  I was given incentive to go into engineering because of the color of my skin. That's true.  But, I also had a 4.0 GPA coming out of high school. Think that might have had something to do with it?  They talked about how successful my father had been. What they didn't know was my father could not get a job in an accounting firm when he graduated from college because they didn't hire blacks.   He had to go into a different field than his degree was in.  So, yes, he was successful.  But, he had to work harder to get there. This was in Ohio in the 1960s, not the deep South.  So, yes, we've all felt what Barack talked about yesterday, in some way shape or form.

Effectively what these attacks on Obama have done is gotten the swing voters to question whether they want to vote for the "black guy".   Especially the angry black guy!  Brilliant strategy if you're a win at all costs kind of person.  The  videos of Reverend Wright put Barack Obama between a rock and hard place.  Of course, he knew Reverend Wright had said some things that would make white America nervous.  That's obvious.  Barack did not place him in a prominent position early in his campaign.  The Reverend and Barack discussed that Barack might have to distance himself publicly.  But, Barack Obama loves this man, in spite of his flaws.  None of us is perfect, including our spiritual leaders.  If I were running for President and were trying to gain the support of the homosexual community, I'd hate for videos of what has been said from the pulpit of the Vineyard Community Church to be played to characterize my views on homosexuality.  Or, their views concerning Eternal Torment for all "non-believers" to be played as evidence of my hatred for anyone who is not Christian.  Unfortunately, for Barack his pastor didn't say bad things about gays or non-Christians.  He said bad things about white people. And, he yelled them.  The ultimate faux pas.

Let's face it, people, the race issue is a distraction. It was trotted out there by those who are so desperate they are ready to play their trump card. They know the wounds concerning race are still there just waiting to be ripped open.  And now they've done it.  Instead of talking about the issues today, all the headlines are "Is white America ready for a black President?"  Great.  That's just the face we want to show to the world.  If Barack Obama a biracial man raised by white people, who grew up in Hawaii and went to Columbia and Harvard (not exactly bastions of blackness) agrees with his pastor, he's done an excellent job of hiding his views for decades. No one can find a single word he has said or written that shows he holds any of the views expressed by Reverend Wright on the tapes.  Don't you think they've tried?

So, why am I a mad Black man today?  BTW, for those of you who don't get it, the reference it to Tyler Perry's movie "Diary of Mad Black Woman".  We (black people) don't get "angry".  We get mad.   I'm mad because the distraction has worked.  Americans are so gullible that instead of passing this over and saying we're not going for it again, many of them are swallowing it hook, line and sinker.  It doesn't mean Obama's campaign is over.  But, what it does mean is right now he is working twice as hard as Hillary Clinton or John McCain.  That's a familiar story to all of us black people.  Because of what his pastor said, he has to prove to "white America" that he's worthy to be in the race at all.  White people often wonder what black people are so angry about.  This is a prime example, people!  White people ask "Why can't they just get over it? Slavery ended over 100 years ago.  We gave them the vote years ago.  What more do they want?" (I'm not making this up, I saw this almost verbatim on YouTube this week).  What we want is for being black to not be a disadvantage. What we want is to stop having to apologize for just being who we are.  The peek white America took inside a black church shocked, appalled and scared them.   Well, as a black man who has lived most of his life deeply immersed in your culture, I can tell you that I've heard much worse from the lips of a lot of white people when they either forgot or didn't know I was around.  Yes, black people are angry. Some of us a little. Some of us a lot.  But, almost all of us are angry some amount, some of the time because  sh*t like what is happening to Barack Obama keeps on happening and we're tired of it.  All we want is to be judged on our merits and we are tired of having to work twice as hard and being held up to unreasonable standards.  The black church is one of the few places many black people can let down and be themselves.  Especially black people who, like myself, have crossed over to live out here on the frontier of Whitedom.  I live in a community that is less than 4% black.  Think about that for a moment.  When I'm out in my community, less than 4 in 100 people I see look like me.  Yeah, I chose to cross over.  No one forced me. Why?  Because it's where the economic opportunity is.  Because there are no upscale black communities in Southwest Ohio.  Because to advance in the dominant culture you have to speak the language.  As Reverend Wright pointed out in his Christmas sermon, black people have to learn to be bi-cultural.  I'm pretty good at it. So good I've alienated myself from my own culture to a certain extent.  But, then what's happening to Barack Obama comes up to remind me that I'm not really accepted in yours either.  I'm not some black separatist radical.  But, am I mad?  You betcha.  Especially today.

Yesterday, Barack Obama showed a great deal of class and chutzpah.  Listening to his speech and thinking of white America's reaction reminded me of the words of Jack Nicholson "You want the truth?  You can't handle the truth!".  I cringed as he opened talking about slavery.  I was surprised he admitted black people have been angry. I thought he was masterful the way he included everyone in his speech.  White, latino, immigrants and blacks.  I just read a blog that said the speech showed Barack Obama has spine. I saw that.  But, what I also saw was that Barack Obama has faith. My understanding is he wrote the speech himself and that some of his advisers disagreed with parts of it.  The one criticism of Barack Obama is the man is not truly a great politician- at least in the way we've come to know politicians.  He seems to have an incredible faith in the American people.  He thinks you're smart enough to see through stupid tricks like the Wright videos.  He thinks you can digest more than a 20 second sound bite and listen to his speech in its entirety, in spite of the way they pundits have already parsed it and pulled out divisive headlines from a speech that was solely about healing and unity.  He thinks if he shows he's a man of integrity rather than a masterful "politician", you will do what you said you'd do and vote for the man with integrity. He thinks he can win an election without smearing his opponent.  Today, I just don't know.  I hope he's right.  Time will tell. If he's wrong, I'll be sorely disappointed in America and remain one mad black man.

Peace,
Brian

p.s.- for the purposes of this article, I used rhetoric to make a point.  I am not defining myself as "a mad black man".  In fact, I am a quite happy black man.  Anger is just one of the emotions I feel at times and this is one of those times. 

In Case You Missed It

Barack Obama's speech in video and the full transcript:

Whether he wins the Democratic nomination or not, whether he becomes President or not, I believe this speech will go down as an historic moment. It's one of the most honest and direct on race we've had in the national spotlight in a very, very long time.  I won't try to summarize it or add to it.  You can read it for yourself.

I winced a few times.  He wasn't PC enough.  He talked about slavery right up front. Ooh, he said black people still have some anger. I can imagine his handlers had a conniption when he gave them the draft of the speech.  But, I think he did a good job of balancing those things out. He gave us good dose of truth along with reason to hope.   He talked about why things are the way they are without saying they need to stay that way.  How many politicians would stand up there and deliver the truth about race in America?

One more thing I know about Barack Obama after this speech.  He trusts the American people.  He could have been a typical politician.  He could have smoothed things over and not talked about why Reverend Wright has the mistaken attitude he has.  He could have written him off as a crackpot.  But, he took a chance.  He took the chance that the average American is willing to face up to these issues, talk about them and not allow the issue of race to cloud their judgment. He took the chance that those who say they want change aren't just paying lip service and really do want a new type of leader.  A leader who is willing to shoot straight. I learned today that Barack Obama has faith in the American people.  We'll see if they have faith in him.

Peace,
Brian

Barack Obama's Church

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I apologize in advance to anyone here only to read about Universalism.  There is a breaking news story that I feel I have to comment on.  That concerns the videotapes recently release of Barack Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  To those of you sick of hearing me talk about Barack, you may be excused now.  But, before you go, this is more than about just Barack Obama.  This story exposes some things we don't like to talk about and I feel I have to speak out about it.  In fact, several people have asked me to blog about it. So, at the risk of alienating some of you, I am going to proceed with the post.

Personal Indulgence

Before I begin, please allow me a personal indulgence.  I am tired.  Last night as this story broke, I initially thought I had to write about it.  But, then, I really didn't want to.  I'm tired of politics as usual.  I'm tired of the attempts to smear candidates (this goes both ways).  I thought to myself, "What sane person would ever run for office? Barack, you must be crazy."  I'm tired of race being an issue in everything we do or say.  I'm tired of being a Black man living totally immersed in White culture and having to interpret all the time.  All of my friends are White.  Not most of them. All of them.  Almost all of my neighbors are White. I attend an all White church.  I'd like to integrate.  I'd like to forget our "differences".  But, I am never completely allowed to.  Every time I'm called for a survey or register a product, for "classification purposes", I'm asked the color of my skin. I'm tired of the fear and suspicion that exists between so many Blacks and Whites.  And, I'm tired of people being so quick to believe the worst about a person.  Barack Obama is the epitome of a multi-racial, multi-cultural reach across the lines kind of guy.  But, because of what his pastor said, people are now fearful that he's a racist Black separatist.  I'd like to just pretend all of this doesn't exist.  But, I woke up this morning still living in the real world. So, this article must be written. I'll keep it as short as possible, I promise.  I hope it's the beginning of a dialog and maybe it will foster some understanding and alleviate some of those fears.  I spent about five hours putting this together.  I hope you find it useful.

You, my audience

I can probably divide you into four categories:

1. The Obama groupie this is the guy or gal who is going to support Barack Obama no matter what he says or does or what "dirt" comes out about him. 
2. Undecided- you're still evaluating all of your choices.  Hillary, Barack and possibly John McCain.
3. The Obama skeptic- there are those who don't quite yet believe this guy is the real deal. Has he had enough experience?  Is he a "true American"?  You may have heard some rumors about his religion and his patriotism and are wondering if they're true.
4. The Obama hater- yep.  There are a bunch of them out there. Either because he's too popular or you believe he's a racist or he's unproven or he's too liberal or...

If you're in camp 1, 2 or 3, I have hope that I can reach you with this article.  For the supporters, I hope to give you what you need to explain this to your friends who may be skeptical or undecided.  If you're undecided, or skeptical, I hope to convince you this is not the issue you want to make your decision on.  Frankly, if you're an Obama hater, you've probably got better things to do with your time. You've "seen the tapes".  There is no context that could possibly explain them.  And, why are you still reading anyway? (I kid, I kid).

Some of you probably think I fall into the Obama groupie camp.  Actually, I don't.  I just came on board with Obama a few weeks ago.  I was first drawn to his message of hope.  Then, I was impressed with his oratory skills.  Then, his intelligence.  And, finally his record of being able to work with people in his relatively short time in public service. He has been involved in some substantial legislation and the people who have worked with him say wonderful things about him.   But, I became aware of Obama's church sometime last year.  He announced his candidacy around the time I joined the UCC.  I didn't know at the time he was a member of Trinity.  When I heard, I went to their website to check it out and I was troubled.  I wrote to Trinity UCC and did not receive a response.  I was troubled because I thought White people would misunderstand the message of Trinity UCC.  I think that Barack Obama should have made his views more clear earlier.  I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that he is not a racist, a separatist or is anything less than 100% patriotic. But, he should have

anticipated this a little better and gotten out in front of it.


A Request

I'd like to ask you to do this.  It's what I have begun to do. I haven't completed my assignment yet.  But, I intend to.

• Listen to Barack Obama's reponse to the tapes.  He was on Countdown last night.  He was on Anderson Cooper's 360 and he blogged about it.
• Judge Barack Obama on what he says and does not on the actions of those who support him. 
• Think about context- the videos are just a few minutes of tape taken from years of preaching.  It is obvious that the intention of the tapes was to be as damaging as possible.  Think about every time your pastor has mentioned a social issue over the years (I hope he has mentioned a social issue).  Could you string together a 2 minute video that shows he is "unpatriotic"?  Has he ever criticized President Bush?  Has he ever criticized President Clinton?  Has he ever spoken out about the way America takes care of its poor?  Our health care system?  Anything?  Part of the responsibility of the church is to speak truth to power.  In the Old Testament, it was the prophets who called the King to task.  Nathan speaking to David comes to mind. Go back and read some of the scathing words the Prophets used concerning Israel.  Read how they talked about G-d judging Israel for her sins.  I hope your pastor is doing his job.  I've only been attending my church for about a year. The UCC is very interested in social justice.  We've talked about the war.  We've talked about health care.  We've talked about the hungry.  We've talked about how our government could do more.  If I had the tapes and I had the time, I could make it look like our Pastor hates the government and the United States.  Now nothing could be further from the truth. But, selective editing of years of video can produce anything you want to produce.
• My intent is to listen to one or more of Jeremiah Wright's sermons in its entirety.  A friend yesterday criticized him because while he pointed the problems, he didn't come up with any solutions.  I don't know whether he did or not.  But, I do know her assessment was unfair.  She  heard (like I did) a few seconds lifted from a speech. She doesn't know the conclusion of that speech. She doesn't know the introduction.  Neither do I. But, until I do, I'm not going to assume that the entire speech was intended to divide people.
• Oh, in case you didn't know.  Jeremiah Wright is retired (has been in the works for almost two years).  And, he is no longer on Obama's campaign.

The friend I just mentioned said she would wait to hear Senator Obama's response before passing judgment. I was happy to see that just a few minutes after she and I exchanged those emails Obama said (in part):

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

A Little About Barack Obama

Barack Obama is constantly characterized as Black. And, he's accepted that label. Well, that's actually a little simplistic.  And, I'm sure he's frustrated by people now trying to label him as a Black separatist or a racist.  Barack Obama's father was Kenyan.  But, he left the family when Barack was about 2 years old.  Barack was raised by a White mother.  His mother was a world traveler, who later married an Indonesian man who became Barack's step-father.  Barack's half-sister is Indonesian.  Barack Obama has struggled, like all of us Black people, to fit into American society.  But, his struggles have been amplified because of his multi-racial, multi-cultural heritage.  People question whether he's Black enough.  People question whether he's Christian enough.  Whispers are still going around about him being a Muslim.  How can a man born to and raised by a White woman be a Black separatist?

Guilt by Association

Let's talk for a moment about guilt by association.  The people who put the tapes together would like you to believe these are Obama's ideas because they were spoken by his minister.  As I recall John McCain sought after and got the endorsements of some on the Evangelical side of Christianity to boost his support among the more "right leaning" members of the Republican Party.  Well, have you seen these videos?

Rod Parsley says Your Taxes Murdering Innocent Children supporting African American Genocide






Rod Parsley- John McCain calls him a "Spiritual Guide"

People have said to me that they would shocked and appalled if a White pastor said America deserved 9/11. That was anti-American and unpatriotic.  Does anyone recall this tape?





Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell blame America's "sins" for 9/11

I want to make it clear, I am in no way implying that John McCain shared the views of Rod Parsley when it comes to abortion or to homosexuals.  And, McCain has distanced himself from Falwell and the like. But, there are some questionable view of Ted Hagee (another McCain supporter) also. Just like Reverend Wright's views should not be attributed to Barack Obama, these guys views should not be attributed to John McCain or anyone other than themselves. BTW, I presented the Falwell and Robertson tape not because they are McCain supporters but because some people were shocked that Reverend Wright would dare imply America might have been deserving of 9/11.  My point is, he was certainly not the only preacher to share this view.

How many of us could stand up to having to support the words of the people we know? Even people we know and love?  I have a very good friend I talk to daily (literally).  He's a "radical" Jew.  He spends hours a day posting stuff on Arab blogs.  He's an extreme hawk, IMO.  He and I have extremely sharp differences of opinion when it comes to those things.  We couldn't be any further apart.  But, he advised me on starting my business and we still bounce ideas off of each other.  And, as I said, we talk every day.  If I were running for office and people starting taking his blog posts and saying "Brian must believe these things about Arabs because his business consultant and good friend does, it would be totally unfair and untrue."  You'd probably be shocked at some of the things he writes, just as you are shocked by the things Jeremiah Wright says.  But, I sure hope you wouldn't hold me accountable for what he says just because he's a good friend of mine.  Friends have differences of opinion.  And, while Jeremiah Wright was Obama's spiritual advisor that does not mean that he lived by every word that came forth from the mouth of Jeremiah Wright.  Every week my pastor says something I disagree with.  I don't leave the church over it. Now, you might say the things he says are not this radical.  And, they are not.  But, Jeremiah Wright is a prophetic type of fiery preacher who says over-the-top things to get his congregation's attention.  And you've seen a few minutes out of a 30 year preaching career.  Don't we owe Barack Obama the benefit of the doubt that this was not the weekly fare being served up at Trinity?

The UCC's Response

I am proud to be a member of the United Church of Christ, the same denomination that Barack Obama belongs to.  I joined a little over a year ago.  I was attracted to the denomination for two reasons.  One is their slogan "God is still speaking..."  But, the more important reason is their emphasis on social justice.  The United Church of Christ has a long history of being on the forefront of confronting social justice issues such as civil rights for women, Blacks and homosexuals.  The church is not afraid to take a stand on tough issues and has a tradition of "speaking truth to power".  I have heard our pastor say the reason that the separation of church and state is so important is not to protect the church from the state.  It's so the church can continue to be a credible and powerful voice in speaking the truth to government and to criticize it when it needs to be criticized.  Almost every week, no matter the "liturgy", we talk about whatever the topic is in light of social justice.  How does this impact our society today?  What should we be doing about it?  What are our institutions (government and church) doing about it?   The United Church of Christ is a mainline denomination.  It's not a "Black denomination" by any stretch of the imagination.  The UCC issued a statement strongly supporting Trinity and calling the attacks on it a caricature.  You might ask how a video can be a caricature. But, as I pointed out earlier, it's easy.  Find a few impassioned sermons (and I'm guessing all Reverend Wright's sermons were impassioned) and lift out the parts that make your point.  I'm sure that given enough time, I could put together a video that would make exactly the opposite point about Reverend Wright.

After watching the video, you might be shocked to learn that any White people dare cross the threshold of Trinity.  Well, they do.  I personally know three White people who have attended the church and said they felt very welcome there.  A couple have said they would like to attend regularly, if they lived in Chicago.  Reverend Wright's style of preaching attracts people by the thousands. This is not some small, segregational cult.  Trinity draws 6,000 people and they are certainly not all racists.

You might be surprised to learn this woman not only choose to attend Trinity.  She drives almost an hour to get there!  She doesn't look like a Black separatist to me.

Defending Jeremiah Wright

Now I am going to do what Barack Obama dared not do.  I am going to attempt to defend or at least explain Jeremiah Wright's words.  This issue is a hand-grenade and Barack Obama needs to distance himself from it as much as possible. It goes to the fears and mistrust that still exists in our society.  A lot of White people are just getting to the point where they could consider voting for a Black man.  (And a lot of people are just getting to the point where they could consider voting for a woman).  Having an issue like this come up at this time will make them pause, at best. They'll wonder if Barack Obama is truly patriotic since he attends a church with a pastor who is "clearly" not patriotic.  Will he defend us against our enemies if he believes we deserved to be attacked?  Does he have some hidden "Black" agenda that he's just waiting to spring on us?  Barack must put all those fears to rest. And, there is no reason to think any of those things.  But, this video brings up something I'd like to discuss with my White friends, that is the experience of being Black and why Jeremiah Wright would say such vile things.

OK.  This is getting longer than even I wanted. But, I've got to go a just a little further.  Please bear with me.  My friend.  I'll call her Angie, is scared by Reverend Wright's speech. She's comparing him to Fred Phelps (the guys who says G-d hates gays and is going to send them to hell).  She's concerned that Reverend Wright's congregation will rush out of church and start race riots because he's inciting them to do so.  Even though she never heard him use the word "hate" in the clips she saw, she says the implied hatred of White people is there.  I appreciate Angie sharing those thoughts with me because otherwise I would have completely missed that.  Angie said she felt personally attacked because Jeremiah White was targeting White people.   I assume she was referring to the comments about rich White people running America.  Well, the last time I checked rich White were running America.  What's wrong with a preacher being honest about that? 

This reminds me of the OJ Simpson case where Blacks and Whites looked at the exact same thing and, by and large, saw it vastly differently.  Not all Blacks though OJ was innocent.  And, not all Whites thought he was guilty.  But, it split very much along racial lines.  When I watched the first clip of Reverend Wright on YouTube yesterday, I heard a man speaking about the plight of the Black man in America and comparing that to the suffering of Jesus. I heard a man metaphorically (and maybe literally) comparing Jesus to a Black man and the Romans (who killed Jesus) to the White man. The comparisons are undeniable.  And, one of the reasons Black people so love Jesus is we know He can identify with our sufferings. He was born without an earthly father.  He was rumored to be a bastard.  He was born to a poor, downtrodden people.  He was treated as less than a full human because of his race. Without making my analysis of the clip longer than the clip itself, this is what I heard.  I also heard him wrap up by saying Jesus taught us to love our enemies. When Reverend Wright was comparing Barack Obama's struggles to Hillary Clinton's, I didn't hear him putting Hillary down.  Hillary doesn't know what it's like to have a cab pass her by because she's a Black man.  Hillary has never been called nigger.  Why is that considered hate speech?  The man's point was that Hillary doesn't know suffering and condemnation in the same way Barack Obama does.  Then, I scrolled down to read the comments and realized most of the people who watched the clip heard something entirely different!

Reverend Wright has had a different experience of America than most of you reading my blog.  He's had a different experience than I have had.  I have had a different experience than you, my White reader.  His view reminds me very much of my father-in-law, a 70 plus year old Black man who has lived in Kentucky all his life.  I love my father-in-law.  But, we have sometimes almost violent arguments about race relations.  He doesn't hate White people.  But, generally speaking he doesn't trust them much, because of his experiences.

Before you judge Reverend Wright too harshly, you might want to take a little time doing research on "liberation theology".  Look up professor by the name of James Cone.  This is a legitimate, systematic theology that Reverend Wright has studied and that is taught in seminary.  Frankly, I know precious little about it.  It's not my cup of tea. But, it's not a fringe, separatist or racist theology.  And whether you agree with it or not, it's Reverend Wright who made those statements, not Barack Obama.

Last Thoughts

No matter what you think about Reverend Wright, I hope you'll just judge Barack Obama for being Barack Obama.  And, I hope this is just the beginning of a dialog on race, politics and faith in America.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if all our pastors gave sermons on this topic this Sunday?! (Hint hint)

Peace,
Brian

Race Rears Its Ugly Head Again (and Again)

Image via Wikipedia

OK.  I've resisted writing about Barack Obama for a while now.  And this post isn't so much about Barack Obama as it is about America and our obsession with race (and other ways of dividing ourselves).  I've gone from very hopeful in this campaign to cautiously hopeful and am bordering on the feeling of "here we go again", the same old politics will win the day.  And, in the end, while we bellyache and moan about wanting change, we, the American People, always fall for the same old political tricks and end up getting more of the same.  It's beginning to look very good for John McCain and four to eight more years of the same.

Just a few weeks ago as I watched the Democratic debates with Edwards, Clinton and Obama on the stage, I felt proud to live in America. (Not for the first time, BTW)  It was great to see that we lived in a country where a white man, a woman and a Black man man were duking it out for the Presidency of the United States and the results would be based on nothing but merit.  Actually, Barack Obama is not "Black".  He's bi-racial or mulatto.  But, there's no such thing in America. "One drop" and you're Black. Try to call yourself multi-racial and people think you're self-hating.  I hadn't allowed myself to dream that this country could be ready for a Black president or a woman anytime nearly this soon.  I thought perhaps the next generation or the one after that.  But, not now.  Man, was I pumped!

Ironically, early in his campaign, Barack Obama could not attract the Black vote.  Some Black people thought he wasn't Black enough.  Some Black people didn't want to waste a vote on a man who couldn't possibly be elected.  And, some didn't want him as President because they feared for his life.  But, as he continued to win the hearts and minds of people both White and Black, young and old, male and female, many Black people came on board.  The unfortunate thing is now that they have there is the potential for the backlash we are beginning to see.  The media (and the Clinton) campaign are starting to pigeon-hold Obama as the "Black candidate". That's political death to him if the label sticks.  Obama had transcended race, making it a non-issue in this campaign, but people who fear change are playing the race card.  Hillary Clinton, fearing a loss, is playing the race card.  It saddens and disheartens me.  I hoped we were past all of this.  It looks like we're not quite there yet.

I loved Obama's comments yesterday.  He observed that first, he was criticized for not being Black enough.  Now, he's criticized for winning too much of the Black vote (the Black vote the Clinton's counted on BTW).  "Just what is the exact amount of the Black vote that is the right amount?" he asked. In response to Geraldine Ferraro's assertions he's only where he is because he's a Black man, he showed his great oratory skills again by pointing out that the most intuitive road to the White House would not be to be born a Black man named "Barack Obama".

Is Barack Obama where he is only because he's a Black man?  Of course- in a sense. Being a Black man is part of who he is. And, in America, race matters.  If he weren't Black, maybe he'd being viewed as the second coming of JFK instead of MLK. He wouldn't be exactly where he is.  But, it doesn't mean that a man of his considerable and rare talents would not be in the race for President.   But, the same could be said of John McCain. He's only where he is because he's a white man.  He will get a percentage of the vote from white men (and from white women) who could never vote for a Black man (or for a woman for that matter).  Hillary Clinton dominates the vote of  White women over 50. Is anyone saying she only gets that vote because she's a White woman?  Geraldine's Ferraro's accusations were not meant as an innocent observation. Not every White man who votes for John McCain or every woman who votes for Hillary Clinton is doing so just because they want to see someone who looks just like them in the White House. And, not every one who votes for Barack Obama is voting for him simply because he's Black. As a Black man, I was hesitant to support Obama because of the perception I might be supporting him just because he's Black. The perception of others and my own, BTW.  I've studied this presidential election like no other before it. Most people vote based on a "gut feel".  Let's face it.  How many of us really sit down and study the issues and the candidates' positions on them every year? We usually vote because we like or don't like a guy and/or because of his party. 

Empty suit or not, Barack Obama represents real change to many people in this country.  Yes, partially because he is Black.  He represents burying the past.  He represents the fact that, in America, anyone can work hard and aspire to the highest office in the land.  Of course, some people are in love with that idea.  But, that is not  all he is.  And for the Clinton campaign to keep pushing that idea is an unfair and unflattering (to them) accusation.  Bill and Hillary are quickly and irreversibly damaging their reputations among many in this country, particularly among African-Americans by whom they were adored. Many of us affectionately called Bill the first Black President.

I told myself I'd keep this very short because I wanted to present a brilliant piece by Keith Olbermann.  It's gone longer than I would have liked. I hope you'll take the time to watch the clip.

p.s.  This just in.  A quote from the man himself.  I could not say this any better which is why he is where he is and I am where I am in spite of the fact we both have the obvious advantage of being 46 year old black men:

"There will be some voters for whom the fact I am African-American means I've got to work a little harder to make the case," he said. "In fairness to Sen. Clinton, there may be some voters who require her to work a little harder to make the case because she's a woman. But there are probably some who give me the benefit of the doubt because  I'm black and there are probably some who give Sen. Clinton the benefit of the doubt because she's a woman."

Divine Nobodies

Last night I finished reading Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer.  If you've read my book reviews before you might think I give every book I read a positive review. Actually, I do like about 80 or 90 percent of what I read.  But, that's because I'm usually pretty selective before I pick a book up.  If I'm going to dedicate a few weeks to reading a book, I'll usually read a lot of reviews and/or excerpts before get it.  I also don't usually bother to review the few books I read that I end up not liking.  But, back to Divine Nobodies.  This is a fantastic book.  I am glad I read it and can't wait  to read Jim's next book.  In fact I started it last night! Divine Nobodies is one of those books I would have just not understood a few years ago.  It's not a book on theology.  There's no "plot".  I guess I'd say it's a collection of essays more than it is a book.  I've read a couple of books in this format.  "The Bastard on the Couch "(which I hated and didn't even finish) and "How Strong Women Pray" are the two that come to mind.  Generally, I'm not a big fan of the format.  But, Jim makes it work to perfection in Divine Nobodies.

The main point, to me anyway, of Divine Nobodies is we don't have to look far to encounter G-d or the Kingdom of G-d.  Jesus said the Kingdom is all around us (and within us if you read the Gospel of Thomas) if we only have eyes to see (I know.  This is a big paraphrase.  But, I believe He did say that).  As I read the book I was reminded of the Sanskrit greeting namaste which literally means "I bow to you" or, as it's more commonly translated, "I recognize the divine in you".  To many Christians, this is sacrilegious.  But, I find it a very useful phrase. I try to remember to secretly say it when I encounter people.  I don't know how Jim feels about the word namaste.  But, when I first heard it, I loved it.  Jim, IMO, has learned to see the divine all around him and in the "ordinary nobodies" he encounters in his daily life.  A couple of times while I was reading the essays I found myself thinking "I wish I could meet Doug" or "I wish I could be more like Kit".  Then, I realized to wish those things was to miss the entire point of the book. We each meet our Divine Nobodies every day.  We can learn something from every person we encounter.  We can learn something from every situation we are in.  We can see G-d in every day and in every moment, if we take the time to develop the ability to see.

Another lesson Jim seems to learn during the course of the story is that G-d doesn't need Jim to perform big things for Him.  Being raised the grandson of a preacher, I always felt like I was slighting G-d a little by not using my talents in the "ministry". I also was petrified of G-d because of Jesus' words about rejecting those who didn't feed the hungry, visit the sick in jail and clothe the naked.  I struggled with whether or not I was doing enough to earn G-d's favor.  Jim was on that treadmill too.  The book talks about how he learned to get off it.  For me, it took a near mental breakdown around the age of 40.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  I finally just gave up.  It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Jim's Divine Nobodies include a Waffle House waitress, a mechanic, a tire salesman, a hip-hop fan and others. It's not what they do for a living that makes them special, it's how they make themselves available for G-d to manifest Herself through them. In the book, we not only get to meet some of the amazing people who are a part of and who have passed through Jim's life.  We get to take a little walk on part of Jim's journey.  He is very transparent about his abusive childhood, his fall from being a married successful pastor to a divorced lay person and his struggles with depression.  I especially loved what he wrote about how he has embraced his depression and how he finds G-d even there. 

Jim's book also brought to mind the phrase that I love so much from the United Church of Christ.  "God is still speaking..."  One of the things that attracted me to the UCC was this phrase.  Any church who recognizes that G-d didn't shut up when Paul died has at least got one thing right, IMO.  Without taking anything away from the inspiration of the Bible, I believe that G-d is still writing scripture through inspired people today.  Some of it gets written down, some of it doesn't.  G-d is still telling a story, still revealing Herself to us.  How are the divine encounters that Jim captured so different from any story in the Bible?  Just as we can learn universal and eternal truths from reading the Bible stories, if we open our eyes, we can also learn those truths through things G-d is accomplishing today, in our own society, in our own time.  We don't have to look back 2,000 years to see what G-d is like or what G-d wants for us.

If you're still struggling to hear from G-d.  If you're still caught up in trying to find the big things that G-d wants you to do for Him, then I recommend Divine Nobodies.  It's an easy, fun read.  Jim has a quirky sense of humor that will keep you engaged.  Maybe after reading it, you'll be better equipped to find those Divine Nobodies G-d sends to you every day.

Peace,
Brian

Obama Loses Texas & Ohio

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The losses last night sting.  Once again I'm reminded of one of the reasons I don't like living in  Ohio.  Hillary's fear and prejudice campaign worked here.  Amazingly, Obama did very well in my part of the state (the most conservative).  It's ironic that some call Obama's supporters naive.  Yes, he pulls in the young vote. But, he also pulls in the votes of those who have taken the time to study his record, his policies and to research the rumors.  He hasn't been endorsed by several major newspapers based on naive hope. It's those who take the time to study both candidates rather than listening to whispers who are moving toward Obama.

Obama stayed on message in Ohio and lost.  His ads (which were driving me nuts because there were so many) stayed positive.  He was gaining ground until Hillary went negative.  Everyone said it was a sign of desperation and it was. But, stupid us.  We fell for it again!  We saw it coming.  But, we couldn't resist.  Once again, we see that negative campaigning works.  One of the things I like about Barack is he runs a campaign the way I think I would run a campaign. I've been called naive.  I'm proud to remain naive.  I'm still hopeful it'll actually work.  But, it's much more difficult to win votes in this country based on hope and vision than based on fear.  Just look back at the last several presidential elections.  Who wins? The guy telling us he can keep us safe from the bad guys.  Or the guy telling us his opponent will lead us down the road to ruin.  Even in Obama's "concession" speech last night he remained positive.  He has resisted the temptation to bring up a host of skeletons that are already out of the Clinton's closet.    He has so much material to use against her.  But, he has not.  So far. Will he?

This campaign is more than just about Obama and Clinton, it's a study in how Americans respond to campaign strategies. As Barack said last night, the world is watching.  I am almost as disappointed about the fact that once again we (Ohioans) went for the fear and negative campaigns as I am that the battle for the Democratic nominee has to continue and will further weaken and divide this party.  Will we fall for the same old stuff again?  People promising us more of the same and calling it "change"?  People who prey on our fears and just promise to keep us afe rather than people who want to improve things?  I'm somewhat naive. But, I'm also somewhat of a realist.  What I fear is Americans doing the same thing this time around and expecting a different result. The very definition of insanity.

I think Pennsylvania will be tough.  From my understanding, it's a lot like Ohio.  Obama's campaign needs to figure out how we can get the average Joe Lunchbox to stop believing the whisper campaigns against Barack.  Surprising numbers of people still question his religion, his commitment to America versus Africa and his patriotism (because it's been reported he won't say the Pledge of Allegiance).  He may have to spend time on that on his next series of ads rather than what he can do for the country.  Deep sigh...

Still fired up and ready to go.  But, a little weary of seeing the same old patterns repeat themselves.  I hope the American people are truly ready for a change and not just saying it (again).

Peace,
Brian 

Obamania

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I just read an article on Julie's blog comparing Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan.  Wow!  That made me really want to rethink my support for Obama for a couple of reasons. First, I don't want to be a sheep.  Secondly, I wouldn't vote for Reagan in a millions years. That follows seeing the new will.iam video about Obama yesterday.  And, I have to confess I did buy "I've Got a Crush on Obama" by Obama Girl yesterday.  All of this has me a little concerned. 

I don't mean to be a downer. I love Obama and what he stands for- hope and change along with substance.  I am a major supporter.  But, this  video makes me uncomfortable and leads credence to those who claim Obama supporters are just blind followers  I don't mind chanting "Yes We Can".  But, the chant of "Obama" in the video I find disturbing.  I love the sentiment of "We Can Change the World" and I love will.i.am's enthusiasm.  But, let's keep our heads about us and let people know Obama is a man of substance, too.

I've studied Obama's record. In truth, more than any candidate for president ever.  And, it's precisely because there is such a wave of exuberance lifting him up that I have scrutinized him. I am hardly ever a follower, going along with popular trends.  I will not vote for a candidate just because everybody thinks he's "cool" or because he gives great speeches.  In fact, I'm prone to go the other way.

Obama is a man of intelligence, substance and character.  He comes with a unique cultural perspective.  He has the ability to reach out to those who differ from him.  I think he offers this country real hope at changing the way things are done both domestically and overseas.  And he has the record to back it up.  His time in the Illinois Senate and his short tenure in the United States Senate has been extremely productive.  Let's not sell the man short by focusing merely on the sizzle and forgetting about the steak.  I'm a little concerned about an anti-Obama backlash.  And, let's not forget he can't change water into wine.  Some of the support for Obama makes me want to start looking for a mark on his forehead. 

If you're an Obama supporter, enjoy the video. The videos are fun and can help us supporters get fired up.  But, don't forward them to your friends expecting them to jump on the bandwagon because of the videos.  Instead forward his policy statements or his record of achievements.

OK. Gotta run and put on my Obama t-shirt.  The primary in Ohio is Tuesday, you know.

Yes We Can!



p.s.- two shocks this week. The Mayor of Cincinnati (Mark Mallory) threw his Superdelegate vote to Obama and the Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed Barack over Hillary. Is this the same Cincinnati I've been living in for the past 10 years? I thought for sure the Enquirer would go for the "safe" choice, Hillary.