Jeremiah Wright's Influence on My Ministry

Back in September 1988, I was a young man searching for a spiritual direction. The Christianity of my youth did not suffice for the questions that I had.

The milquetoast theological explanations of the church I was forced to attend at gunpoint by my parents caused me to reject Christianity as a young adult, and more importantly, reject the teachings of Jesus. At the time, I was seriously considering orthodox Islam.

So it was rather serendipitous, as I later reflected, that I received a last minute phone call from a friend to attend a service at the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland. My immediate inclination was to decline, but my attraction to the woman who asked me to attend overruled my gut reactions.

Little did I know that I would hear a sermon that not only changed my view of the teachings of Jesus, but also put me on a path that would lead to attending seminary and ultimately being the only pastor/syndicated columnist in the country.

The title of the sermon, "What Makes you so Strong?" was preached by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. The power, the intellect, and the spirituality of the message were like nothing I'd ever heard. I left that night with more questions than I was given answers, but it unleashed a curiosity that remains to this day.

With love at the foundation, Rev. Wright presented Jesus as a radical, revolutionary, and deeply subversive individual who sided with those on the underside of life, and was committed to changing the status quo.

Over the years, I've heard Dr. Wright preach numerous times; the majority has been of the same intellectual and spiritual nature of that initial sermon. But there were times I believed he crossed an ethical line. I've heard him say things that, in my opinion, trump the controversial sound bites that have been recently aired.

But Trinity United Church of Christ, under the leadership Rev. Wright, is not some racist/xenophobic cult that the isolated sound bites might suggest. It is an oasis in the wilderness of poverty, black on black crime, and under performing public schools that plague Chicago like it does practically every other urban city.

By admitting Rev. Wright's influence on my spiritual path must I now must now denounce him or risk banishment to the island of irrelevance? Granted, I'm not running for president, but few of us are the sum total of a sound bite.

As inflammatory as those statements appear, they are sound bites. Sen. Obama's rejection of the statements, which he was right to do, does not mean that Rev. Wright doesn't have a truth.

If we really want to end racism there must be a courage to hear and understand a truth that may differ from our own.

Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of "Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War." E-mail him at [e-mail] Or go to his blog, byronspeaks.blogspot.com

Comments

[MyThought]

Duh - when a minister runs down an opponent to the man he supports - he's crossing the line politically.

A minister is not supposed try to influence his congregation - tax benefits should be cancelled.

[MyThought]

Never mind - I heard what Wright said and it was "political" and churches are NOT supposed to get political - if they do they are supposed to get their tax breaks taken away.

When Rev. Wright said Hillary Clinton was never called "n****ger - well, Rev. Wright was never called a bitch either.

Rev. Wright disgusts me totally. And, the fact the Obama went to his church for "20 years" and the detection of anger in Michelle Obama's statements make me very wary.

[aftershock]

I guess that means any church that utters a word against abortion, homosexuality, sex ed, communism, etc... should lost it's tax exemption? Well in that case 99.9% of churches in the US fall under your broad stroke elimination logic, because they got "political" and stuff. Wright is under investigation for openly advocating his congregation vote for Obama, which IS a no-no under the law. Apparently you're supposed to wink and nod, and "lead" your followers on who to vote for, like the Catholic church saying last time when it was Kerry v. Bush, that their followers should vote for the "anti-abortion" candidate. Hmmm... wonder who they meant by that.

[FdeBear]

What should discuss you is the history he's talking about, but I'm afraid your head is too far up the stinky side of your anatomy to hear anything. When Martin Luther King was alive - I remember the cruel and hysterical words lodged against him. He was called a pimp! A hate-monger! An agitator, by some of the same people who swear they marched him. African-Americans have had to conflate politics with faith. There was no other place for us to go and the Bible provided accurate metaphors for our situation. King's famous "mountain top" speech was made during a midnight vigil in a church that was surrounded by a frothing white mob bent on destroying the civil rights movement. Children were bombed in our churches - in the United States of America. Get disgusted about that. My father fought in WWII. He fought white racism to fight for you! One of his assignments was to guard German prisoners of war in the South. These white Germans were given privileges that the black soldiers couldn't get. Get disgusted about that. But we have managed to make our way in this country inspite of these things. This is my home, but I'm not a blind fool and I'm not selective about my knowlege of history and neither is Michelle Obama. The United States of America commited genocide to occupy this land mass. Get disgusted about that! This country is not infalible and we should never turn a blind eye to our faults. Because we have them.

[ljsfolly]

When people fail to take notice that it is the "sound bites", that never end on MSM as the talking heads have to have something to talk about, that continue to damage after someone like Barack in this case can reputiate. Over and over the talking heads on whatever the cable news channel and the slant which the channel takes, they play like it was the first time and they must examine each sound bite like they might hear something new if they just keep playing it. Then three to four disect the words and the intent along with how it might someow represent another person who is not even the speaker. In this case how Barack might be actually speaking the words because he might have heard them? Does every speaker you hear speak words that somehow make you who you are? No you take what you can from someone or reject it but it is not who you are unless it moves you to become someone different as in this case to become a minister. Then is it the speaker or God who made the impact?

[OtayPanky]

Who cares about his influence on your ministry, or what a great guy he might be.

Like it or not, those sound bites are the kiss of death - because in case you hadn't noticed, mass perception tends to create its own reality.

And it does no good whatsoever to bitch and moan about how bad the MSM is, or how mean the Clinton camp is, yadda yadda. They WILL all run with this kind of stuff, and beat it like a red-headed stepchild. Bellyaching about it won't change a thing.

Obama and his team need to ruthlessly cut the cord, and then let the good reverend go gently into that good night - and get him the hell off of the news cycle.

Anything else just adds fuel to the fire.

[MariaHopeful]

He has done that already. What do you want? A pound of flesh and a quart of blood?
Why should black people be held to different standards? Blacks haven't enslaved anybody in this country when last I checked. So they were enslaved, abused, abased, ridiculed and lynched and they can't even fucking talk about it? Whilst the people responsible can say whatever they want.

[griffon2k]

No, they want to repeat it ad nasuem to remind Americans how fearful they should be of a presidential candidate with an "angry unpatriotic pastor" as the MSM would tell it. Even if that isn't truth.

Honestly, despite the repitition of this fake scandal we'll undoubtedly get from Republicans and Clinton supporters alike, I think Obama will still continue to be strong. These kinds of attacks only embolden his message. They make his statements of a need to move beyond a politics of division all the more pertinent and necessary.

Obama just needs to point to the politics of division each time this is brought up at a rally, at a press conference or at a debate.

[OtayPanky]

MariaHopeful: He has done that already. What do you want? A pound of flesh and a quart of blood?

===

Nope. I want Barack to make it to the White House. Which is why I want his well meaning friends like Byron here to just let it go right now, so Barack can move on.

Does that make sense to you?

===

MariaHopeful: So they were enslaved, abused, abased, ridiculed and lynched and they can't even fucking talk about it?

===

They can talk about anything they want.

But Barack's great strength has been his amazing ability to run a post-racial campaign - in case you hadn't noticed. If he gets caught up in the race based crap, he loses.

Don't let your passion cloud your ability to think clearly...otay?

[spacealien]

well said otay - he really should have taken that international publicity tour like mc cain. he should have been growing his appeal internationally instead of being in the us getting beat down.

[IndieGirl]

What's the difference between Falwell and Wright?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=H-CAcdta_8I

[raskolnikov72]

Wright loves his flock, is not a homophobe, has built a ministry around pro-active hand-on help of those less forunate and has over 2,000 minutes of sermons from which 30 seconds of incendiary language was pulled ...

[TinaFreeman]

Actually, to your point, he has over 2000 SERMONS, which was over 210,000 minutes, I think...you are quite correct.

[Liberal2]

I am not posting a defense of white racism, or excusing it. But what Mr. Wright overlooks is every race, ethnic group, every religion (except maybe Quakers), every nation is capable of committing horrors. What is going on in Africa right now is proof of it. And the present situation there isn't 100% due to European intrusion in Africa. People in Africa were killing other people in Africa very happily for 10s of thousands of years.

Mr. Wright ranted about the use of atomic bombs against Japan. Unfortunately, the same days we dropped those bombs, Japanese soldiers were happily committing atrocities against Chinese citizens. Mr. Wright might try reading "The Rape of Nanking" to better understand why Truman thought their use was called for. And that leaves out the carnage an invasion of Japan would have entailed. Remember, Japan refused to surrender and refused to leave China.

There were no completely virtuous combatants in WWII.

[Mygodbeatsyourgod]

Whoa, slow down there. The Imperial Japanese were in the process of surrendering to the Soviets in Mongolia, but Truman ignored it and dropped the two bombs to SCARE THE CRAP OUT OF STALIN. Quit being blinded by the flag...it makes ALL look bad.

[MariaHopeful]

"...People in Africa were killing other people in Africa very happily for 10s of thousands of years..."

As were people in Europe! Or have you forgotten what happened in Scotland, Ireland, England, Rome and on and on. Must I enumerate every single war and the casualties to convince you that you are NOT superior?

[griffon2k]

As you so eloquently pointed out, there are no "innocent" participants in war. We pratically vaporized Japanese citiizens with the dropping of those bombs and it's rarely spoken about in America while it defines much of the Japanese culture.

The bombs may have been dropped to end the war, but they also succeeded in showing the world the totality of America's might and allowed us to take a long standing position as superpower and dominant military force.

As a side effect, dropping those bombs also showed everyone the power they might yield if they had nukes of their own, and thus we've had nuclear arms races all over the world.

Though I disagree with the manner in which he said it, I understand that Wright's message wasn't that America was MORE guilty than other nations who have committed equally or more horrific acts. His message was that America has been equally guilty, and it's people should DEMAND THAT IT HOLD ITSELF TO A BETTER STANDARD.

Violence begets violence. Period.

[WorkingClass]

Liberal2: You and I could probably argue all day about whether or not it was a good idea to use the bomb on the Japanese. What does that have to do with Obama? Who is your candidate? Where do they stand on this "bombing the Japanese" issue? How do you know where they stand? Did you have a talk with their minister? Have you talked to your own minister about this? Does Obama agree with his minister on this important issue or does he agree with you and why does it matter?

[foufou]

Thank you. Reverend Wright and by association Trinity Church and all of its members are being demonized by the MSM with sound bites taken out of context from Wright's sermons. I suspect that the racial and cultural divide impact the perception of Wright, his comments, and his style. Objections are being raised not just to Wright's content but to his tone. Well, there's a reason churches and Sunday morning church services are the most segregated institutions in American. Reverend Wright is speaking to a primarily African American congregation from a liberation theology perspective on the south side of Chicago. That congregation and many other similarly situated churches would find nothing unusual about Wright's sermon or delivery. Nevertheless, it should not be assumed that every member of Trinity agrees with everything that Wright pronounces. Blessed would be the preacher, minister, reverend, or rabbi that spoke to an audience that agreed with everything said in the pulpit. I suspect there is a double standard imposed here for BO.

[bridgeworker]

Thank you, Byron, for posting here, and sharing with us, your personal experience with Reverend Wright. Anyone who thinks that Fox News, et al, is telling us the whole story here, wants to believe them. Otherwise, seek out the truth. It will take all of us, as in, well, a village, to share the truth here, and we can't let a clearly-vested interest on the airwaves tell it for us.

[Gogetter]

Here are two fairly interesting posts concerning the issue of Rev. Wright's controversial remarks. The second link is particularly on point.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/why-do-white-people-think-wrig.php
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/so-white-people-can-freely-tal.php

[Clinton]

"...Jesus as a radical, revolutionary, and deeply subversive individual who sided with those on the underside of life, and was committed to changing the status quo."

Very pertinent point. Yet, from a look at many (most?) white churches and their congregations you'd think He was a money grubbing corporate hack of some sort. Getting a massage at a country club, 'witnessing' to His golfing pals.

The Jesus of the New Testament is deeply subversive of what most Americans seem, by their daily example which is on display for all to see, to truly hold dear.

Were He here today, He'd likely end up undergoing extraordinary rendition at the hands of the Republicans.

[WorkingClass]

Once again an entire thread has disappeared. Please put it back.

[WorkingClass]

Thank you Byron Williams. I have been curious about the Rev. Wright since I heard it said that he stood up for Lewis Farrakhan. I am familiar with the words and the thinking of Lewis Farrakhan and I have great respect for him. Your brief article has helped me understand what Rev. Wright is actually teaching. You said:

"With love at the foundation, Rev. Wright presented Jesus as a radical, revolutionary, and deeply subversive individual who sided with those on the underside of life, and was committed to changing the status quo".

Thats the Jesus I know. His disagreements were not with Rome but with the Temple. Jesus was a master and a teacher. He knew the truth regarding the relationship between God and man. Because he spoke the truth he was murdered by the authorities. The Truth has not changed. The penalty for speaking Truth to power has not changed.

[Clinton]

Ever listen to Amos Wilson? Check it out if you get a chance (just Google, there's a ton of stuff).

[beardedmark]

How does Pastor Wright reconcile his calculated and hateful statements with the message of Christ: love and forgiveness?

[clevelandchick]

Why don't you ask Reverend Wright and not Byron Williams? How would Byron Williams know how Wright reconciles his statements with the message of Christ? You're asking the wrong person.

What I wonder is why there is such a double standard as far as religion is concerned. The pope recently stated that homosexuals are responsible for terrorism and how many white straight Catholic politicians were asked to distance themselves from those remarks? That would be zero. I have not heard one pundit ask Ted Kennedy if he renounces, rejects, or disassociates himself from the pope's calculated and hateful statements.

John McCain publicly declared that his spiritual advisor is Rev. Rod Parsely, a man who daily preaches from the pulpit that America is Christian Nation, that he wants to force America to become a Christian Theocracy and that we should be fighting to wipe out Islam on earth.

John McCain also actively sought the support of Reverend Hagee who like Parsely wants to turn America into a theocracy and declared that hurricane Katrina was punishment because New Orleans was hosting a Gay Pride parade. Why isn't John McCain getting the same scrutiny for his religious affiliations? Gee, I wonder...h­mmmm....ju­st what could the pope, Hagee, John McCain, and Parsely have in common?

So I ask you, how come John McCain isn't asked to take responsibility for the words of Hagee and Parsely? How come John McCain is not called on publicly to condemn THEIR calculated and hateful statemens?

[SeekerOne]

I seem to remember a story about money changers in a temple...

[Kansas Evans]

His statements weren't hateful.

[LewisR]

how is "God Damn America" not hateful? there can't be that much kool-aid in the world>

[cocobee]

I am glad that there is finally an articulate voice regarding this subject. The method in which Reverend Wright's sermon was shaded does a disservice to his religious philosophy and misrepresents the nature of baptist oration. When there is little to unearth about Senator Obama we see desperate people find it necessary to go into his church and attack him third party. Is nothing sacred?

[roneckley16823]

Wonderful post. Do we think the Clinton's are behind this? The republicans would have saved it until October - and I don't think McCain would sink this low. But Hillary win at all costs??????? Who ever used this to get at Obama must not be believers in the Christian Religion. Otherwise they would be afraid of burning in hell. I hope Reverand Wright continues to speak out.

[Nommo]

How are the statements in any inflammatory? Any Black person with an opinion faces the danger of being described as inflammatory though I know of no Black people who go around bombing churches and homes, particularly of those who are fighting for human/civil rights here in this nation. I don't know of any Black people who have blown up buildings, murdering children and adults in the process.

What Rev. Wright said is not true? The nation's president waxes over the "romance" of fighting in Afghanistan. Rev. Wright is a former Marine, not a draft dodger/deserter as is the current president and the one before him. A man who would have put his life on the line for his country. I have to disagree with even your supposition that these statements appear inflammatory. Who of Rev. Wrights flock has blown up a church murdering 4 little girls?

[Clinton]

You are right. People are afraid to see the real damage they've done.