A number of sweet, innocent and decent hearted people are shocked because it looks like Barrack Obama's preacher, Jerimiah Wright hates white people and America in general. They wonder how Obama could sit in that church for 20 years unless he agrees with Wright. Well, I don't know what's in Obama's head but I can tell you this: Rev. Wright's views (thank you Fr. Philip for posting this on your most excellent blog) are actually pretty common. Visit a black Protestant church and you'll probably hear something similar. Perhaps it will be a little bit more polite or perhaps it will have more oratorical flourishes but it will be essentially the same. Rev. Wright was formed in the pre Civil Rights era. He's probably seen some bad stuff in his day and bears the scars.
I remember going to an AME Zion service back in 2003 (I had to, the church was founded by my ancestors and my family was there for our reunion and it was the last time I went to a non Catholic church on Sunday) and the preacher spoke about the wickedness of America and how God would punish us because poor Saddam Hussein's sons were dead. He also bemoaned the fact that so many black boys were in jail. I wanted to stand up and say "Hey Rev! What about all the black women who have been raped, robbed and killed by those black "boys". Don't we count for anything? Or are we supposed to take being victimized and not call the police?" I didn't want to cause a problem with my family so I remained in cowardly silence. It wasn't my best moment. Perhaps I should have gotten up and gone outside or perhaps, like my cousins who had white spouses and were warned that things might get uncomfortable during the service; I should've simply should have made and excuse and not gone at all that morning.
I still remember listening to my mother's people applauding and shouting "Amen" and realizing how different I was my own kin. Don't be surprised at Rev. Wright. His damn America sermon was probably one his more mild ones. So what's the answer to this? The usual: love, patience, mercy, tolerance (real tolerance--- not ignoring ugliness) and facing up to reality. The racial situation in America is not as bad as it used to be but it's not pink ponies and rainbows either.
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