 The last few years I have been repeatedly disappointed by the
bickering and pettiness displayed by our legislators, political
pundits and candidates for office. I have longed for representatives
who are informed and articulate, who habitually seek the best laws
and results for the land. Unfortunately, the history I have reviewed
recently suggests that we may be more like our forefathers than we
would like to believe.
Those who long nostalgically for more civil times should not read
some of the pamphlets distributed during the election of 1800 when
Jefferson defeated Adams! Neither should they watch the movie
Conspiracy, which discusses the way Washingtonians accused of
working with John Wilkes Booth were unfairly stripped of their rights
and executed. Although the political process was fraught with danger
and contention, there were also many leaders who paid a real price
for their convictions.
For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has loomed larger than
life in the hearts and minds of Americans since his assassination in
1968. The massive monument which now stands on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C., is a physical manifestation of the spiritual giant
he has been to so many of us over the past two generations. Today’s
leaders can only hope to capture a fraction of the respect from his
followers and fear from his opponents that Dr. King commanded during
his lifetime. Yet this was never the life that he sought for himself.
Indeed, if there is one lesson we can learn from this man today, it
is that the best leaders are often reluctant to bear the burden of
leadership, because they understand the cost is so high.
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The role of the church in the public square has been the subject of
many recent debates. Much of the concern about Christians and the evangelical church
has centered on how we will use our considerable secular power at the
ballot box. While I agree that the church should fully engage in the
democratic process, there is much more we can offer the American public.
This article is something of an open letter to the Christian
community. After weeks of reflection upon our current national problems,
I arrived at a blinding flash of the obvious. My epiphany is that our
spiritual standing before God is our greatest gift to the nation. In a
manner of speaking, we have friends in "high" places. We are the
ultimate insiders.
When we pray and believe things happen. Unfortunately, we have not always understood the ways of God.
We often pray when we should lobby and we lobby when we should pray.
For example, during the Bush presidency there has been more prayer
offered up for the nation than ever. As a result of all the prayer the
Lord did many good things. In addition, he also allowed things to occur
which could bring the rest of the nation to her knees. There is a war
raging in Iraq, the economy is in shambles and energy costs are soaring.
Our national woes may cause millions to lose confidence in false gods, humanistic ideologies and even their own abilities.
On Oct. 16, the new memorial for Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was
finally completed. There was only one problem with the work: The
wrong words were carved on the statue. The tone of the phrase
misrepresented “the spirit” of the fallen leader. After a huge
controversy, the memorial leadership decided to change the writing on
the statue.
This change was legitimate. Unfortunately an illegitimate
expression occurred this past week. Politico reported that Tavis
Smiley had been disinvited from the 20th annual MLK luncheon, hosted
by the Peoria Civic Center. Why? Mr. Smiley has said publicly that
President Obama had not done enough for black Americans, which,
according to the center, upset some people. He was replaced by
reliable liberal Michael Eric Dyson.
In later interviews, Mr. Smiley noted that only a small handful of
the 1,500 ticket holders for the event complained about his comments,
resulting in his ouster from the luncheon. He also made it clear that
he supports President Obama, but as a journalist feels obligated to
hold him accountable for his actions in office. While I may disagree
with Mr. Smiley on some issues, I certainly agree that his honest
appraisal of President Obama’s performance should not disqualify
him from speaking at a luncheon honoring Dr. King.
Much political noise has been made about providing grants and/or
loans for higher education. For minorities, these programs are seen
as invitations for full participation in the American system. Many
Americans believe changing the higher education equation for
minorities is the only way to “level the playing field”
economically for America’s minorities.
More specifically, liberals often believe solving the education
conundrum is mandatory for our future. Conservatives, however, almost
universally declare that the education gap can be addressed by
neither federal programs nor funding. They both are probably correct
in this situation.
Solving America’s education gap is tantamount to our nation
fighting a cobra. In cobra fighting, you have two choices. First, you
can charm the cobra (typically by playing music), and prevent him
from striking you today. Secondly, you can choose to attack him like
Rikki Tikki Tavey, the mongoose of Rudyard Kipling fame, and solve
your problem permanently. Dealing with our educational woes at the
university level, while the majority of minority children are vastly
unprepared for life, simply charms the cobra.
When I was about 10 years old, I fell into a hornets’ nest. The hornets got caught in my clothing. The more I fought, the more they stung me. Later I counted about 20 stings. It was a painful few days, but I survived. Every now and then, I see someone caught up in a flurry of painful but meaningless activity. I am reminded of my childhood experience and often use the age-old expression, “They fell into a hornets’ nest.” Most Americans agree that President Obama fell into a Middle Eastern hornets’ nest during the last few months. Despite the toppling of totalitarian states and the possibility of the establishment of new democracy, it is difficult to see a realistic end to the terrorism, bloodshed, and warfare in this important region of the world. The death of Osama Bin Laden marked a symbolic end to America’s war on terrorism. National jubilation is the only way to describe our corporate feeling about the demise of this “arch enemy” of everything Americans stand for. Perhaps this euphoric victory led the administration’s foreign policy strategists into a subtle state of hubris. This false feeling of power may have convinced them that they could actually advance the peace process by imposing the US will on the Palestinian/Israeli peace process. The entire nation is aware that on Thursday May 19, the president declared Middle Eastern peace talks could only progress if Israel would agree to return to their 1967 boundaries. After a veritable maelstrom of rebuttals, the president's international policy team realized the error of their ways. Therefore, the next Sunday morning (5-22-11) the president retracted his peace talk ultimatum. He even went so far as to claim that he was misquoted. His clarification speech occurred at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) annual meeting in Washington, DC. Despite the public acquiescence of former Prime Minister Netanyahu, the president seemed to create even more controversy. As I walked through the more than 11,000 pro-Israel advocates, I heard everything from motherly articulation of forgiveness to numerous people declaring they would never vote for President Obama again.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has begun traveling his state on
what he calls his “People First Campaign.” This not an effort to hear from his people,
as the name would imply. Cuomo is actually attempting to sell three policy
agendas. The following quote tells the story in his own words, "Our entire
team is...speaking directly to New Yorkers...about the issues that can move
this state forward...We need to pass a property tax cap, ethics reform, and
marriage equality during this legislative session and time is short.” For social conservatives the most alarming aspect of this
campaign is the fact New York’s Senate blocked a same-sex marriage bill in mid-2009.
The bill was stopped because of an amazingly motivated electorate’s desire to
maintain traditional marriage. Instead of listening to the will of the people,
Cuomo’s website carries this rhetoric, “…it is time to for our state to retake
our leading role in guaranteeing equal rights for all. This is about civil
rights and equality.”
Last Sunday,
May 1st, I appeared on Roland Martin's Washington Watch program with
two other DC pastors. Our discussion centered on the role of the clergy in
politics. One of my fellow participants, Dr. Charles Wallace Smith, came
to national prominence because President Obama attended his Easter services
this year. Starting the Monday after Easter, conservative pundits played
excerpts of one of Dr. Smith’s previous messages on race almost non-stop. A
January 2010 speech at Eastern University in Saint Davids, PA conveyed these
emotionally charged words: “It may not be
Jim Crow anymore. Now, Jim Crow wears blue pinstripes, goes to law school and
carries fancy briefs in cases. And now, Jim Crow has become James Crow, Esquire.
And he doesn’t have to wear white robes anymore because now he can wear the
protective cover of talk radio or can get a regular news program on Fox.” Dr. Smith must
have known that he would eventually get a reaction from this speech, even
though it was delivered 16 months ago. Despite his low opinion of conservatives
and the Fox News team, I came prepared to affirm Dr. Smith’s right to speak.
Further, I wanted to remind the nation that America has been repeatedly
transformed by a free pulpit. The important fruit of religious liberty is easy
to forget when someone is saying something we do not like. Further, I attempted
to offer a plan of action for the nation to begin to tackle the 800 pound
gorilla in the room - 400 years of racial turmoil in America.
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