STILL ALL WRIGHT ALL THE TIME!

Rev. Rob Schenck, your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, reporting:

Until Rev. Jeremiah Wright came to Washington, I was busy doing the following:

- Working the National Bible Reading Marathon on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol

- Developing legal strategies for the two big cases surrounding the public display of the Ten Commandments and the impending ruling against “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

- Continuing our efforts at ministering to the Supreme Court justices

- Prayerfully framing my talk for next month’s huge Creation Music Festival in Mt. Union Pennsylvania where I’ll speak on the Sanctity of Marriage

But now, in the Post Wright world everything is overshadowed by his much too memorable theological and polemical thunder. (Though all the above projects continue apace.) Jeremiah Wright has indeed taken the country by storm. He was the leading news story for more than a week, an absolute eternity by journalistic measure.

I have received hundreds of E-mails on Wright and his liberation theology. Dozens of reporters, editors and producers have called me. I’ve done several interviews about both for television, radio and print media.

Of course, if this were simply about theology the story would have quickly been relegated to the dusty, musty halls of academia. What’s really keeping this story alive is the question surrounding Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s relationship to Wright. This is a legitimate question, but for me it takes a little bit of a different turn.

I do think this is all about theology, the church and specifically, the black church. From my vantage point, these are the things that really matter. Partisan politics is predictably tempestuous, rancorous and filled with combat. Any weapon is fair to use, including one’s church affiliation, but for me, the critical questions are what Wright actually preaches and teaches and how that affects those formed under his religious tutelage.

I explore a lot of this in a series of recorded phone conversations with experts on the subjects of theology and the black church. They are posted at http://www.faithandaction.org/ and http://www.nationalclergycouncil.org/. (More installments will go up soon.) Please listen to these brief exchanges; I think you’ll find them enlightening.

As far as what we will do going forward on this: 1) We will continue to track and expose Reverend Wright and liberation theology, 2) We will continue to counter this “poison” (as one African-American scholar called it) and 3) We will continue to put forward the positive message of Christian faith.

My essay, “Why We’re Concerned About Wright and His Theology” (again, at http://www.faithandaction.org/ explains the reasons behind giving so much attention to this subject. Please read it and pass it along to concerned family, friends and fellow church members.

While I’m on this, let me set one thing straight: I do not disrespect Jeremiah Wright. He is an obviously intelligent, accomplished individual who is extraordinarily savvy about dealing with the media. He is also a man my senior in years and in ministry experience, so I will continue to be be deferential and civil in my challenges to him. I will also pray for him, his family and all those affected by him.

I do believe Wright is wrong. (I love that play on his name!) He is wrong on his understanding of God, the Christian faith and biblical religion. He is also supremely wrong on the paramount moral issues: The Sanctity of Life (he is for wholly unrestricted abortion and passionately defends Roe v. Wade) and the Sanctity of Marriage (he performs so-called “same-sex” weddings).

Barack Obama’s inexplicable long and continued close association with Wright will keep interest in liberation theology alive for a long time to come. Should Obama win the presidency, it will light Wright’s afterburners. The result will be an ever-greater interest in his peculiar brand of theology and ultimately a wider embrace of it—including here on Capitol Hill. This takes Wright, his black liberation theology and his ultra-liberal church from a religious sideshow to the religious main stage.

The concerns of others about Wright and the danger of his theology have led to some unlikely back-room conversations among Christian leaders concluding it would be better for Democrat-leaning Evangelicals, Catholics and other religious conservatives to vote for Hillary Clinton in the upcoming primaries. The reasons they give me for saying so: She doesn’t help propel Wright to national religious stardom and his heresy with him.

I never thought I’d hear pro-Hillary talk in religiously conservative circles, but I am now. I think I’m having a Roger Poger upside down day!

Be back . . .

Rev. Rob Schenck

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

FACE-TO-FACE WITH OBAMA'S PASTOR!

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

I just got back to our ministry center after spending the morning as a guest at the National Press Club for an address by the highly controversial long-time pastor to Barack Obama, Dr. Jeremiah Wright. His purpose was ostensibly to explain and defend the Black church to a hostile audience, but I thought he went on to do more alienating than bridge-building.

In any case, I wanted to talk with him personally, and miracle of miracles, that happened! In an overflow room with very tight control and security, it seemed impossible to access America's newest religious celebrity. Never one to shrink back, I boldly introduced myself to one of his handlers and explained who I was. She was very warm and accommodating and immediately escorted me past the impenetrable rope line directly to Dr. Wright.

As always I tried to be as warm, congenial and deferential as I could. I introduced myself and extended a warm welcome on behalf of the National Clergy Council (my other hat in Washington), but quickly went to the matter at hand. With all due respect, I admonished Dr. Wright, warning him about the error of his Marxist informed "liberation" theology. I told him it was incompatible with the Gospel and was the source of his trouble.

That's when I realized Dr. Wright isn't all that interested in a "dialogue." A dialogue is exactly that, a two-way form of communication. It involves both parties listening as well as talking. Dr. Wright wasn't interested in talking to me, but quickly dismissed me and dropped his head into his notes. He then mounted the podium and went on what began as a thoughtful, carefully crafted defense of the Black Church and its history. It stayed that way as long as he stuck to his printed notes and teleprompter. As soon as he strayed, though, it quickly degraded into a sometimes diatribe against all those who don't understand his church or him in particular.

Instead of a noble and transcendent message--and a formal, humble defense--this became a "working out" of Jeremiah Wright's personal issues with a lot of people. I found particularly disturbing his intimidating behavior toward the young woman chairing the proceedings. It fell to her to simply read the questions posed by members of the audience by way of submitted index cards. (One of mine was selected: "Does God love the white racist in the same way he loves the oppressed black American?" Good answer--John 3:16!) Notwithstanding the reasonableness of the questions, Dr. Wright often leaned into the young lady, clearly violating her personal space, and acted as though she had authored the questions. At one point he seemed to almost physically bully her.

At no point would he concede that he had perhaps chosen the wrong words, allowed his temper to get out of control, or was the least bit wrong in anything he has said or done. He wouldn't answer the most controversial questions put to him. As time went on, he came off more and more dismissive and cocky.

Though I have been a critic of Dr. Wright, I went into this meeting with an open mind. I have spent a lot of time fostering relationships between white and black Christians. I have served in extended times of ministry in a large and all-black congregation. Our ministry has partnered with black organizations, often funding their efforts with no assertion of control or even visibility. We are right now co-hosting the annual National Bible Reading Marathon at the US Capitol, run principally by a black congregation pastored by a white minister. Sadly, Dr. Wright did little to strengthen such relationships and partnerships. I suspect he did more damage than good.

Please pray for Dr. Wright and his lovely wife and children. God help him to see the error of his ways and the power of Matthew 23:12, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

My assessment: I have a lot to learn, a lot to listen to and a lot to work hard to overcome, but so does Dr. Wright. May he have ears to listen and a heart to change!

More later . . .

Rev. Rob Schenck
Faith and Action
www.faithandaction.org
109 2nd St, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-546-8329