I am a Mormon, and as such I have had to explain many times my membership when questioned about past practices and statements of Church leaders.
Perhaps Barack can garner some ideas from my experience.
God calls us to him, and gives us faith and inspires us with a desire to change and transform our lives. There is no Church or organization that is perfect, because the people that make up the Church body are all imperfect. However, God still calls us through the ministry of those organizations, and through people who turn out to have made serious mistakes, at some point or another. But it is not the preacher, but rather God that calls us! We cannot deny the fact that it is in a specific context that God revealed himself to us, and that we experienced his love.
The fact that we are called to God through a specific ministry, and or minister, is part of who we are and our experience with God. It is significant.
GOD CALLS US TO A SPECIFIC PLACE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Barack Obama is a bridge between a previous generation of African Americans, who have grown up under very difficult circumstances, like Pastor Wright, in the 60s, and a new generation of African Americans. Barack cannot just abandon the reality of pain and anger from the past without also losing his ability to significantly impact the community he was called to serve. He has to show the way of reconciliation between the previous generation and the new one; between the reality of pain and hurt from a previous generation and the hope and new horizons of a new generation. He can only do this by not abandoning those who are angry and hurt. He can condemn their words, their actions,when these are not in harmony with his sense of right and wrong, but he has a duty and an obligation to stick with his Church and group, showing the older generation the way. You can accept the sinner without accepting their sin. And accepting the sinner transcends petty politics.
God calls us to our Church because we are meant to make a difference there until he tells us otherwise. It is our mission and our test of faith.
People can't argue against our mission and our desire to make a positive contribution to our religious community. We can reject the teachings of a pastor and still feel called by God to stick with the community because we feel we are meant to make a difference there. We are the bridge between the wrongs of the past and the hope of the future.
GL
Comments are closed for this post.
