BLACK CHURCH MORES MISSED IN WRIGHT / OBAMA RIFT

As a minister, I have an enormous respect for the black church. As anyone who knows me knows, I'd rather preach in an African-American pulpit than a white pulpit. The black church has always been vivaciously spiritual, often gracious to a fault, enormously appreciative of good preaching (which always prods one to be better) and overwhelming respects "the man of God."



Let's just say the black church is a great place to be a minister of the Gospel!



Like it's white counterpart, though, the black church has its faults. We may be getting a glimpse of what is, at least from a certain aspect, one of those faults in the current drama of the Barack Obama / Jeremiah Wright falling-out.



Now, in the interest of full disclosure, let me say I have been a critic of both Mr. Obama and Rev. Wright. Obama for his public policies and Wright for his unorthodox theology. My observations here, though, have nothing to do with either. Instead, I think for most of the American public, a critically important component of this story is simply being missed.



Let me explain it this way: In the black church a young upstart is never to insult, disrespect or upstage his elder--especially if that elder is "the man of God." I've always appreciated this facet of black church mores. It instills respect for age, experience and position.



The trouble comes when you try to determine where the line is drawn. How old are you before you're no longer an "upstart?" When is it proper to hold a pastor accountable and when is it "dissing" him?



As I sat in the room at the Press Club and listened to Rev. Jeremiah Wright take Barack Obama to task ("Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability"), I detected a subliminal message. (One of my mentors in ministry, psychologist Doug Lui, instructed me 25 years ago, "It's not what people say that matters, it's why they say it.") The message from Rev. Wright was, "Barack, you disrespect me and I'll call you out. You're not going to dis me, boy. I will discipline you."



I was even more convinced we were looking into the woodshed when Rev. Wright pronounced, "[W]hether he gets elected or not, I'm still answerable to God November 5th and January 21st."

In church-speak, that meaneth, "You cross me, young man, and I'll keep you out of the White House. Then you'll learn what respect is all about."



I'd like to come off as the paragon of virtue and humble perfection in this, but, frankly, I'm not sure I wouldn't have done exactly the same thing to the young Mr. Obama.



Oh, how I love the Black Church and all it has to teach me.



Well, back to my by-comparison dull world of the white church . . .



Rob Schenck