Weekly Words

It’s Not Wrong to be Wright, and It’s Not Right to be Wrong

Recently, there has been outrage against Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Pastor Emeritus at Trinity United Church of Christ. I have read pundits who have been very critical of Wright by calling him everything from stupid to a bigot. All of this indignation has sparked from sermon clips of Wright’s sermons where he is extremely critical of America. However, so many of those who have been voices of condemnation, have failed to address the legitimacy of any of Wright’s claims. Yes, Rev. Wright said, “God damn America,” but he also said “God damn America for killing innocent people … God damn America for treating her citizens as less than human.” Yes, he asserted that America’s foreign policy contributed to 9/11, and as evidence he pointed to America’s bombing of Hiroshima and support of terrorism against Palestinians and South Africans. Though how Wright says what he says can be accurately accused of being inflammatory, what Wright says is accurate. More importantly, Wright makes these statements as an attempt to call an America to which he belongs, to repentance and improvement. America, since its birth has participated in oppressive, violent, and unequal treatment of its own people and people around the world. Yet, to address America’s flaws and faults is to be labeled “Anti-American” by many.

There are profound spiritual lessons to be learned here. First, speaking truth to power and being critical of one’s own nation, for the sake of repentance and improvement, is deeply biblical and profoundly Christian. Prophets like Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Jeremiah, just to name a few, were very critical of the wrong doing and oppression of the powerful and elite of their day. Likewise, Jesus, who was crucified by Roman authorities, was given the death of a political revolutionary (The Roman Empire only crucified thieves and political revolutionaries). Secondly, America, predominately a nation of Christians, should not be excused from the Christian practice of repentance. However, to repent one has to be willing to look in the mirror and engage in self -critique and self -reflection. In essence, one has to be willing to admit their faults, recognize their failures, and realize their flaws.

Still, this is not just a lesson for America – it is a lesson for Americans. This is not just a lesson for our country – it is a lesson for each of us. Many of us are so deeply American in that we too find self-critique and self -reflection to be a difficult journey. The truth of the matter is there are many problems in our lives that our shortcomings have caused, many troubles in our relationships that our deficiencies produce, and many obstacles in our journeys that our weaknesses have brought about. Until we can come to grips with worst of ourselves, we can never fully become the best of ourselves. No, we are not all bad, and neither is America. We are simultaneously good and bad, virtue and vice, attractive and appalling. Nevertheless, since neither we nor America are all good, it is not wrong for Wright or anyone else to be critical of our vices. In fact it is more than not wrong, it is Christian.

Humbly in Christ’s Love,
Pastor B.A. Jackson