Want to read an extremely thoughtful and moving analysis of black preaching and the place of the African American church in national life and thought?
Want a clear-headed assessment of what's up in America's black churches?
Read what my friend and partner, Gerald Britt writes in the latest issue of New Wineskins e-magazine.
Click on the title line above or go to:
http://www.wineskins.org/filter.asp?SID=2&fi_key=149&co_key=1593.
5 comments:
Great article Larry!
I will say, I'm not completely on board with liberation theology, but I think they are at least asking the right questions. When people equate salvation with heaven, we run into all sorts of problems. Its too bad that white middle class America is so focused on getting to heaven, rather than living out salvation in the way that Jesus taught.
Interesting article. Why are we starting to allow a church with any white people in it to be called the white church? I don't truly understand the need for a "black church" in modern America; I am not against its existence. I would rather its congregation hold its commentary to introspection and not start to label every chruch by its skin color. We who are sons and daughters of God are loved by God and we don't need a "white church" anymore than a "tall church." Also, Jermiah Wright calling the God of the Universe to damn America is undoubtedly unpatriotic. Everyone makes mistakes, but we won't help to restore him by playing cover-up.
The question D and A is not whether or not saying God Damn America is patriotic. Its clearly not. The question is, should the church even be patriotic. Should we whitewash the faults of our ancestors in the name of jingoism? The Kingdom of God has no artificial lines to determine types of people. The Kingdom of God is worldwide, and if we should be "patriotic" to any Kingdom, it should be Gods. And there is a time and place for prophetic witness to the principalities and powers, and I think Wright hit the nail on the head with that one.
The prophets of Israel and Jesus, himself, spoke curses upon the nation and upon its religious leaders. The woes and the words of condemnation flowed freely from both sources. Almost always the words of judgment related to the misuse and abuse of power with the result that people were hurt.
I was speaking to the article referenced by the post, not to the virtuosity of patriotism. The article called Wright patriotic for what he said. Thanks for sharing your views though, I appreciate them as I am really pondering now how the church should view America and its dominating culture.
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