Better Wright than wrong

It is unfortunate that Wright's sermons have come to hurt Senator Obama. For those who are not evangelical Christians, they may not be familiar with preaching and the way it is viewed by many, if not most evangelicals. A sermon is not a written speech, nor does it carry the weight of doctrine. It is often filled with allegory, analogy, emotion, etc. Further still, sermonizing in a Black church takes on additional dynamics, rooted in the Black experience in America.

Many may be surprised, but these sermons are not always flag-waving, zombie-like promotion of the American status quo. Rather, they are usually challenging on a personal level. Challenging to complacency, and more often than not, aimed at people who may lack the erudition to wrestle with issues of faith solely through impassioned self study. Again, some may not know this, but Reverend Wright is not atypical in the Black religious community. I have sat and listened to my fair share over the years, and the sermon clips that are played (out of context) are not particularly unique.