THE REV. JEREMIAH A. WRIGHT, Jr.

The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D., Ph.D. (4/28/08)

As the political contretempts have flourished over remarks the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., made during his sermons, the profound ignorance of nearly all the political commentators bloomed. I do not know who these “political consultants” and “political advisors” might be, but I do know they don’t know much about the American experience, particularly the black experience.

Liberation theology grew out of the social gospel of the 1920’s, the 1930’s, and the 1940’s. The social gospel was simply the expression of the social implications of the personal gospel of love, as shown in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Reinhold Niebuhr, the great American theologian of a generation past, pointed out that the personal ethic of love in terms of society means justice. It takes no wit to know that the justice system in the United States throughout most of our history have been weighted against the blacks. Probably, the greatest expression of that within living memory was the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.

Liberation theology grew out of that in a more radical movement, taking its cue from the economic radicalism of the 8th century Hebrew prophets, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, and so on. To understand that radicalization one needs to understand the nature of oppression. Now, in terms of the present series crises in America, many Americans view the oil companies as oppressors along with the Congress and President who keep giving them tax breaks, and well they should because they are economic oppressors. The government is in the back pockets of the oil companies because the oil companies give our politicians lots of money and favors. The same can be said for drug companies, mortgage companies, and nearly every large corporation. To call this foul conspiracy an oppression is on the button, and everyone who hasn’t figured that out by now needs a couple of squirts of brain juice.

The current feeling in America that the Congress and the President are allies of these oppressors is long overdue. Multiply this feeling of oppression a hundred fold and one begins to understand the black experience.

The question is not one of patriotism. The Rev. Wright has already demonstrated his patriotism. He served his country in the military which is a lot more than most of those who’ve been squeaking and jibbering over snippets from his sermons.

He is patriotic, and that it the reason he has identified his government as an oppressor. There is a vast difference between love of one’s country and fondness for its government. Drive up to the gas pump or get a prescription filled, sense that rage, and see if it doesn’t feel the same way the Rev. Wright feels, remembering all of these indignant politicians have been getting rich while the country stagnates.