PAINTING THE CHURCH BLACK

It's a day before the '08 turkey opener and all the talk on the mountain is of candidate Obama's pastor Jeramiah Wright. Recent appearances on Bill Moyer's journal and as the keynote speaker at annual NAACP meeting has thrust the Rev. back into the spotlight. And with that the Obama campaign and every cracker in the holler is scrambling to put their 2 cents in.
I watched Rev. Wright field all Bill Moyer's soft balls without hardly bending over. He even threw in "hermenutics", a theological term meaning interpreting through a particular window- showing that scholarly side. I have to say that after all the angry "Black Man" sound bites, it was a welcome relief. The Rev. seemed alright. I could see him in his leopard skin pillbox hat and dashiki administering the oath of office to Barrack. Power to the people. Right on.
But then something happened. I have seen it happen so many times before. It's a by product of our "reality" driven society. Because of all the attention paid to Rev. Wright (becuase of his connection to Mr. Obama) he began to believe his own self importance. He was inflicted with Buttafucco syndrome. For the first time in his career he had a world audience and GODDAMMITT! he was not going to let this opportunity pass. The chickens HAVE come home to roost.
Now, finally, Obama is distancing himself from JW and his radical and devisive "Black Church" theology. Don't get me wrong. I like Wright. But I can see how he would be a millstone around the neck of our future President. Politically he has to put some distance there. It's like when Rap Brown designed those cod piece pants or Stokely started dealing crack. Hubris is not a pretty thing. Afterhours I think people (even Presidential candidates) should be able to hang with whomever they like. But as my old man always sez- you're known by the company you keep. Is Jimmy Swaggart still alive? Maybe it's time for Barrack to pick another church. I'd like to offer the LGM's services. Exegete that!