Eliot Katherine turned one on March 7th. We had a great time celebrating this little one.
Words that describe Eliot:
Feisty Compassionate Strong Mischievous Fearless Determined Precious Great smile Smarty Pants!! Intuitive Musical Animated Un-intimidated "Elle's bells" (coined by her aunt Jenny)
.....and completely charming!
Eliot's personality has continued to amaze Gavin and me, with each new milestone. She is signing regularly; she loves to write...doodle, really; she loves music and dances every time she hears a beat; she tries to strum on the guitar; she love to "read" and be read to; she loves dancing with her daddy and me; she adores her sisters; she prefers to eat off of a plate and hold a fork; she babbles ALL the time and says things that resemble "I want that", "Thank you", while pointing to an object and then pointing to herself...She truly amazes us.
Elle is a great combination of Raegan and Reece. She has the curiosity and intelligence of Raegan, but the compassion and intuitiveness of Reece. She's very perceptive and can figure out something that puzzles her, like Reece, but understands the "rules" of her environment, like Rae.
I know I'm just a mom gushing over her child, but really, I have babysat and known a lot of children throughout my years and I have NEVER known a baby like this one. She is so tenacious and really sweet at the same time. She really does amaze and bless us so greatly. She brings us lots of laughter. She loves her sisters and always seeks to comfort them when they're upset; she also looks for any opportunity to pull their hair or take their baby....we've got our work cut out for us on this one.
Gavin says we've switched roles in the discipline arena. He accuses me of being a softy with her. I always promised myself that I wouldn't have the typical, spoiled last child (no offense to you last born's out there:)), but she is testing me on that... I feel like I'm still being pretty consistent with Elle, but I must admit that she has charmed me... Have no fear!! I know that loving and healthy parenting offers a balance between affection and discipline. I'm having no problem with the affection part, and will continue to try my best to be the disciplinarian she needs me to be.
Kim, I don't think it's at all silly to wonder about such things. In fact, I appreciate your care. I'm always glad for your comments and input.
As you said, Obama has been working, writing and speaking to bring about One America and a United America for years. He has yielded much fruit in the pursuit of unity. I think one of the reasons he understands the need for unity is because of his spiritual training background.
--------------------------------------------------- Wikipedia describes Liberation theology as follows:
"Liberation theology focuses on Jesus Christ as not only the Redeemer but also the Liberator of the oppressed. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism."
And Black Liberation theology as:
Black theology or Black liberation theology is a Christian theology of liberation. The field of black liberation theology received its name in the 1960s and includes in its history Pan Africanists from earlier centuries who used the teachings of Christianity and/or the vehicle of the black church as foundational to their efforts for securing a self-determining existence for Africans.
Black liberation theology is theology from the perspective of oppressed people. It seeks to interpret the gospel of Jesus against the backdrop of historical and contemporary racism. The message of black theology is that the African American struggle for liberation is consistent with the gospel--every theological statement must be consistent with, and perpetuate, the goals of liberation.
This theology maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage—social, political, economic and religious. This liberation involves empowerment and seeks the right of self-definition, self-affirmation and self-determination."
I think his speech really explained well that the national reaction to Rev. Wright's sermons prove that the "most segregated hour in America is on Sunday mornings". It seems to me that what has been revealed in this, is that this is a very common theme in black churches across America, and we still have a long way to go in healing the hurts caused by the great sin of racism.
While Rev. Wright's convictions are shocking to anyone outside of the black church, I think it is very important for us to have understanding and grace for where the leaders of the black churches have come from, and through. The fact that Obama attended a church which promotes liberation theology (which is part of the gospel: to feed the poor, clothe the naked, care for orphans and widowed, etc.) and yet, comes out from under it with a revolutionary vision for unity and equality for ALL people, speaks to his integrity and character even more so.
He has proven that he has a unified perspective and vision for America - like you mentioned, and he has worked toward "perfecting our union" for so long. He understands that the injustices of this world are not a "black" problem. They are a problem for every American.
I think understanding liberation theology and promoting it are two different things. It would be one thing if he weren't standing up and raising his very influential voice to make a difference in this area to bring unity. Remember, too, that he got the title of his book, Audacity of Hope, from Rev. Wright. Wright did consistently speak about hope for a better future. It's a shame that he's being defined by these few damaging rants after 30 years of being respected.
I don't know if I'm addressing your disappointment, or not. Feel free to clarify if I've completely missed the point.:)
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
"Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.
And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.
This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren.
This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.
I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one.
Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. In South Carolina, where the Confederate Flag still flies, we built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans.
This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well.
And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn.
On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. On the other end, we've heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way
But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I described the experience of my first service at Trinity:
"People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend's voice up into the rafters....And in that single note - hope! - I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Those stories - of survival, and freedom, and hope - became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about...memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild."
That has been my experience at Trinity. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety - the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Like other black churches, Trinity's services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.
And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.
Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias.
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.
The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.
Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today's black and white students.
Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. That history helps explain the wealth and income gap between black and white, and the concentrated pockets of poverty that persists in so many of today's urban and rural communities.
A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family, contributed to the erosion of black families - a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.
But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician's own failings.
And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.
In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.
Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism.
Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns - this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.
But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.
For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.
Ironically, this quintessentially American - and yes, conservative - notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.
The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen - is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope - the audacity to hope - for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.
In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world's great religions demand - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother's keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister's keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.
For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright's sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.
We can do that.
But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.
That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can't learn; that those kids who don't look like us are somebody else's problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.
This time we want to talk about how the lines in the Emergency Room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care; who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned.
I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.
There is one story in particularly that I'd like to leave you with today - a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King's birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta.
There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.
And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.
She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.
She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.
Now Ashley might have made a different choice. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother's problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. But she didn't. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice.
Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he's there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."
"I'm here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.
But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins."
It's great to hear from you. I really have enjoyed reading your blog and getting to know your family. We're excited for the arrival of little LeeAnne! Thanks for your warm wishes regarding Raegan. We are very excited for this new chapter in her life! ...she's very excited, too. It is a wonderful blessing.
Regarding your comments about my last post, I want to begin by thanking you for responding. I never have accepted the thought of religion and politics being something you shouldn't talk about. I LOVE talking about things that excite and inspire me. Nothing inspires me like the faith we share in our Lord Jesus Christ, and recently even politics has inspired me! I've never been one to hide my feelings, anyway...if you remember:)
It's probably pretty clear from the onset that I disagree with your points about Obama. Here's why:
1. Rev. Wright has been preaching for over 30+ years. Who ever dug these videos up could only come up with THREE controversial videos. Don't you agree that if there were any more out there we would know about it! (certainly more may surface, but for now we have three) It is very feasible that Obama is telling the truth about not hearing these kinds of sermons from the man he considers like an Uncle - the man who led him to Jesus, married he and his wife, baptized his two little girls, and who talks with him about faith and family in his own home. This man is much more like a family member than just a pastor.
The Sept. 11th speech was given on the following Sunday. Anyone in politics was either in D.C. or NY dealing with the tragic aftermath. The sermon that talked about the injustices of our country and included the words "God d*** America" took place in 2003, and the last one, that talked about Hillary never experiencing racism, was from December of this past year. Three sermons, over thirty years of preaching, teaching in seminaries, and being a public figure in Chicago - all "they" can come up with are three excerpts from three sermons.
(a little side note: we evangelicals quickly forget, I think, how many of our leaders and pastors throughout the years have blamed 9/11 and AIDS on homosexuality and abortion, as a punishment on our nation. Jerry Falwell, for one, was extremely outspoken - saying almost exactly the same message as Rev. Wright. Wright uses racism instead of homosexuality and abortion. I, having been raised in the Southern Baptist denomination, heard similar messages throughout my childhood. These are not foreign concepts.)
2. Barack Obama HAS confronted Rev. Wright about his divisive words and statements. When he found out about these sermons a year ago he told his pastor then, that he disapproved of his statements. Furthermore, he distanced his campaign from his pastor at that point. Rev. Wright was uninvited to the dinner Obama hosted to announce his running for office. I would say that he not only "expressed his dislike to Wright", but he even took action that "fleshed out" his disapproval of Rev. Wright's words.
3. I don't call removing someone from your campaign "stand(ing) by and do(ing) nothing". He has denounced and rejected the statements given by Rev. Wright. He has removed him from his campaign. What else should he do? Surely you aren't suggesting that he shun the man?! Obama has handled this in a very Christ-like way. He obviously loves and respects this man. I think it is also obvious that he is really disappointed in this man, who has been a spiritual mentor to him. I say "spiritual" for a reason. Rev. Wright is NOT a politician and is NOT a political adviser. He was on Obama's campaign as a spiritual adviser - one of many, I might add.
Obama began his run on the notion that we can be united as ONE America: not a black America, white America, Latino America, Asian America...One united America. He has made his differences from Rev. Wright's statements starkly clear from the very beginning of this campaign (and since he came on the political scene in 2002). He has been consistent. He has not wavered from this message or vision. ...would you want to be held accountable for some of the things pastor Alan said during our time at Mt. Vernon?! Did you agree with everything he said? We still love pastor Alan and still have great respect for him, but we disagree with him on quite a few issues.
McCain is very lucky that the media hasn't broadcast some of Hagee and Parsley's sermons!!! Do you want to compare these two with the Rev. Wright? Each come with their own set of baggage and divisive messages, but are not defined by them.
Wright fought, probably lost loved ones, probably went to jail, for the rights our African American brothers and sisters enjoy today. I understand his bitterness and frustration toward America, and his fighting spirit. However, Obama recognizes that the America Wright grew up in and struggled through, is NOT the America we live in today, nor is it the one we have grown up in. He understands that the next chapter is UNITY. He also understands that he's been given a gift to bring that unity to fruition.
Hagee and Parsley's statements offend me even more than the comments Wright made! One is calling the catholic church a whore, while the other says that we are a Christian nation that was founded to bring "death" to all other religions - namely Islam.... ah, yes...and we are to be known by our love.....mmm.
All three men have perspectives that are divisive in nature. Does that make them evil? Of course not.
Does that message define who they are as men of faith? I don't think so. Is that all they talk about on Sunday mornings? Of course not.
The difference is that McCain stood on stage with those guys and accepted their support, thus aligning himself with their divisive message....while Obama has sought to distance his campaign from Rev. Wright and has never appeared at a political function with him.
That does make Obama different.
Clinton and the republican party are looking for anything they can get their hands on (as they should) and they have come up with very little, and nothing that will stick.
Obama is very different. He has shown grace throughout this campaign when he could have easily made a HUGE stink. He continues to conduct himself in a Christ-like way. Think about all he has encountered in this primary race. Hillary has fought dirty the entire time.
Do you hear Obama highlighting her MANY scandalous relationships; highlighting the fact that her top contributor for her campaign is actually sitting in jail right now as I type this and they have kept his money; the fact that she has taken more money from lobbyist then all the republican candidates combined? He didn't go after her crazy mood swings after her dramatic episodes just before OH and TX - she gave every man in America fodder after that show... And this recent Geraldine Ferraro thing....he in NO way attacked her, as you said. I've seen all the interviews. When pressed he talked about his admiration for Mrs. Ferraro and her trail-blazing bravery, etc. Out of all the interviews I saw regarding this subject (which she played out day after day for over a week) there was only one where he said her comments were ridiculous.
The media jumped on her comments and called them racist...because they WERE! The media asked the Obama campaign what they thought. The media called out Hillary for not squelching these comments in a more appropriate time frame - say...immediately! The media is noting her patterns to discreetly play on fear of religion, race, etc.
Obama's response to the divisive remarks from his pastor were to immediately denounce and reject them, and furthermore re-emphasize his vision for a united America; not a black America working with a white America working with a Latino America... but One united America! No one else in this race has this same vision.
So, I'll end on one comment that I do agree with you on: "Obama is much more than we realize".
I would love to know your thoughts, and anyone else. I hope I haven't come off too abrasive. I am still working on learning how to communicate my passion without being so rough around the edges:)
Much love to you all, my dear brothers and sisters.
These are highlights of the speech he gave in 2004 at the DNC. It's only 4min. long. It is worth watching. It is a reminder that he IS different. His vision for our country IS different. He understands the heart of Christ and inspires multitudes to have that same heart. His vision has consistently been about unity and continues to be about unity. Enjoy:)
My dear friend, Kim, asked me what my opinions were on the recent developments with Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright. I am again, really impressed by how Obama is handling this. Here are his comments on the subject. The first is a speech calling for a post-racial era, the second is an interview he had with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. (He also talks about Tony Rezko in this interview.)
There are several things I really appreciate about his response: 1. It is a biblical approach to "condemn the sin, not the sinner" and Obama is continuing to make Christ-like decisions on how he handles these "controversies". 2. I appreciate that he recognizes the generational struggles Mr. Wright encountered, therefore still showing bitterness; he points out that our generation has benefited from those struggles; finally he makes the point that we are seeking a post-racial era, as he talks about in his speech. 3. I also appreciate his love for this pastor, despite these political blunders. I have family members, whom I love and respect a great deal. However, over the course of time I have stumbled upon conversations with these beloved family members that have revealed drastically different perspectives on life. I understand Obama's conflict. I do believe, however, that he is handling this quickly and appropriately, re-emphasizing his desire to unify our ONE America. 4. He has continually exhibited grace and understanding...even for Hillary. .....just my opinion, I hope it helps:)
I am very happy and blessed to tell you that Raegan decided to pray and ask Jesus to be her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, March 11th.
background: We've been having theology 101 with Rae for years now. ..not by our prodding, though talking about our faith is a daily part of our lives, around the dinner table, in our evening devotions, as the girls hear us pray throughout the day, etc. Raegan has been the source of these theology lessons. It is usually in the car when Rae will ask me a doozie of a question. She never ceases to amaze me! I have been challenged on many occasions, but praise the Lord for the training He has brought into my life throughout the years to be able to answer her. She truly is her father's daughter.
Raegan came into this world asking questions (just like her daddy). I answer every one with pleasure and continue to ask for wisdom on how to do that. I told Gavin a few weeks ago that I thought it may be time to tell her about the "sinner's prayer". We both believe in covenant theology, meaning that there is a certain amount of salvation that comes to our children by being raised under our faith. We also believe that it is a healthy aspect of our journey of faith to have moment when you take responsibility for your faith - make a personal decision.
Tuesday, on the heels of several theology 101 sessions that day, Raegan came to me and said that she wanted a real Bible. So I told her we would go to B&N later that day and get her one. Gavin and Nick were traveling with business, so I thought it would be a fun outing. We LOVE Barnes & Noble!
When we got there Rae picked out a burgundy colored, Message version (they had slim pickings on their NIV's), and she was very excited and proud. Then it was Reece's turn to pick out a few books. She wanted a real Bible, too. I told her she could have one when she turned six, which satisfied the moment. As Reece began looking through the candy store of books, Rae found a few "I can read" Bible stories and asked if she could study about Jesus by getting a few. Of course, I thought that was a great idea and she picked out a few. We had a great time at B&N. Even Eliot got a few new books (she LOVES books already).
On our way home, I felt more and more led to tell Rae about making a decision of faith. Later that night, as I was putting the girls to bed, I told them I wanted to talk to them about something. The girls are very aware of the gospel message because of our weekly observance of Sabbath (family webpage and I talked about it here). We go through the redemptive story of our faith every Saturday and Sunday in a fun, physical, and tactile way. So as I asked the girls a series of questions about our faith: Who created the world? (God) Who created us? (God) Why do we need Jesus? (God is Holy and perfect and we're not) Why did Jesus have to die? (we all make bad choices; Jesus never made a bad choice) Did Jesus stay dead? (No, He rose again), etc., they answered them all with great understanding.
I then told Raegan and Reece that when mommy and daddy were younger, we both prayed a prayer that said that we wanted Jesus to be our King, Lord and Savior; that we wanted to follow after him from that day on. That is what made us Christians. Raegan didn't skip a beat, "Does that mean we're not Christians, mommy?" "..here we go", I thought. "Lord give me wisdom".
"Well, sweetheart, because you are a part of our family - it's like mommy and daddy have an umbrella of faith, and you and your sisters are safe under that umbrella. But one day, there will come a time when you will want to hold your own umbrella of faith, and Jesus will write your name in His book of life, along with mommy and daddy's." I also told them about being baptized and how that tells everyone that you have decided to follow Jesus, and that He is your King.
"Mommy, I want to do that right now. I want my own umbrella and have my name in His book". After asking her if she was sure, and emphasizing what a big commitment that was, and meant, we knelt down beside the bed together and prayed: Dear Jesus, I know I have made bad choices. I know that you are Holy. You died for me because of my bad choices. Please forgive me. I want to follow you, Jesus. So from this day on, I am yours.
She asked when she could get baptized and tell everyone about her decision (she already tells the kids at school that Jesus loves them). I have to check into the baptizing process at RBC, and decide how we want to proceed. Reece wanted to pray this prayer, too, (and we did) but she's not ready to be baptized, so I told her she could tell us whenever she was ready.
We called daddy first, then grandparents and my precious grandmother (their great grandmother), as well. It was an exciting night. Though I don't believe a lot of six year olds are ready to make this kind of serious commitment, I was at five, Gavin was at six, and Raegan certainly is, also. I never looked back from that decision, greatly due to the amazing women of faith the Lord placed in my life, from my grandmother, to my mother, who continue to bless me. Gavin and I will make sure Rae continues to grow in her faith, answering the tough questions and encouraging her to ask more.
Thanks for letting me share this sweet news. I hope it has encouraged you today, as it encourages me.
(disclaimer: I woke up at 4:30am and couldn't go back to sleep so decided to write. Therefore, this entry is a little more fired up than my usual entry...:))
This is a third party reaction to the recent antics of the Clinton campaign. It is no mystery that our house is all abuzz with politics, and that we are huge Obama supporters, as you can see. However, my respect for him has grown over the past few weeks.
Since Hillary became the "fighter", just before Ohio and TX primaries, she has done nothing but twist facts, and hurl slanderous material out to the public. She has accused Obama of conducting himself in a "shameful" way; a way that all "Democrats should be outraged" by - all the while continuing to conduct herself and this campaign in the most under-handed, sleezy and unhonorable way I've ever witnessed.
She continues to pass out slanderous material and prey on the fears of religion, racism and sexism. However, when Obama passes out material in Ohio that is actually true - she starts whining and pitching a fit because it highlights her in a way that is detrimental to the people of Ohio. ...and then she wins Ohio?!?! Gavin and I have felt like we were taking crazy pills!!! What in the world is Ohio thinking. How can they reward these tactics? Do they really want someone who will play dirty, no matter what, to obtain this office? Is this really the kind of person we want to be running against McCain in November.....for Republicans, I would say an overwhelming YES! But, I am an Independent, an Independent that voted for Bush in the last two elections, I might add, and I say a resounding NO.
Out of sheer decency and a desire for all Americans to be treated fairly - there is NO way I could ever support Hillary Clinton. She completely repulses me and I would NEVER vote for her. I don't think this is going to be an issue, because Barack is going to continue his upward push and win this nomination - but just so ya know: Gavin, nor I, will be voting for Hillary Clinton.
From her cheap shots, to her loud mouth, ill-advised husband, refusal to concede any state to Obama, to her recent antics of suggesting Obama would be her VP, coming from a person in SECOND, and now her weak reaction to Ferraro, she has run a repulsive campaign that I'm sick of. When this race for the nomination began I had respect for Hillary. I didn't agree with her extreme stance on several issues (like wanting to make Roe vs. Wade a federal law) but I had a great deal of respect for her. She spoke well. I thought she handled herself great in the debates and came away from many of them impressed.
Clearly, any respect I had for her is gone. I can't even stand to hear her voice. I am no longer amazed by her accusations but disgusted. She is the one who should be ashamed. Shame on you, Hillary!
Gavin and I saw this segment from Keith Olbermann, from MSNBC, and finally felt vindicated. He spoke the words we have been thinking for weeks. I couldn't resist the urge to post it here.
You know, I was heart broken after the Ohio primary. When Obama came out to speak, we were, of course watching. I couldn't believe the quality of this man's character. The first thing he did was to concede Ohio and RI (which is tradition), and congratulate Hillary on running a tenacious campaign. He then talked about how he had just called McCain and congratulated him on winning the nomination. You couldn't have two starker pictures of the difference between these campaigns. She has yet to concede ANY state (he has won over double the states she has). He could have easily come out and conducted himself in a manner that would follow the tone set by Clinton. Instead, he was gracious and humble. He reminded me of the Christ-like love we are to have for our enemies. I couldn't believe it! I can't remember the last time I saw such self sacrifice. He had every right to be ugly, (they had just come off the ugliest week of campaigning from the Clinton camp) or to take this opportunity to trash her character (which wouldn't take much given her conduct), but instead he graciously submitted, and furthermore, congratulated her!
He has continued to make these very difficult decisions in the face of outright slander and mud-slinging. I'm blown away! This is the man I want representing our country. A man who knows who he is and chooses the right battles to fight.
There is no worship in this household of Barack Obama, but we do have more respect for him than any other politician, by far. His conduct and character astound me. I'm humbled by his example and encouraged to be better than I am. He inspires, and seeks to inspire the people of America. He gets the kind of reaction he does because it's been a long time since American's have been inspired.
"I'm asking you to BELIEVE. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in Yours!" -Barack Obama
Roo turned 4 on Monday!! Allow me to reflect on this sweet little blessing that is Reece...
She came into this world a complete joy. I delivered her in just two hours and in only two pushes....I had been braced for the worst because of my previous delivery, and couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. I fell in love with her the second I saw her.
The sweet thing is, she fell in love with me, too:) (Rae immediately fell in love with her daddy, which is SO sweet, and very enjoyable for me, but it was an amazing feeling when Reece immediately showered me with love and favor.)
During my pregnancy with Eliot she was my care-taker. If my shirt was up a little bit, she would gently fix it. If I needed a drink, she would get if for me. Many times she would meet a need for me before I even realized I had a one.
A few of my favorite things: when she hugs, she holds on tight and lingers. When I take her to school we give each other "eyes" in the rear view mirror and "I love you" signs (sign language). When I say bye to her on her way into school, she always looks back to say "bye mommy, I love you". I love her blonde hair, because it makes everyone think she looks like me, though she really looks more like Gavin. She melts me.
My mom, and Gavin's parents are in town for the celebration of Reece's fourth and Eliot's first birthday, this week. This is what they had to say:
Marneaux (My Mom): She makes great faces. She's always so thankful and appreciative. She always puts my name at the end of her sentences: "Thank you, Marneaux." or "I love you, Marneaux". I can't believe how she memorizes scripture! oh, my goodness! She makes you feel very loved.
PawPaw (Gavin's dad): I like her smile. She's got a special smile.
MiMi (Gavin's mom): She's very mischievous in such a cute way.
Gavin: Whenever she gets a gift she's always looking for ways to share it. She loves to cuddle. I like how she can't go to sleep until she gets perfectly still, and she tries really hard NOT to get really still.
Nick: I like when she pretends she's sleeping in the car...she fools us all. I like her crazy faces.
Raegan: Her smile is really cute. She shines like a star. She always makes me laugh. Her eyes sparkle like gold.
Reece LOVES collecting rocks. She loves to dress up and play ANYTHING with Raegan. She loves broccoli. She loves to wrestle with her daddy. She invented the spin-drop before she was even two years old! She loves making goofy faces. Reece is very funny. She's got a wicked sweet tooth. (she loves fruit) She has an AMAZING sense of style!!! She is a wonderful, budding artist. She LOVES her sisters.
I love our little Roo. She blesses us all with an abundance of love. I feel God's love for me through her. I'm so thankful for this precious little one. The Lord has big plans for her...I can't wait to see... ...to be continued.
I'm back from a weekend away with some other women from RBC. We went to a Christian conference center called Sandy Cove. It's located right on the bay, in Maryland. I got to look out over the water every morning and see the sun set every night. It was a wonderful time of reflection, fellowship, rest, working through some thoughts, and service.
I got to do what I have been gifted to do best: gather! The Lord has blessed me with the ability to be drawn to people that need a friend. (I also got to play guitar and sing on the worship team!) I met lots of really great women - young and old. I made some friends:) I got to minister to some women. It was really great to be used. I haven't really been able to use any of these gifts since we moved here.
The nice thing about this retreat is that, although I was meeting a lot of new people, I was also able to steal away and have some alone time to think through some things and reflect over the past year and a half that we've been here in the D.C. area. I can clearly see how this time has been a season of much needed rest. From the moment we arrived here (though I came with a very resistant heart), I felt rescued. We have been blessed with a wonderful home that enables us to host friends and family again - which we thrive on and blesses us so greatly. We have been blessed with enough finances to get through each rough patch. We have been given a sweet season of rest in a unique way, that we have never experienced before. It's been wonderful.
I was struck with the urge to proclaim to the Lord how thankful I was for this season, but that I am now ready to be used again. I know the Lord has used us throughout this season. But, I'm ready for something more tangible. I feel the Lord preparing me for this next season. He's been preparing me for a few weeks now. (He's always so good to do that for me) Though I have to fight the temptation to fear the upcoming season, I trust Him completely. I trust His plans to prosper us, not to harm us. I want His plans of hope and a future.
(We have decided to stay in the area for the next 3-5 years and put our home, in Cambridge, back on the market. We had planned to return to Cambridge to save money, but Gavin's employer told us that being in Boston would not be an option for us. I had specifically prayed for God to be clear on where we should be....and He certainly was. It's a very bitter-sweet decision because we really love that home. It doesn't mean we won't end up back in Cambridge, at some point, it will just be a house that suits us better if we do. If it doesn't sell then I guess we'll go back to the drawing board. Who knows?! Truly, only God does. As soon as I think I have the five year plan figured out the rug is gently pulled out from under me...back to my knees:) It is, however, a wonderfully freeing thing to be dependent on God's plans rather than our own.)
Another great thing about this weekend is that I felt like the Lord began the process of answering a prayer of mine, for friendship. I've talked before about Meredith - she is a precious mixture of so many of my dear friends; she loves the Lord; tells it like it is; she's funny and delightful; and she loves me unconditionally. She's a good friend. I'm excited about the prospects of friendship with two of her friends that she introduced me to this weekend: Linda and Megan. We had some powerful time of prayer and ministry. I'm excited and feel like these could be lasting friendships. ..we'll see:)
I came home, missing my family, but so energized! Gavin was amazed at how much energy I got from the weekend. I'm very thankful. I'm even more blessed. God is good.
