Musings on the Wright, the Left, and the Right

Some further musings on Jeremiah Wright and the sermon I preached on Sunday (See the Power of the Revolutionary. Follow the links starting at listen.)

1) Jeremiah Wright. I watched his remarks during the press gathering on Monday. I continued to be very impressed with his passion for the Gospel and how it brings liberation, transformation, and reconciliation. His perspective as one who comes from an oppressed people gives a fresh view to the Bible--written by oppressed people.

However, I did find some of his answers during the q and a a bit harsh and sometimes, at least from my perspective, a bit off-base. Part of the problem is that he roots many of his answers in a particular theological perspective that most lay-people will misunderstand or misinterpret no matter what he says. At the same time, like all of us, Wright has a filter through which he views life and faith (he actually talked about how we all have this) and filters both illuminate and restrict life. Same for him. But I hope we can hear what God is saying to and through him even though we may not always agree with his conclusions. (I'm not sure I always agree with my own conclusions!)

2) Sunday's message. On Sunday we wrapped up the first part of our new series, Simply Jesus. I used the message to look at the two main filters that have shaped our view of Jesus over the last 100 years (speaking in very broad terms). I looked at the pluses and minuses of both views. (You may want to listen to the message for the following comments to make sense.)

The first was the Social Gospel movement (often considered liberal or the left)--a movement that takes very seriously the social/global aspects of Jesus' mission--caring for the poor, standing against oppression, being a voice for the voiceless, etc. Many good things were done in the name of the Social Gospel movement but broadly speaking, the weakness of the movement was a lack of connecting Jesus to the acts of grace being done at the time. The Social Gospel movement--speaking stereotypically--often forgot to invite people to live under the Lordship of Jesus, the one who transforms us to transform society.

The second movement, in some ways a response to the Social Gospel movement is Fundamentalism and it's very popular cousin, Evangelical Christianity (what many consider conservative or the right). The Evangelical Christian movement is the primary shaper of the Christian viewpoint in our culture at this time. Stereotypically, the movement focuses on the Spiritual aspect of Jesus' mission--saving our souls, forgiving our sins so that we can go to heaven. The plus is that the movement reminds us that it's all about Jesus. The minus--often a disregard or at the least, lack of a commitment to the social/global mission of Jesus. The focus tend to be on personal spirituality rather than on world/societal transformation at every level (God so loved the world...).

My point Sunday is that Jesus is about both--He invites us into a relationship with himself where forgiveness and grace and mercy transform us. But he also calls us to follow him back into the world to invite others to follow him--and to take that grace in tangible ways to a hurting world--not just spiritually hurting, but hurting in the areas of water, food, justice, etc. Jesus is Lord of the entire world and right now is ruling by slowing recreating the world with grace--a re-creation that will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.

3) What I did not have time to talk about on Sunday...

I belong to a denomination shaped by the Social Gospel Movement (Lutheran). Ours is a denomination that takes seriously not just personal moral issues but global moral issues like hunger, oppression, violence, and so on, at times, at least from the viewpoint of critics, to the lack of any "evangelical message" or invitation to experience Jesus.

As I look at the story of our Lutheran denomination over the last few years, I see an increasing evangelical spirit that is both passionate about Jesus and inviting people to follow him and passionate about following Jesus to do what he did--feed the hungry, heal the sick, and free the oppressed (oppressed by whatever system--sin, addictions, economics, political, religious, etc.)

I was also raised on the more evangelical side of the Lutheran Church. My grandfather was a part of a Lutheran movement that preached a personal relationship with Jesus and had altar calls (like Billy Graham. Lutherans, by the way, do altar calls--they are called Baptism and Communion!). Most of my preaching for 25 years has been more "Evangelical," talking about how Jesus can change our lives--with very little attention to the more global call to bring that grace to all areas of life, including the environment, political structures, etc.

Interestingly, a renewed focus on the impact of Jesus on global issues is being lead by those in the Evangelical Movement--among them Brian McClaren and Rick Warren.

Also interestingly, this passion for bringing grace to a global context is being seen in people who have no personal connection to Jesus--people like Madonna, Brad and Angelina, Oprah, and so on--what I believe is a God movement of God's Spirit working even in those who haven't yet connected with Jesus as Lord who sense the world needs hope and grace.

Also also interestingly, we see this in the campaign of Obama. And, for those with ears to hear it, in the prophetic words of Jeremiah Wright.

God is up to something in his world. He cares not only about our souls, but about all of creation. And through Jesus' followers he wants to bring his grace to every level of society.