Despite some certain reservations about a confusion of state and church here and there, I very, very much like Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery’s benediction. Especially at the end. Mmmhmmm.
In other news, some have some pretty asinine analysis, calling Lowery racist. Sigh.
At least Obama in office brings race to the forefront. Perhaps we can fulfill one of Cone’s little sayings “Ya’ gotta talk about it!” I’m just not looking forward to all the future clashes — I expect they’ll get redundant and tiresome, but then again, the problems were always there and now maybe we can finally deal with the latent, “invisible” racism and profoundly impoverished understandings of race (i.e. its good to be colorblind) that are made more visible.
flying.farther 
The post, if you read it, did not call Lowery racist.
Is your blog named after the Jars of Clay song on the White elephant session cd.? I like that song. Your post, however, is a complete misrepresentation.
I was a little unclear, but I was pointing more to the comments. However, you may want to revise your title for the post then, “Racism at the Inauguration?” That does imply a certain bent and allows for a charitable reading of your entire post that would indeed come to such a conclusion about your post.
And yes the title of the blog is from that song. Good song.
The post certainly did say that the benediction was racist. Consider John Henry’s comment here an attempt at damage control.
Actually, no, the post dids not. But Michael I is never above lying.
I agree that the title of the post was ill-advised (and that it’s a good song), but I don’t think the author (it wasn’t me) expected Michael to respond as uncharitably as he has. Sorry to bring this up in yet another forum, though.
D.W.,
There’s no need for this kind of blogging. If I wanted poor reporting I’d watch the network news or cable news.
Besides, Michael I. already has this niche in the blogging world cornered.
Ah, but Tito, this isn’t reporting. Wrong genre. Instead, this should be read within in a wider and deeper tradition — political theology — which is all over this blog. So, if you’re looking for a nuanced engagement, read more.
Yes. It was appropriately critical in the right places and supportive in others. But I still get an icky feeling when religion is mixed into these ceremonies, though this certainly makes it more palatable.
Around 4:15 he starts in with the promised future. Yet it’s ever-important, in my opinion, to maintain that God will usher in such a future in spite of our best efforts, not because of them. He seems to come a little too close to catching America up in that prophetic vision.
Yeah, Chris, that made me uncomfortable as well.
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