Josh asked me the other day for my thoughts on President-Elect Obama inviting Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about politics since early November…it’s just not my thing. (I’m still subscribed to Nate Silver’s 538 blog, but frankly, the Coleman-Franken recount interests me as much as the opera). So even though I don’t really have a strong opinion about this…here’s a few of my thoughts…
+ I thought it was a ballsy move for Obama. He knew those on the left would hate this choice, but he did it anyway. So good for him.
+ Had something like this happened during the campaign, Obama’s conservative critics would have called this posturing and trying to buy votes. Well, he’s already won. So you can’t play that card. (Although if he was already posturing to set himself up for re-election in 4 years, that would be quite a crafty move.)
+ I like what Larry Shallenberger wrote at the Burnside Blog, saying Rick Warren is probably exactly where he is supposed to be.
+ I’m glad Rick Warren said yes. Anybody with a lick of sense understands that by giving this invocation, Rick is not adapting the principles or morals or politics of Barack Obama. He’s not giving a vote of confidence to everything Barack Obama believes in (and vice versa). The two of them agree on much and disagree on much. We all realize that. It’s about time we stopped building walls with the bricks of disagreement, and started building bridges with the planks of agreement. You can’t have much of a conversation through a wall, but you can certainly have one on a bridge. I think that’s what Rick Warren is doing here. He’s not compromising his values. He’s engaging in the process, with held head high and an utmost respect for a president-elect he doesn’t always agree with, and he’s taking his values and beliefs with him.
UPDATE: No sooner had I posted this about building bridges than I read about the recent conversation between Rick Warren and Melissa Etheridge. (from Melissa Etheridge’s article in The Huffington Post):
I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say “In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him.” They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick… He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn’t want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife’s struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.
When we met later that night, he entered the room with open arms and an open heart. We agreed to build bridges to the future.
I don’t know where this is all going, and that’s ok. I won’t fear change, I won’t fear hard questions, and I won’t fear people and things that I don’t understand. I will love and I will pray and I will submit to the Spirit of God that I believe is leading me during these few short years I have on earth. I will do this when it is easy and feels good, and I’ll do it when it is hard and doesn’t feel so good. I will continue to learn and never think I know it all. I will hold firm to my beliefs, but never assume I have all the answers, and always be willing to dialogue and engage with others. I believe this is what Jesus asked of his followers and I believe he was who he claimed to be, so that’s what I’m trying to do.
So what about you all? What are your thoughts on Warren and Obama? Respectful and honest opinions only please…
Posted by Bryan AllainTags: Barack Obama, Melissa Etheridge, Rick Warren
Bryan
Thanks for taking the time to blog about this topic, I really wanted to hear what you thought. I am excited to see that Obama’s idea of change isn’t one of going from one end of the political spectrum to the other but a change in which he uses his presidency to lead with bridge building humility. Opening up a national dialogue that intelligently and compassionately allows our differences to be used as a way to bring us closer together. I think his goal of a non-partisan country is high on his long-term priority list, maybe even at the top.
Bryan
I would have to say that Pastor Warren is doing the right thing. Just because there are differences between the two men doesn’t mean they can’t be civil and work together. I hate politics to be honest. I hate them more than spinach, and really hate spinach. I didn’t vote for Obama, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish him all the best and pray that he can use the wisdom and knowledge he showed during the campaign to fix this broken country. I like the wall and bridge thing because I truly believe the same thing. As well, I agree with Larry Shallenberger when he said, “Two thousand years Jesus’ ministry repeated crossed the lines of the religious Right and the religious Left (The Pharisees and the Sadducees). Jesus ignored these group’s boundary markers and went about building the kingdom.” The problem with people these days, in my opinion, is they don’t formulate their own opinions about world or national issues. I think Derek Webb put it best in A New Law, “don’t teach me about politics and government, just tell me who to vote for… don’t teach me how to live like a free man, just give me a new law.” It’s really sad.
Great topic Brian. I think that a lot of Christians get it wrong when they shut everyone off like they are stupid for not being Christian. We as Christians need to treat all others with respect and love them as we love ourselves even though we do not agree with them.
I like how Rick Warren has reached out to Obama and treated him with respect while even disagreeing with him on many issues. I think that our actions of love for others in discussing respectfully with them will show them that we truly want what is best for them and make both sides more apt to listen to each other. I know we will never all live in “peace and harmony,” but if we keep up our hate groups it will not even be close. Sorry for rambling, great post Brian.
Obama and Warren are both making the clear statement that, despite their disagreements, they want to work together to make America better. That’s wholly within Obama’s campaign rhetoric.
Andrew Sullivan has been really interesting about this over at the Daily Dish.
I think Rick Warren did the right thing in accepting the opportunity to give the invocation at the inauguration. It certainly doesn’t mean he endorses or agrees with Obama, but he’s definitely making a statement about supporting our leader with prayer which is what we are called to do as Christians.
And meeting with Melissa Ethridge…why not? Aren’t we to love as Christ would? It doesn’t mean we condone the lifestyle, but we are to show love and reach out. I think it’s a positive step in the right direction.
Hi Bryan! Found your blog via Brad Ruggles. Nice site bro. I am grateful we have leaders like Rick Warren who are seeking unity while holding the line when it comes to sin. This is a great piece and I appreciate you sharing. I hadn’t heard the story on Ethridge before.