In spite of the opinion of many of Reverend Jeremiah Wright as being divisive, I ask you to listen to his recent address to the NAACP in Detroit in its entirety, forming your own opinion.
Click on the title above to hear the address. It's 37 minutes in length. Youtube snippets will not do, as often such snippets won't in things that matter. Who's afraid of Youtube?
Reverend Wright's penchant for disruptive thinking, the only kind that engenders change, is powerful...whether you agree or not.
We often talk in business of change and innovation, but we so often avoid differences of thought and means of expression, dismissing them as dogmatic or deficient...even fanatical.
Is Reverend Wright's speech to the NAACP divisive or does it point to some of our differences in ways that could bring the needed change?
Does difference point to deficiency?
What is dereliction? Who, in fact, has been derelict in duty?
Of our two last esteemed presidents, who served in the military? (Which pundit, pray tell, has donned the stars and stripes?) Of the three, Reverend Wright served his country honorably.
(Is Reverend Wright running for the presidency?)
Who is disruptive? Who is different? Who is deficient? Who is distinguished?
Addressing hard questions is at the root of change and innovation in life or business. It is also the root of whether change or innovation occur.
Hard questions also draw the light inwardly, instead of outwardly, making us asks consistently who am I? Or, who have I become? Inward searching brings outward results.
Shhh! the disrupters is what we often hear. Marginalize them is the often refrain.
Why is it that we seek to silence or marginalize disrupters in life and business?
Is Reverend Wright in the purest sense a disrupter?
What are your thoughts?
4 comments:
I have to admit I love listening to the guy, even when I don't agree with him. But the timing of all these appearances disturbs me. Obama is on the verge of being the first African-American major-party nominee for US President and Rev. Wright is now sabotaging it. Obama finally had to cut the cord today. I'd like to hear more from Rev Wright AFTER November.
I agree, John, with you on many points here. But I must admit to feeling ambigious about the timing of it all.
Reverend Wright obviously sees himself as a prophet and will not be dissuaded by human voices or our current political time. Some might concur that it is never a right time to reveal truth that stings and that this is the perfect time to make his points. We are all listening.
Will it cost Barack the election? I hope not. If so, the question remains, who are we? Who's pulling our strings? While I understand the association thing, it seems rather ridiculous to me that we are holding Barack accountable for what his pastor says. After all, who's running for president here? Whose words are these?
Judith, you have a point that it's never the right time to reveal truth. But Rev. Wright's repeated remarks about Barack being "a politician" is clearly a dig, so apparently this has gotten personal.
But when all is said and done, folks that have an issue with Wright just shouldn't vote for the reverend in November.
John...it's never a right time because truth simply is. There is, however, a better time to reveal truth. But Reverend Wright may very well see himself as a prophetic voice. Therefore, the time is always right. His recent response may or may not be personal.
I also fully understand that prophets and presidents alike have feet of clay and are prone to the same pettiness as the rest of us. Wisdom and understanding are so important especially when there are great stakes to consider. There is a saying that says "great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand wisdom."
Post a Comment