Listening to America's Critics

Much has been made of the clips of Barak Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright. For one, this is nothing but guilt by association. Rob Bell's my pastor so I must agree with everything Rob Bell says? Thankfully, this morning on Meet the Press Clinton supporter Nita Lowey said that Obama's condemnation of Wright's remarks should be good enough and nothing more should be made of it. Honestly though, I didn't find the remarks all that offensive.

Days after 9/11 Wright said "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye... We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost"
Aside from the parts about Palestinians and black South Africans of which I know little about, I find a lot of truth in this statement. He's essentially saying that when it comes to the people the U.S. killed in other countries, namely the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Americans show little regard for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in those bombings. Our motives might have been just, but what we did was horrible. He's also pointing out that those who live by the sword die by the sword. Violence breeds violence.

The other quote from Wright referred to the way America has, in the past, and currently treats black Americans. Wright said, "The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
Once again, I'm not incredibly knowledgeable about all the topics he hit, but even if half of what he said is true I'm not seeing the huge controversy. Sure, he's being hyperbolic and provocative. And perhaps rather than saying "God damn America" pastor Wright should have said "God have mercy on America and empower your church to bring change by being the image of Christ." But, the fact is that when most Americans, and especially Christians, see statements like these and immediately cry "anti-Americanism," they are just confirming the last portion of what he said. Americans think this country is supreme and above all criticism. Any suggestion that America reaps what she sows is met with angry charges of anti-Americanism.

When all is said and done America is just another country. Like Tony Campolo says, and I paraphrase, "America is the best Babylon there ever was, but she's a Babylon nonetheless." Some of the critics might need to tone the fire and rhetoric down a tad, but I believe much of that fire stems from a deep thirst for justice and peace, and some of their voices (NOT ALL!) should be listened to. And I would argue that some of the MOST outspoken critics of America should be Christians. Because, after all, many times the kingdom itself is anti-American.