Many liberals have taken Barack Obama to task for choosing the evangelical preacher Rick Warren to pray at the coming inauguration. Many gays and lesbians, who strongly supported Obama, feel betrayed. It is true that Rev. Warren came out for California’s Proposition 8, which disallowed gay marriage, and it is true that he has been an outspoken opponent of abortion. Why would Obama make such a choice?
I believe such a choice is consistent with Obama’s core message: “I want to be everyone’s President–I want to bring this nation together.” Whereas George Bush said that and did just the opposite, I believe that Obama will genuinely try to be inclusive. For eight years we have had an administration for whom the only qualification for office, whether it be Attorney General or a lowly intern, was that you were pro-Bush. Everyone else was methodically winnowed out. I for one never want another such administration. I want a President who is strong and confident enough to engage those who disagree with him, considering their perspective, and possibly pulling them into his sphere of influence.
Who is Rick Warren, anyway? He is one of the “new evangelicals”–more like Jim Wallis than Jim Bakker. He is serious about Jesus, and that means being serious about poverty and being serious about global warming. He doesn’t understand Christians who dwell in the “end times” or pray for prosperity for themselves. As I hear him, he believes that the Kingdom of God is to be made among us, here and now. He is not one of your charismatic TV evangelists who is mainly an entertainer, collecting money from vulnerable people. He is a man of integrity, so far as I can tell, who wants to follow the will of God. And he is enormously influential with literally millions of American church-goers.
Do I agree with his theology? Well, a big NO. Am I looking forward to his prayer on the day of the inauguration? No, again. And I think I understand the hurt and disappointment of my gay and lesbian friends. I personally would have preferred, say, Rev. James Forbes, the Emeritus Minister of Riverside Church in New York, where he succeeded William Sloan Coffin. Forbes was the first African American to pastor this church, which is the pre-eminent American protestant pulpit; he is an amazing preacher; and he is a flaming liberal. But after the Rev. Wright furor, perhaps another black liberal minister wouldn’t have cut muster.
Obama made a logical and consistent choice. He chose a minister who would be known and admired by evangelicals, signaling to them that he cares about them–that they, too, are part of the America that he will serve. He made an appropriate political choice. This inauguration is not like a wedding, where you choose your best friends for the various roles, so they can be there to love and support you. The inauguration signals to the whole country that all are welcome in this administration.
Consider also that Rick Warren will not be making policy–he’ll be saying a short prayer. Is the choice of Warren symbolic? Well, yes. But will Warren’s theology influence this administration? I think it may be the other way around. I think Obama’s friendship with Warren may make inroads for Obama into the evangelical community, as nothing else could. I believe that this country is turning around on the question of gay marriage–the movement is toward inclusivity, toward acceptance of many kinds of love. Rick Warren could change his mind. Stranger things have happened.
Yesterday the NY Times published an amazing photographic article called “The New Team” (p. A12), and it was a full page picturing 25 of the choices Obama has made to help him forge policy for our country. Of the 25, there were only 12 white men. Consider that–only 12!p When have you ever seen anything like it? There were 10 people of color, and there were 7 women. I would have preferred more women, of course. But you know what? I’m ecstatic about our new President. He’s moving carefully and well, and I for one am not going to try to second-guess him all the time. Liberals have been known forever to fail because of internal squabbling. Just this one time–let’s hang together and let this good man have a break and find his feet. He has enough challenges before him, don’t you think, without having to constantly fend off criticisms from his friends.
