The Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, Donald W. Wuerl; the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori; and the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Demetrios, also offered prayers at other moments in the service.
“It was a conscientious effort to have a broad tapestry representing the faces of American religion,” said Rabbi David N. Saperstein, director and counsel of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, in Washington.
The participants, prayers and even the hymns were chosen by a committee of Mr. Obama’s advisers on religious issues. Altogether, there were three rabbis because the committee wanted to have representatives from the Reform, the Conservative and the Orthodox branches of Judaism (the Orthodox branch usually prohibits participation in a prayer service in a Christian sanctuary).
The Rev. Jim Wallis, a liberal evangelical who is president of Sojourners, a magazine and grass-roots organization based in Washington, said that he and other religious leaders were preparing for a dual role: to challenge the president on policies, and “to clear the way” so people will be prepared to accept the changes he institutes.
I am normally a fan of Jim Wallis (not to suggest I agree with him entirely or all the time) but this got my attention:
[blockquote]The Rev. Jim Wallis, a liberal evangelical who is president of Sojourners, a magazine and grass-roots organization based in Washington, said that he and other religious leaders were preparing for a dual role: to challenge the president on policies, [b]and “to clear the way†so people will be prepared to accept the changes he institutes.[/b]
“I think Barack Obama understands that big changes won’t happen unless there are social movements pushing from the outside,†said Mr. Wallis, who has known Mr. Obama for 10 years. “Our job is to change the wind.†[/blockquote]
So when President Obama says “here comes change” it is the job of our religious leaders to soften us up for them? Say [i]what[/i]?!? Does Rev Wallis know what “big changes” we are talking about? And why people must be “prepared to accept those changes he institutes” – as if we know ahead of time that we cannot oppose or question those changes?
Meanwhile they will challenge the president on policies? Wait – challenge him? or “clear the way”? I perceive a probable contradiction here.
Disturbing.
Rick (#1), I agree. Your reaction was mine exactly.
I’m not a big fan of Jim Wallis, but I wonder whether he was really thinking when he said that. If he was, then it is deeply disturbing if he understands his role as a “religious leader” to be the frontman for a president’s policy changes. For that matter, I’m not sure that “religious leader” is a mantle that Christian leaders should be comfortable wearing anyway. But perhaps I’m waxing too Barthian or Hauerwasian or something. Or perhaps the memory of the close and poisonous intertwining of institutional Christianity and the state in various regimes in the 20th century has pressed too hard on my psyche.
(I am also deeply disturbed by the “clear the way” remark’s redolence with the function of a certain late-day prophet in Israel’s history. But, “religious leaders” will tend to think in terms of religious imagery, I suppose.)
We should all be praying for Mr Obama, that he lead the country rightly. But no Christian should suppose that his role is to act as way-clearer for any American political administration: progressive, conservative or otherwise.