We hate to disturb working reporters covering the vital Celebrity Inaugural Ball lobster-booze-caviar beat, but real news may break in Washington this weekend. Okay, real political news, but that’s as close to “reality” as most remaining Washington scribes get these days.
Sleep-deprived, hung-over DC reporters should report to Howard University at 11AM Sunday for Chapel Call. Stop groaning — it’s a story. The speaker will be Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., Pastor Emeritus of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ.
The nondenominational Chapel Call will be held at Howard’s huge Cramton Auditorium to accommodate the expected crush of Fox News, National Review, and Washington Times reporters. Just joshing — the popular weekly event outgrew Rankin Chapel and moved to Cramton long ago.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the origins and history of Howard, its Divinity School and Chapel traditions. Distinguished civic leaders, theologians, clergy, ethicists and scholars, (including the Chapel Dean, Reverend Dr. Bernard Richardson) speak at Howard’s Chapel Call each Sunday. Reverend Wright will be right at home.
While Jeremiah Wright became a controversial campaign lightning rod, we at NotionsCapital like the guy [Full disclosure — we are, um, melanin-challenged, if that’s important to you]. Dr. Wright’s rhetoric is as dated as Disco, but he gets the people in the pews out of themselves and into the community, helping others. That’s the kind of ministry we all can admire.
Frankly, many other preachers can talk better, but Reverend Wright is not all talk. Under his leadership, Trinity United began teaching marketable skills to poor neighbors and placing them in jobs, giving children school supplies and tutoring, helping abused women, counseling cancer survivors, and helping drug and alcohol abusers into recovery. The music got better, too. Are you surprised an idealistic young lawyer named Obama was attracted to Rev. Wright’s church?
Reverend Wright criticized his country, something every American is constitutionally entitled to do. Some people might even think Jeremiah Wright is especially entitled to criticize a country he defended as a U.S. Marine and Naval Medical Corpsman.
Ever hear anyone say “Thank you for your service” to Reverend Wright? We haven’t either.
You can do it Sunday.
See you at Chapel Call. Dress appropriately.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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