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The Spiritual Company You Keep
If you’ve been following the presidential race lately, you probably heard about Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He’s the Chicago-area pastor who Sen. Barack Obama relied on for spiritual guidance in the past. He married Obama and his wife, Michelle, and he baptized Obama’s children. Clearly, Wright’s presence was not an insignificant one in Obama’s life.
The media has made a big to-do about Obama’s relationship with Wright, considering some of the outrageous claims that Wright has made on the pulpit about the U.S. deserving the attacks on 9/11 because of the country’s foreign policy stance, or that the government purposely spread AIDS to the African American population. So the question lingering on everyone’s minds is: Is this what Obama thinks, too?
Obama has vehemently denounced Wright’s assertions and repeatedly stated that Wright’s comments only tear the country apart instead of bringing everyone together. Regardless, his poll numbers have slipped as a result of the controversy and pundits think the story will follow him through to the election in November if he is the Democratic nominee.
We want to hear what you think about this story. Is it fair to judge someone based on his or her spiritual advisor? How much does your spiritual leader define your spirituality or your personality? [Washingtonpost.com]
The Rev. Wright is not connected to spirituality because he has demonstrated what I would call being positively negative. Obama on the other hand talks a lot about he is the one that can positively unite America. There is a unifying force in the universe that is the well-spring of positive energy and spirituality, but I can’t find it easily in this minister or politician. There are several ways they could tap into this spiritual resource. They can connect by use of Direct Current (DC) and or by Alternating Current (AC), which happens when you are in prayer or meditation. Both prayer and meditation are a means of connecting with the creator whose energy is in everything. Since this energy is in all things… that makes everyone capable and feeling the effects of his presence. Anyone can experience this spirit which, flows through them and is in all things. Connecting to this spiritual energy will eliminate thinking I am right, so you must be wrong. While I believe there is good in Rev. Wright and Obama, I just don't think they bring into being a source of spirituality, since they have displayed a lot of ego… and both men have tried to justify it.
A spiritual leader should be someone we chose because we want their guidance in our lives. How can we chose a spiritual leader and not have that choice affect our core values? Spirituality is a personal choice. How can a political candidate both align and distance themselves from the leader they themselves have chosen and have continued to follow and support? Obama's hypocrisy and duplicity regarding these core values frighten and disappont me. I cannot support him based on this allegiance.