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May 12, 2008Color-blind Bush, Racist Hillary? - UPDATED
Things certainly seem upside down all over, don’t they? Looking over pictures of the Bush wedding this past weekend, someone commented that the Clinton’s would never have had a private wedding without the press,
I thought that was a very interesting observation. Those who know Bush, even the ones who hate him, will tell you he and his family are genuinely color-blind. That is something the Clintons never were. They talked color, used color, played color, and to some extent that is coming back to bite them now, with Obama’s candidacy, as Hillary makes a weird reference to “hard-working white Americans.” Martin Luther King longed for the day his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but, “by the content of their character.” Strangely enough, that does seem to be the way Bush operates. But the Clintons - another story. With them it was always the big deal that Bill played golf with Vernon Jordan and allowed Jordan to help him out of a jam with Monica Lewinsky, it was a big deal that Maya Angelou read a poem at his inaugural. But aside from Ron Brown, who was killed in a plane crash, you did not see African-Americans working as press secretaries, or cabinet members. Bill Clinton was clearly comfortable in “black churches” (he and Hillary campaigned in them enough) but too, too often with the Clintons, blacks were props used to round-out a narrative. Are Clintons racist? Nah, I don’t believe so. But conscious of, and fixated on race? Yes, that I’ll buy. In fairness, I don’t know if you can have embraced the politics of 1968 and built a political career on the back of that era, without being over-conscious of labels and pandering to “identities,” but that consciousness was not, ultimately, supposed to be what 1968 was about, and that over-pandering is currently roiling the Democrats. The over-conscious Democrat president promised a cabinet that “looked like America” but that promise didn’t hold. Contrast that with Bush’s cabinet. There’s talking, and then there’s walking. But back to the Bush wedding for a second. The second part of the conversation involved that very beautiful limestone altar before which the vows were made. News accounts said it was President Bush’s idea to erect it, which caused a friend to write: “I told the priests about it yesterday and they were pretty amazed. ‘What, is he planning to have mass there?’ seemed to be the general sentiment. It’s not a protestant thing, to build a permanent altar for your home. Hmmm.” Not being a Methodist, I don’t know how that works. Do Methodists have and use altars? Seems like more grist for the teasing “is Bush going to cross the Tiber like Blair when he leaves office” mill? Meanwhile, Gerard Vanderleun has more on what is and isn’t racist and cool in the high school lunchroom that is the Democrat party. UPDATE: See Sissy Willis’ excellent piece backgrounding Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell. I like him. And I like the fact that he and President Bush do not allow their personal politics to color everything they do, or every association they make. I think that’s healthy, and too rare, in America. http://theanchoressonline.com/2008/05/12/color-blind-bush-racist-hillary/trackback/ 19 Responses to “Color-blind Bush, Racist Hillary? - UPDATED” |
May 12th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
A stone altar is a bit unusual for a Methodist, but hardly unheard of. We use our altars somewhat differently than Catholics do. As I understand it, Catholic altars are supposed to be made of stone and are fixed and represent Christ’s permanence in the church. A Methodist altar can be made of wood and be mobile; I remember several being inscribed “Do this in rememberance of me,” which is our way of saying that we don’t believe in transubstantiation. I’d be interested to know if anything was inscribed on this particular altar. During Maundy Thursday Tenebrae services at a Methodist church, everything that isn’t nailed down is taken down during the stripping of the altar—sometimes including the altar itself, if it’s mobile.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
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May 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
[...] Color-blind Bush, Racist Hillary? [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Thanks, Hubbard that’s interesting. My L’il Bro Thom read it and said, “funny how one church uses an altar to refute transubstantiation and another to re-inforce it.”
Do you actually call it an “altar,” though? That would seem strange to me, if there is no sacrifice.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I wonder if it wasn’t more of a Tim-The-Tool-Man sort of gesture. You know, where daddy is so overwhelmed with the joyousness of the occasion that he isn’t quite sure of what could possibly express that, so he creates something beautiful, massive, that requires a whole series of really cool heavy equipment to build and install…
Weddings get taken over by the womenfolk, and we have The Look ™ which we deliver to any male forward enough to share an opinion on the topic. I say “good on ya” if this was a dad who managed to insert something into a wedding that is stunningly beautiful and required dynamite, a backhoe, diamond-tipped cutting tools and a crane!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Heh. I actually love that idea, Cathy!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
My father was raised a Methodist and most of his family still are. My parents became Presbyterians during WWII when gas was rationed and they could walk to the Presbyterian church while the Methodist church was a several mile drive. I think most churches have alters or alter tables, even those I’ve been to that are set up in storefronts with folding chairs as pews have some kind of central area in the front that is designated as the alter area during services. And almost all Christian churches use the cross as a symbol. There are exceptions by churches who believe in celebrating the living Christ and to them the cross is a symbol of his death, not that He lives within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. Even the Scout camp I attended every Summer had a designated area in a wooded clearing for church services and meditation and prayer. In that case, logs were used for pews and the alter was a huge tree stump that was flat on top and was designated the alter. We would decorate it with pine boughs and wild flowers. The area was configured in such a way that the early morning sun broke through the tree tops to shine down on the alter area. It was quite beautiful and very tranquil. And depending on where you sat on the circle of logs surrounding the alter, the sun was always shining on it and in the late afternoon the sun would set behind it, just as it rose behind it from the opposite side of the circle in the morning.
I’ve never attended a Methodist Sunday service, but I have been to several family weddings held in Methodist churches and, as I recall, in all cases the bride and groom stood before the alter to say their nuptial vows.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
That is the sweetest picture the way Jenna and the Minister are smiling at Henry.
I also like the way the Bush’s didn’t need or want any media involvement. Can you imagine the circus that would have been Chelsea’s wedding if she was married during one of Bill’s terms? Egads!
May 12th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Oh, I don’t know…carefully chosen photographs to be shared with the media…the only one without a family member is the Reverend of color…call me cynical, but they are all the same, all the same.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
A wonderful photo.
Seeing the photo, and reading your post, reminds of a long ago article about the two-man archetectural team who designed the houses on Bush’ property. Both archetects were gay, both worked and met extensively with Laura and Governor Bush - whom they described as completely gracious and welcoming, as well as completely interested in the most up-to-date methods of making their structures eco-friendly.
As you mentioned: the President’s and Laura’s sense of decorum and grace is quite opposite from the Clintons’.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
We do call it “altar.” We remember Christ’s sacrifice, and believe that He’s present at Communion—just that the bread and grape juice aren’t literally His body and blood. (Yes, we’re still sympathetic to prohibition, too. I’ve yet to go to a Methodist service where they actually use wine.) (Also, I have no problem having a drink every now and then, but I’m a bad Methodist.
)
May 12th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
From my VERY hard-right, cynical, agnostic husband:
Why is everyone surprised about this? You can’t find anything bad about Bush if you TRIED. He stumbles sometimes in prepared speeches– who cares? He’s what you (((yours truly, here, to clarify))) keep saying Christians SHOULD be like.
For my view: If Bush ever crosses over or not, I’m pretty sure he’ll be having pancakes with my grandparents in heaven when he’s called away.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
If poster # 9 would go to the White House website and look at this same picture, you’ll see that two of the attendants can be seen on either side as the young couple take their vows, and you get a good look at the family and friends gathered to witness this solemn occasion. After so many years of Clinton politics, I can understand the cynicism, but in this case, it’s a beautiful picture of the bride looking at her husband as he recites his wedding vows to her. The minister is a long-time friend of the family. I’m only sorry that the WH didn’t release more pictures ~ I found them charming, and I wish the young couple much happiness together.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
To answer your questions about Methodist altars, every United Methodist church I have ever been in has had an altar at the back of the sanctuary, and everyone calls it an altar. Most I have seen are made of wood, sometimes topped with marble or glass. They are usually covered with an altar cloth in the liturgical colors (red for Pentecost, purple for Advent, and so on.) This link http://www.gbgm-umc.org/saintpaulumc/aboutus.htm shows a picture of the altar in the UM church where my wife is a pastor. Our altar has a lighted cross (visible in the picture), two candles, an open bible, the offering plates and the communion chalice and plate.
Hubbard in the comments above talks about an altar with the words “In Remembrance of Me” inscribed on the front. That sounds more like a communion table to me. A communion table is generally a smaller table that sits out in front of the altar. The communion elements are placed on the table and the pastor is able to get behind it to face the congregation during the Great Thanksgiving (the communion ritual). “In remembrance of me” is inscribed on the table because that is what Jesus said during the Last Supper, and as far as I know has nothing to do with UM beliefs about transubstantiation or the lack of it.
The predominant UM belief is that the spirit of Christ is present in the communion elements, but that the elements do not transform into the substance of Christ; which is pretty similar to the beliefs of other mainline Protestant denominations. The more liberal United Methodist are in the symbolic, “reminder of the Last Supper” camp, and would likely reject the “spirit of Christ” view.
Hope that helps out. BTW, I’m a lifelong Methodist, lay speaker, husband of a pastor, and friend to many more. And I have enjoyed your blog for a year or two.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
[...] I like this picture too, via the Anchoress. Like I said, Taj Mahal’s “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes” was a very cool [...]
May 12th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
“They shall repair the ruined cities and restore what has long lain desolate”
The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston officiated at Jenna Bush’s lakeside wedding at the President’s Crawford home Saturday. In January the longtime spiritual adviser to the president said he had decided to …
May 13th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Dear Miss A,
My dictionary defines racism as “an irrational like or dislike of a racial group.” Note the word “like.” I believe most liberals are racists. I certainly know Obama supporters who think the main reason he should be elected is that he’s half black. That’s racism, pure and simple. I believe the media adores him for the same reason.
Regards,
Sarah
May 13th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Dear Anchoress,
Samuel is right in his description of a Methodist altar although we do serve Communion from ours. It is also used at various times of the year to symbolically “lay it upon the altar”. These could be items representing Advent and the hanging of the greens to prayer concerns. Christ is present at the altar.
I have a personal altar space at home in my office area. It is not fancy but contains items of personal meaning that serve during my prayer time. A candle, a cross, an icon, a palm branch, etc. I can see and understand why the President would be comfortable erecting the altar and cross on his property. What a beautiful place to spend prayer time.
I’ve read and enjoyed your blog for quite some time now…
amanda
May 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Recreate ‘68? It’s Already Here
The battles of the post-JFK mid-1960s were largely far left on not-as-far-left: Democrats controlled all three branches of government, but the new left hated LBJ, hated the New Deal-minted liberals, and hated South Vietnam. The result was a–literally-…