The Pastor's Ponderables

They are still talking about Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon at Harry and Meghan’s wedding.   He’s a surprise break out star, they say.   He stole the show, they say.   There were those who said he was too long, too self-indulgent, too political for a wedding - especially a royal wedding - but for the most part, people have been ga ga over his sermon. Why? When you get down to it, there wasn’t really anything all that special about it.  Don’t get me wrong - I loved it, as I love all of Bishop Curry’s sermons.  But that’s just it - it wasn’t all that different from his usual sermon.  Or those of countless preachers holding up the Love of Christ.   Here are a few thoughts about what made this one special even in - and maybe because of - its ordinariness. The Length.  The press was abuzz about its length.  Fourteen whole minutes!  As if that were any great amount of time.  Sure, a typical sermon comes in a...

I wrote this column two years ago for The Hudson Valley News. It is still relevant. I am white. It's nothing I'm ashamed of, but it's nothing I'm proud of either. It just is. Nevertheless, this simple fact of my whiteness has played a large role in what my life is like. I know, I know. Everyone's sick and tired of hearing all the "white privilege" hand wringing. We're all sick and tired of people blaming everything bad that ever happened to them on their race. Quit pulling the race card! Quit using race as an excuse! Take responsibility! Look at all the successful blacks - if they can make it, so can all the other losers who are just too lazy and want to live off of Welfare. See, I know how it goes. But that doesn't change the way things are. The way things are is that there's something wrong in this country, and it's been wrong for so long we don't even see it. That is, we don't see it unless we're the ones who...