Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club

I interrupt the series on the Ascension, just to ask what other people see and hear. I woke up early this morning and saw a few extended segments of Jeremiah Wright's speech to a gathering of the NAACP. This morning, I watched C-Span as Wright addressed the National Press Club. The Question and Answer session is still going on as I'm typing these words. So far, I have two reactions:

I thought his speech to the Press Club, full of important historical notes and self-definition, was good. When you listen to something more than a ten-second sound bite, you realize that if nothing else Wright is a gifted, knowledgeable orator.

However, in the Q & A session, I thought some of his responses were so feisty and aggressive, they had the effect of undercutting his previous rhetoric of reconciliation. He clearly thought of some of the questions as unfair. Maybe they were. I just thought that his body language and gestures were inconsistent with some of the good and gracious words he had said a few moments earlier. Some of his answers seemed calculated to whip up the responses of the many people there who were not members of the press, but were supporters.

Did anyone else see or hear the NAACP speech or the one this morning to the NPC? What did you think? To what extent will Wright continue to have an impact on the Obama campaign? What do you think?

That Barack Obama Email

Just yesterday, I received another copy of a smear email about Senator Barack Obama. Maybe you've seen it.

It states that Obama is a Muslim, that he chose to be sworn into the U.S. Senate with his hand on a copy of the Koran, and that he refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, it says, in the presence of the American flag, Obama turns his back and (this is where it gets funny) slouches for good measure.

None of it's true. But this email has been circulated so far and wide that Obama himself has had to deny it publicly, point by point. Check it out on YouTube

Smear campaigns in politics are nothing new. But I was especially disappointed to see the source of yesterday's copy of that tired and ludicrous email sent to many addresses.

Disclaimer: I don't have a candidate in the current race for U.S. President. And if I vote in November, in all likelihood it won't be for Barack Obama.

However, I am a Christian. And I believe that it's important for followers of Christ to remember some important words:

"Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies" (Psalm 34:13).

"He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool" (Proverbs 10:18).

"With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor" (Proverbs 11:9a).

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

"Rid yourselves of all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (1 Peter 2:2).

Slander and its printed version, libel, are deeply wrong. Followers of Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with them.