Text of Rev. Lowery's inauguration benediction

Me, too. I thought it was better than the invocation, which I liked, and much, much better than the poem, which I thought fell flat. Thank you Rev. Lowry!

I sat here watching it with my Native American husband and brother in law.  For the record, they thought  the red man line was hilarious.  Geez, lighten up.

Yeah, I didn't see it as necessary for any of that.  The black community has screamed for years about any comments made regarding color and then this is acceptable?? It was a stab...made at an inappropriate time.  The rest of the prayer was perfect!

I think if it had been said by a white pastor during the inauguration of a white president everyone's mouth would have dropped and they would have been been insulted. 

 as far as I can tell, all the things he 'prayed' for already happen so it was completely unnecessary  and yes slightly offensive.  i am not going to lightne up because the white man is not wrong.  i am sick of it of hearing it.  the guy basically took at shot at every race and this is better then jeremiah wright how?  this is just proof that Obama will do nothing for race relations in the country.

As an African American, age 57, let me tell you what the statement comes from. It is not meant in anyway as a slurr or to offend any race. but rather to confirm what was once the minorities' positions in a nation now only less than 60 years beyond the civil rights and jim crow era. Growing up in the south it was stated in no uncertain terms to minorities but lightened up with that little "poem":

If you're White, you're right; Black, get back; Brown, stick around; Yellow ain't mellow; Red can't get ahead.

It was simply a fact of life then and served as a reminder to minorities that you had to strive to be recognized as somebody. It was not automatic as with being born White.

ok but that is the  past and he still prayed for those races to break out of those confines.  so he thinks we haven't moved ahead at all and that this poem still applies.

I'm white and I thought that part was excellent. I think he was saying, yes, we have moved ahead, but let's not forget -- because, after all, the world still has a way to go. Then there's the fact that this came from a man in his 80s who has seen so much hatred -- and who is still so positive and loving! And he delivered that closing remark with a little buoyancy that made both me and the person I was watching it with smile and nod. I thought his prayer brought the speech-making part of the inauguration to a beautiful close.

I agree it was a nice pray but the last paragraph was a put down to every white person in this world, which so me this preacher is still very racist and do not like white people. Which he has put white people down for year in his church.

This saying is very wrong (when white will embrace what is right). I guess because I am white I do not understand what is right, why doesn't he just come out and say he feel we are racist. He is the one who is racist again the white race, sorry Rev. I do not think God gave you the rights to judge us for it states in the bible that God is the only one who can judge us. But Rev i am sure he will judge you and you might not being going through them golden gates some day, because you are racist you will not be allow to be one with God.

I disagree totally. You don't speak for this white person when you say it was a put down to every white peron in this world. I did not feel in the least bit judged by Rev Lowry.

I don't think it did much for "unity"

snb1930  It was simply a fact of life THEN....this is suppose to be NOW.

I guess race is back in the mix..again  :(

Past is prologue to the future.

Carloz  if he is praying for the day that the races break out of those labels? how is he showing that we have moved ahead?

But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

and

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

-- and although we've moved ahead and continue to move ahead, we should never forget the past, which led to the creation of the old little refrain he reminded us of.

-- and moving ahead also requires that we sometimes, "lighten up," as shut_the_L_up said in comment 3.1. Good advice that I think ol' Rev Lowry would agree with.

Ivh,

Please don't misunderstand.

I don't think it did much for "unity"

snb1930  It was simply a fact of life THEN....this is suppose to be NOW.

I guess race is back in the mix..again 

Race has never left the mix. Just check some of the posts & comments when discussing President Obama up to this point... in 2009.

I would like to believe that more than 1 million people of all races & faiths & non-believers, genders & preferences would disagree. Who would brave the cold and the crush of the crowds for hours were it not for a spirit of unity. If one old preacher's benediction can tear that apart, then there was nothing to begin with.

If one old preacher's benediction can tear that apart, then there was nothing to begin with.

Amen!

no you don't need a reminder, you have done nothing wrong.  your ancestors did maybe, but you are not responsible for thier actions. 

Thanks, David! I wish I could vote for your comment a hundred times!

David E. Brown...are you for real? The Reverend was not being funny he was being ugly. He took his moment in the sun to announce to the world that he and those who listen to him have no intention of moving on and intend to continue to milk the past transgressions of our country. His sermon was actually very good up until the point he had to drive the message home that it is an "Us against Them" world.

Fortuntely, times have changed in our country, from when I was small, and people were not so trusting of one another. Integration has worked in 90 percent of America. Children play on playgrounds regardless of the hue of their skin. Invitations to birthday parties are not limited by narrow considerations and these children of today are able to see past the "history lessons" they hear at home. When a teacher looks at her class and say to the children, "You can be anything you want to be" she is truly making a statement to all children. Not some but ALL. Children can build relationships and friendships that are true and real and lasting.

Fortunately, the limited mentality of the Reverend and those like him (Black, White and Latino) are living in the past. Unfortunately those who foster the divide, like the good Reverend, tend to do so to audiences that rarely venture out to see the world as it really is. Sadly, people still sit in his church to suffer the disgrace of what he prays in Jesus name.

The Reverend was not being funny he was being ugly.

Funny and ugly, like beauty, are in the eyes of the beholder.

Carloz...Well that is very cliche. It is actually in the intent of the speaker. And the Reverend was crystal. Fortunately from another generation that isn't so respected anymore.

Just because it is cliche, does not mean it isn't accurate. You saw ugliness in it, and I don't. I saw the whole prayer as beautiful -- inlcuing that closing. I'll close with anither cliche -- to each his own.

I think we're all reading too much into it. We are lucky he didn't soil himself at the podium. I mean, look how old he is. Anyway...

'Mellow' rhymes with 'yellow' which happens to be a slightly racist way of referring to Orientals. 'Back' rhymes with 'black' and so on and so on. The good Rev. Lowery is just the poor man's Dr. Seuss (not that Dr. Seuss was so great... he rhymed 'train' with 'plane' and 'ham' with 'Sam' everybody, what a genius).

Bottom line, he was referencing an old song or poem from the 60s that no one has heard of. He is an old man who, in his salad days, did a helluva lot of good and was honored for it at the inauguration. He's not racist, he's just a little too old school.