As improbable as it may seem, I find myself wanting to defend Bob Bentley, the Republican governor of Alabama. In fact, despite stewing on this for days, I just can’t let it go.
As some of you may know, Bentley’s inauguration coincided with The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Funny how we have stripped the Reverend King of this title in our public discourse, though it was King’s Christian commitments that drove his work.) Speaking that day in a Baptist church once pastored by Rev. King, Bentley stated that fellow Christians were his brothers and sisters, and that this relationship was different than the relationship he shares with non-Christians.
There was an immediate public outcry… how could he possibly be the governor for all citizens of Alabama if he claimed a special relationship with one religious group? Even Glenn Beck joined the chorus damning the governor. (Would he have been so condemned if he had asserted his membership in any other identity group?)
I have read every article I can find on this “gaffe.†I have been unable to find any mention of this event stating that it was an interfaith, multicultural or civic function. As far as I can tell, and it certainly seems implied in all of the coverage so far, Bentley spoke as a Baptist Christian to fellow Baptist Christians in a Baptist Christian setting, using the theologically laden language of the Christian tradition. (If this was a civic event, then Bentley might have, in fact should have, chosen differently, avoiding the coded-language of his own tradition.)
The phrase “brothers and sisters†in the Christian faith means we are all equal under one divine parent. It is a radical stripping of human hierarchies in favor of divinely ordered equality. The theology at the heart of Bentley’s statement is foundational to Christian belief, foundational to Rev. King’s work and legacy.
Though scripture has been used to excuse some of the most grotesque forms of bigotry, from slavery to the abuse of women, the core of the Gospel message, the core of the Pauline message, is equality. In fact, modern biblical scholars have de-stabilized the centuries old reading of the “Letter to Philemon†as an endorsement of slavery. In its place they see a condemnation, for while Paul is sending Onesimus back, he is also clear that the slave has a new status, that in giving himself to the Way of Christ he has become the brother, the equal, of Philemon, his supposed master.
Bentley spoke the language of his faith. He is passionate about his commitment to God, and wishes to share that joy with others. But he has chosen a path of public service, and though I might, and probably do, disagree with his policies, I have no doubt that he intends to serve the common good, to serve all citizens of Alabama equally. The Rev. King would, I believe, be proud of a committed Christian answering the call of public service.
Entry into public service does not mean being stripped of your identity, of abandoning your beliefs and commitments. It should mean generosity of spirit and respect for the diversity of identities and traditions present in our culture. The President is open and passionate about his Christian commitments. So is Bob Bentley. Are you?
Finally, it is worth noting that many contemporary Christians are no longer familiar with the language of our tradition. And while I certainly believe that insider language can make us inaccessible, closed to those desperate for an answer in a world of aimlessness and sin , a wishy-washy Christianity has not just abandoned words like grace and sanctification, it has abandoned an understanding of grace and sanctification. A theologically informed Christianity would know what Bob Bentley meant, would have knowledge of scripture and tradition, would be able to interpret this language to those outside of the community. It may be time for a revival of theology and scripture, in our pulpits, in our congregations, and in our daily lives. It may be time to return to the language of our faith.