Praying to Obama?

A while back I wrote: Are we making Idols of our Ideologies?

It’s a good question, one to keep on a personal backburner whenever we find our political passions inflamed.

I thought of it today as I watched this video of Obama supporters apparently calling on the name of the then-president-elect, in their intercessory prayer.

Ed Morrissey rightly wonders what it is we’re hearing.

When I first watched it -guided by the captions- I heard “Obama,” and of course, reacted to that with disgust. Since Ed’s First Mate is blind, and -Ed relates- she immediately heard “Obama,” I tried it with my eyes closed, too, and then I heard other things. I cannot tell if this crowd is saying “Obama,” or “O God.” Or -perhaps- “O Father.”

Toward the end, it seems very much like “O Father,” to me.

I suspect I am hearing many things because many things are being said. At one point a woman clearly uses “O God,” her voice raised as if to make the point to others.

So, I hear all three things, and this suggests to me that perhaps some at the rally did -for whatever reason- begin by using the name “Obama.” People can be very irreverent and think they’re merely being clever, or having a little lark. But upon repeated listenings, I think it is wrong to jump the gun on this and make the accusation of idolatry. If we insist on hearing what may not be there, then we need to ask if our own ideology, which may tempt us to believe the worst simply because that’s what ideology does, is in charge of us. And if our ideology is in charge, name the Idolater.

But all of this reminds me again, how easy it is to allow our political enthrallment to overtake our good judgment. And then we open ourselves up to a very different sort of judgment, don’t we?

Today is the feast of the holy archangels. Let us ask these messengers of God to help our reception! :-)

What do you hear in the tape?

Michelle Malkin has background noise