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Originally Posted by Margies3
That thought would have never entered my mind. Where'd you drag that up from???
I HAVE thought tho that TDJ might aspire to be the next Dr Phil  |
Increasingly Jakes is presenting himself, and allowing himself to be presented, in the mainstream media as a leader and spokesperson for black people in America. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've noticed him more and more on TV and it's usually not a spiritual topic being discussed. His place in these discussion is normally as one who speaks from a black person's pov on political/social issues. That's what MLK did and it's MLK's legacy. Others have tried to duplicate MLK's influence (like whites have tried to recapture Kennedy/Reagan mystique) but to no avail. Jakes is a smart, calculating guy and i cannot believe that he's allowing himself to be type cast as much as he's positioning himself and carving out a public image for himself beyond the small niche of the evangelical/Pentecostal demographic.
And if he succeeds, then more power to him. I think black people in America still need a voice in the wilderness speaking prophetically for them and I think Jakes is uniquely suited for that role if he doesn't allow himself to be pigeonholed, marginalized, typecast or become a single issue crusader. The civil rights movement was co-opted after the death of MLK and it's leadership since then, like Jesse Jackson and Idiot Sharpton, have done poorly for black people in general over the years. With Obama getting elected perhaps a new, fresh approach to racial equanimity and relations can be achieved as people like Jakes ride his coattails to influence and the old guard retires to Florida.
On a more religious note, perhaps Jakes could help the church lead the way in society, as it's called to do, and help forge the merging of two major denominations, one white and one black, into a workable, influential group. Wouldn't that be a miracle? It'd be Azusa Street all over again, especially if a black man was in charge.
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