A day and a bit after the President of the United States' address to both houses of the British parliament (an event upon which I stumbled upon as I visited a parishioner, and we watched it together) I am still puzzled. Not about the historicity of it all. About that there can be no doubt. No, it is something far deeper. As one who both enjoys homiletics, and is trained therein, I found myself appreciating the oratory of Mr. Obama, but then decided that mere oratory wasn't enough. Like any sermon, preached by me or listened to by me, I wanted substance and integrity. And I found his speech to be lacking in both fields. Perhaps I should read the transcript again, but I doubt that any new pearls of diplomatic wisdom will emerge. The content of his homily, watched by most of the world, was both predictable and shallow.
Oh, and his comment about two nations being united by a firm belief in the rule of law? Set aside international contentions for the moment. United States diplomats in London owe the city authorities over five million pounds in traffic violation and congestion fees, yet consider themselves outside of such jurisdiction. Rule of law, Mr Obama? Let's start with the local ones...
No comments:
Post a Comment