I think Wright is guilty of saying some outrageous things, making untrue allegations and using incendiary rhetoric. Most of us should be glad we aren't being recorded all the time or given a platform to espouse our views and opinions or the same could probably be said of us. I was offended by some of what he said --even when heard in context-- and I understand why others may have been even more offended than myself. But Reverend Wright, through his own actions and years of service to others has demonstrated that he is a good man so I'm willing to accept that he is well intentioned. What we need is a deeper understanding of what his intentions really are.
Just to be clear, I don't know what Wright's intentions really are. I'm just guessing so this is a lot of speculation based on growing up in an evangelical church and having attended church all my life. I think I have a fairly good insight into what may be going on. Wright's behavior is fundamentally about doing the Lord's will.
Remember, Wright is the former head pastor of a church he grew from 87 members to almost 8000 members. The number of good works the church does in its community is absolutely phenomenal. He has received widespread recognition throughout the religious community on a host of issues. He has fought for social justice and against discrimination and won. He is, in the way he measures things, extremely succesful at doing the Lord's work.
Then along comes this controversy where he is unfairly attacked and vilified. However, this resonates very strongly in different ways with many biblical stories of the Lord allowing people to be tempted or tested. Wright even hinted at this in his interview with Moyers. He very likely believes that this happened for a reason. Now that Wright is no longer responsible for a congregation he is wondering if he hasn't been given a new opportunity to serve the Lord.
It isn't about getting Obama elected. It isn't about making the american people love him. It is about following God's will. Wright may feel he has a higher calling and it isn't for us to tell him to go away, shut up or lay low. Everyone is trying to make this about Obama but it really isn't. I doubt that Wright is indifferent about Obama but he knows that he needs to be on the side of the Lord and issues with respect to Obama will take care of themselves.
I seriously doubt that it is principally about jealousy, narcisism, selfishness, ego or a lot of the other things Wright has been accused of. In fact people making those accusations are, in my opinon, performing the litterary equivalent of putting on a dunce cap to show how clueless they really are. I'm not saying there might not be a touch of jealousy or narcisism lurking somewhere, we all have things we struggle with, but I don't think it is principally about those kinds of issues.
I'm not defending Wright, he can do that himself. I'm just suggesting that a different understanding of Wright's motivations might help make what is going on a lot clearer to a lot of people.