Obama preaches power of grace in stirring eulogy
Standing in the pulpit, President Barack Obama paused, bit his lip, and collected his emotions. It was near the end of his eulogy to Rev. Clementa Pinckney and eight faithful church members slain after Bible study last week in the basement of Emanuel AME Church.
The crowd of nearly 6,000 in the College of Charleston arena waited as Obama remained silent for several seconds. He had already delivered a roaring speech, more like a sermon, about the resiliency of this historic black church “built by blacks seeking liberty,” a reststop for “foot soldiers on the underground railroad,” a “sacred place” attended by the “good, decent, God fearing” people who had been killed by a shooter “who presumed he would deepen division.”
The shooter could not have known “he was being used by God” and perhaps failed to comprehend “the power of God’s grace,” Obama said.
Church mothers, dressed in white, waved their hands, encouraging the president with traditional call and response shouts of “Amen!” and “Go
on, now! Preach, Brother President, preach!”
Obama continued: “If we can find that grace, anything is possible. If we can tap that grace, everything can change.”
And then he began to sing a capella, offering a slow and soulful rendition of one of the great gospel standards: “Amazing grace ... how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now, I see.”
Thousands rose to their feet, cheering.
Obama, who invoked the names of the other eight victims during his eulogy, was both preacher and president during the ceremony, explaining to the rapt crowd that the alleged killer could not have known that he would inspire unity rather than provoke division.
A 21-year-old white man, Dylann Roof, is alleged to have killed the nine worshippers at a Wednesday night Bible study. “Blinded by hatred,” Obama said, “the alleged killer would not see the grace surrounding Reverend Pinckney and that Bible study group, the light of love that showed as they opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join in their prayer circle.”
The services were held in the arena, a block from Mother Emanuel, to accommodate the thousands of mourners who began lining up early in the hot Charleston sun. More than 5,000 were turned away.
The audience inside included Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and about 40 members of Congress, including House Speaker John A. Boehner, who joined Obama on Air Force One to travel here.
Obama’s eulogy turned into a meditation on the meaning of grace and a call to action on the issues of guns and race, two of the thorniest and most divisive problems of his presidency.
He praised South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Nikki Haley for advocating the flag’s removal from the capitol grounds.
“It’s true a flag did not cause these murders. But as people from all walks of life, Republicans and Democrats, now acknowledge, including Governor Haley ... as we all have to acknowledge, the flag has always represented more than just ancestral pride.”
The most powerful tribute came from Pinckney’s wife, Jennifer, who was in the church at the time of the attack and locked herself in an office with one of their daughters when she heard the shots.
“You promised me you would never leave me!” she wrote in a letter to her slain husband published in the funeral program. “You promised me we would be together for years to come! You promised me we would watch our children grow, get married and have children of their own. ... I feel robbed, cheated and cut short. ... But I’m thankful for one consolation that your life was not in vain.”