April 29, 2007

Bill Moyers

Anglican suggested I watch the entire interview and he was right. It is thoughtful and worth watching. (Or read the transcript here.)

I don't watch Moyers enough. I have always liked him, but there are times when he just depresses me. It isn't that I think he is wrong--on the contrary. I think at times I just can't handle the truth.

I remember learning that Moyers grew up Southern Baptist and, as I recall, actualy was an ordained minister at one time. One of my favorite LBJ stories involves Moyers. LBJ asked him to lead a prayer, and then said loudly, "speak up Bill, I can't hear you." Moyers responded--and summed up my problems with public prayers--"I wasn't talking to you."

His background as Southern Baptist, but adulthood questioning his faith made him the perfect interviewer (for me) of Joseph Campbell. I watched those closely. I also loved his series on Genesis.

Even if I am not strong enough to watch him all the time, he is one of my heroes.

1 comment:

ANewAnglican@gmail.com said...

Moyers is, I think, a good and decent man with a remarkable gift for the American language. A fellow East Texan, I've often hoped our paths might cross some day.

Even so, he was part of the Vietnam machine and complicit in LBJ's spying on MLK. But I think he's grown up, so to speak, and atoned for those mistakes.

I wonder who in this administration might be capable of such growth.