As the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia came to a close this past Thursday with Hillary Clinton officially accepting her presidential nomination, many believed it was The Reverend Dr. William Barber II who truly captured the passion of the audience. As a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and chair of their Legislative Political Action Committee, Dr. Barber delivered a fiery, yet tasteful speech regarding America’s need to ‘revive their hearts’.

Describing himself as a “preacher and theologically conservative, liberal Evangelical Biblicist”, Dr. Barber informed audiences that in this election, there are some issues that transcend religious and even political boundaries.

According to Dr. Barber, when it comes to matters like immigration laws, civil rights movements, and LGBTQ rights, Americans need to stop considering what is Democrat or what is Republican, and instead simply consider what is right and what is wrong. This fundamental decision, according to Dr. Barber, ignores party allegiances, and even religious affiliations. He believes that the ability to decide what is right and what is wrong comes down to your love for your county.

One reason audiences heavily empathized with Dr. Barber was because of his unique speech delivery. While slightly resembling a sermon, Dr. Barber’s messages used religious themes to appeal to people across a wide spectrum, including those who did not believe in god or religion. These religious themes also were used to deconstruct racism for clergymen and atheists alike, by alluding to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was often ignored throughout the DNC.

At one point, Dr. Barber called Jesus a, “brown-skinned Palestinian Jew”, symbolizing the importance of finding a peaceful common ground in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Dr. Barber went on to ask Americans to revive their love for the Jewish and Palestinian children, insinuating that when it comes to the livelihood of a child, what side of the conflict they may find themselves on is not important.

While many Palestinians and Arab Americans may argue that sides do matter, Dr. Barber made an excellent point that politics cannot get in the way of thinking about the lives of innocent children.

On Facebook and Twitter, Dr. Barber’s speech has been receiving widespread acclaim. Countless individuals, either Democrat or Republican have appreciated how he chose not to condemn anyone by name, especially Donald Trump. His speech was delivered respectfully, while appealing to the foundation of the American core and asking voters to not be bogged down by meaningless political squabbles.