[Dialogue] Fw: Jim Wallis: Speaking to America

[Janice Ulangca]

Jim Wallis: Speaking to AmericaJim Wallis - author of best-selling book "God's Politics - Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It".  Evangelical pastor who is passionate about peace and justice & working on a national movement of Christians to advocate & work for peace/justice issues.  It's a new thing for a progressive Christian to be given this kind of opportunity.
Janice Ulangca


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Sojourners 
To: Janice Ulangca 
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 6:06 PM
Subject: Jim Wallis: Speaking to America




      Wednesday morning, my phone rang, and on the other end of the line was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. In an unprecedented invitation, he asked if I would speak to the nation in the Democrat's weekly radio broadcast this Saturday. In the past, these addresses have been given by elected officials, but the senator thought a non-partisan religious leader could speak to the moral values our nation needs. I thanked him for the invitation, and said I'd get back to him.

      Whether or not to accept was a difficult decision. I work hard to maintain my independence and non-partisanship, and didn't want to be perceived as supporting one party over the other. But it was an occasion to get our message to millions of people, so I decided to accept. Our country faces pressing issues. We are in a time like no other. This requires new ways of engaging leaders, and the Americans they represent. Forums like this one are rarely offered by either party. I thought the good faith effort by Sen. Reid in risking a new approach should be met with my willingness to act in a new way.

      I have always looked for opportunities to witness to gospel values wherever possible, regardless of the political party. In the early years of the Bush administration, I publicly supported the faith-based initiative and was in several meetings with the president. At our Pentecost conference last June, senators from both parties - Sam Brownback, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Rick Santorum - addressed the participants. Just this week, I met with key Republican staff members on Capitol Hill to discuss a bi-partisan anti-poverty caucus. So this opportunity comes as part of a long pattern. If the Republicans offered a similar venue, I would accept and deliver the same message.

      It is an opportunity to move outside our usual circles and reach many new people. I had complete control of what I would say, and could speak in a non-partisan way about the values and solutions our country so desperately needs by challenging both parties. The text speaks of the need for a government with integrity that can work for the common good, the importance of bi-partisan political leadership in overcoming poverty, the moral need to extricate ourselves from Iraq, the protection of our environment, the changes needed to produce a culture that promotes healthy families, and a common ground effort to dramatically reduce the number of abortions in America. All of these are part of a new politics; the kind of politics that are inspired by our deepest values and that require new leadership by both Democrats and Republicans, and (as I conclude my remarks), from "each and every one of us."

      Check your local listings for broadcast times, and check the God's Politics Blog tomorrow for text and audio of the address. I pray that the message breaks through and truly speaks to America.


      Sincerely, 

      Jim Wallis 
     


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