The Jim Wallis Podcast

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The Real State of the Union Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves sold into human bondage in Jamestown, Va., in August 1619. Although President trump acknowledged other anniversaries during his State of the Union speech--the 75th Anniversary of of the Invasion of Normandy and the 50th Anniversary of the first moon landing--not one word was spoken about the pernicious practice of enslaving our brothers and sisters and its origin in the state of Virginia.

There is great irony therefore, that the shameful charade of Blackface has brought about calls from both Democratic and Republican leaders for Virginia Governor Northam (D) to resign after admitting he had once darkened his face for the amusement of others. Resignation is not enough. Repentance is required. In this episode of The Soul of the Nation, Rev. Jim Wallis outlines the steps the Governor needs to take in order for true healing to begin.

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Where to Begin Feb 06, 2019

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Thanks be to God! For all the government workers and their families who will, hopefully, soon get their deeply deserved paychecks, we give thanks. For those of us who are constantly on the look out for what’s next on the breaking news horizon, this is a good place to start today: giving thanks to God. Let us first be thankful, then ask what is next.

Many of us called for prayer to reopen the government and legions of people lifted their prayers for lawmakers. Prayer is mysterious and moves in miraculous ways that we can never fully know or understand. But I believe that it was partly the work of prayer that helped some lawmakers stand firm and others step up against party loyalty. Prayer changes national narratives and directions. I believe that.

But Donald Trump has made his campaign, his presidency, his central message, and his vision for America about one thing: his wall.

What Trump’s wall is entirely about is his racially divisive message that appeals to his angry and fearful white base. The wall says we must be afraid of non-white people coming to America and this will keep them out of “our” country. The wall is just a symbol, a monument, a testimony to the worst of American white racism, fear, and hatred.

It is time for spiritual preparation for the crisis that is already here — especially for immigrants and people of color. It is a time for prayer and fasting and spiritual vigilance. We must undergird ourselves and our congregations for active and courageous responses — not from the left or the right, but from those who first and foremost are followers of Jesus. Stay tuned.

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Spiritual Wickedness in High Places Jan 18, 2019

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The Apostle Paul tells us that we are engaged in spiritual warfare against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness in high places. Spiritual warfare is easily provoked between our “better angels,” as Lincoln contrasted against our worst demons in a time such as this.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history reveals the brokenness of our systems, the danger of a strong man exploiting that brokenness instead of trying to fix it, and the suffering of countless people, always beginning with the most vulnerable. It also painfully shows Washington’s current habit of blaming instead of solving problems, which has left our politics both polarized and paralyzed.

in the midst of this government shutdown and the political and humanitarian crisis it has created, Sojourners is calling people of faith to prayer — as an action in itself and as a preparation for future action. We are asking every one of you, our readers and partners and allies to pray — in your daily lives and in your churches. Click here to offer your prayers for the Senate and specifically Leader Mitch McConnell, who has the authority to call for a vote that would end the shutdown and reopen the government. Sojourners is ready and willing to collect and deliver your prayers to your senators and to McConnell in person here in Washington, D.C.

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Trump's Monument to Racism Jan 16, 2019

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Donald Trump’s wall is obviously a terrible idea: It’s both impractical and ineffective — and more importantly, it’s immoral. Building Trump’s wall would be building a 2,200-mile-long monument to racism.

Racism is always based on lies; it always has been and always will be. We saw that again in Donald Trump’s address to the nation on last week. It was more of the same lies he has used since he announced his presidential candidacy in 2015.

Trump is holding the most vulnerable people hostage as he shuts down the government for a vanity project that experts agree has no possibility of keeping us safer. Soon, the most basic needs of food and shelter will be withheld from the very people Jesus tells us should our top priority: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the prisoner.

It’s time for Christians to show the strength of our convictions and put an early end to this poisonous racial project once and for all: Trump’s wall would indeed be a monument to our worst instincts in this nation. Therefore Christians must say that Trump’s wall will not be built on our watch, not this week, not this year, not ever.

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Be Not Afraid: Trump's UnGodly Wall Contradicts Jesus' Teaching Dec 24, 2018

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In this season of Advent and Christmas, Donald Trump poses a clear and unambiguous choice for Christians and all people of conscience.

Jesus says, “welcome the stranger." Donald Trump, in great contrast, enacts policies that inflict trauma, pain, danger, and even death on the ones Jesus tells us to welcome. And the evangelical Christian leaders who support Donald Trump have absolutely nothing to say. Ask them this question, “What about Jesus?”

To the objections those white evangelical supporters of the president might raise, there’s a fairly clear response we can give as people of faith: We recognize the importance of upholding just laws and protecting our border, but migrants have a legal right to seek asylum and pose no real danger to America. Beyond the letter of the law, as Christians we are called to uphold the higher law of imago dei, that we are all made in the image and likeness of God, and the command of Matthew 25, that we treat the most vulnerable as we would treat Christ himself.

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Stark Relief Dec 13, 2018

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I believe the remembrance of the life of George H. W. Bush last week and going forward give this man one final mission: to demonstrate the values that reveal who genuine leaders are, contrasting the values (or lack thereof) that reveal who are not. What does a leader do or not do? What are the markers of true public service that differentiate it from public exploitation?

Because the Bush family is so hospitable and honorable, the current president was invited to the service — but he was not invited to speak. Instead he was in the presence of four other living presidents. I wonder if this very awkward, even perhaps painful day for him, might cause some personal reflection on his part about contrasting values. For our nation and our nation’s leaders, we are always instructed to pray and hope for redemption.

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2018 MidTerm Elections: The Good, The Bad, and The Dangerous Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

As we digest the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections, there are reasons for people of faith committed to social justice and the common good to be grateful and encouraged. There are also reminders of what we are up against and some real post-election dangers.

Zooming out to the broadest level of the consequences of this week’s elections, the change in power in the House of Representatives will change Washington with the end of one party control of the federal government, and create a desperately needed check on Donald Trump’s power after two chaotic and frightening years where he faced virtually no limits or checks whatsoever. This is a vital check and a balance to growing concerns of this president’s executive power that both Democrats and some Republicans have strongly called for.

In the days following the election, Trump has made a fresh declaration of political war against his opponents, including an incredible attack on the press at his first press conference in months, and the immediate firing of his attorney general that could quickly become the beginning of a constitutional crisis in America.

Let us watch, pray, and be ready to act.

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I've Got Some Good News and Some Bad News Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Diverse evangelicals, led by people of color and women, want to bring the “good news” back to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in direct contrast to the “bad news” perpetuated by older, white, and partisan evangelical men. Evangelicals are typically identified in the media and by the public as a predominately white, politically right-wing faith group with little to no concern about the poor and oppressed.

Missing from the national conversation is a recognition that evangelicals are an ethnically diverse group. According to the PRRI 2017 American Values Atlas, thirty-five percent of evangelicals are people of color. Although the media focused on the eighty-one percent of “evangelicals” who voted for Donald Trump, it ignored the fact that seventy-two percent of evangelicals of color voted differently. This distortion undermines the Christian witness and negatively impacts American politics. Millions of people have left the faith, especially younger believers, during a time in which evangelicalism has become increasingly partisan and politicized.

The release of the “Chicago Invitation: Diverse Evangelicals Continue the Journey” signals a commitment to transform the current, false narrative around evangelicalism into a liberating one based upon Jesus’ teachings, the authority of scripture, evangelism, and God’s Biblical call to justice.

The need to reclaim the true meaning of the word ‘evangelical’ is as urgent as it has ever been. The soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are both at stake.

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Rigged: How a White Male Minority Conspires to Hold onto Power Oct 24, 2018

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Of course the system is rigged — systems are always rigged to protect the wealth, power, and self-interest of those who created them, those who benefit from them. That’s not hyperbole; that’s reality, that’s human nature, and that’s what the Bible calls sin. Jesus calls us to protect, in particular, "the least of these" who are most vulnerable to the systems' exploitation. This is why defending systems that just maintain the powerful’s own self-interest while neglecting the interests of others, especially the most vulnerable, is not just bad politics — it’s bad theology.

The columnist E.J. Dionne writes:

"A generations-long conservative majority on the court has been cemented in place by a political minority. Kavanaugh was named by a president who won 46 percent of the popular vote and confirmed by senators representing 44 percent of the population. When you lack a majority, controlling the branch of government not subject to the voters is vital to working your will."

We all need to vote on Nov. 6 or before, no matter how much time and effort that takes; get your kids to vote if they are old enough; tell your co-workers and fellow congregants to vote; and even try to find and help people to vote who didn’t in the last election. Vote overwhelmingly for democracy and political accountability in this election year. Vote in the defense and protection of those who are poor and vulnerable — whom the God of the Bible tells us are the test or our politics. And after voting for democracy, commit to a deep and long-term plan to heal it by changing rigged systems and holding them all accountable to the common good of a more multicultural future.

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You're Invited! Oct 18, 2018

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