a christian with a conscience

a lovely piece, from the heart AND soul

Birth of the Red-Letter Christian Movement
By Anthony Wade
January 14, 2006

Christianity has been hijacked. Christ himself has been hijacked and in the words of theologian Jim Wallis, it is time to take Him back. As a born again Christian with a social conscience in latter day America, identity has always been a struggle. The reason for that is if you believe in the heart of Christ’s teachings, you often do not have a pulpit in modern Christianity. This is because too often the only Christians willing to step up to the microphone are the fundamentalists on the religious right. Between the calls for war with no end, the advocacy of the assassination of Hugo Chavez and support for a most immoral, and anti-Christian budget in modern history, it is no wonder there are so many Christians on the outside of the debate looking in, wondering where their collective voice can be heard.As I sit in Washington DC listening to Mr. Wallis, at the Politics and Spirituality National Conference, I am hearing my own concerns echoing in my head. I have often wondered when Jesus Christ became a pro-war, pro-rich and only pro-American figure. I am convinced it is the last one that gives people so much trouble. We live in a me-first, materialistic, greedy society. Too often this leads us to think of God in terms of our country first, and too often, only. However, as Wallis points out, once we start viewing God in those terms, our country itself becomes an idol which we worship in lieu of God. The fact of the matter is that all of the people on this planet are God’s children and we just happen to be the most blessed. What do we do with those blessings?Yesterday, 30,000 children died on this planet because of poor drinking water or lack of food. Today, another 30,000 died and the same will perish tomorrow. One half of God’s children “live” on less than $2.00 per day. Are these the values Christ taught when He walked the earth? It has been said there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible speaking specifically about taking care of the poor. We all breeze by the “widow and orphans” verses and never truly comprehend the message God is giving us. The ministry of Christ was not about what we can accumulate. Naked you came into the world and naked you will go out. Jesus spoke not of hatred for homosexuals or conservative values. He spoke about social justice. He spoke about how we were to live our lives in relation to one another. He spoke about love, redemption, and peace................