Wallis was speaking at Church.co.uk, in London where Rev Steve Chalke also spoke. Chalke is the founder of Faithworks, a movement dedicated to challenge and change the public perception of the Church by engaging both media and the government.
Wallis’ new book attempts to set out his powerful critique of religion and politics in the US. It has sold 300,000 copies in the US alone since its publication, and has been said to have challenged people of faith to take seriously their personal belief in its varied forms. In doing so, he also urges people to hold their governments accountable on this basis.
Speaking prior to the event, Steve Chalke commented, “When it comes to the vital relationship between faith and politics, Britain stands in the gap between America and Europe. We have avoided the heavy-handed, partisan approach to religion characterised by the Religious Right in America, but also steered clear of adopting a privatised faith removed from politics or public life, too often been evidenced in other parts of Europe.”
Wallis, who is the Executive Director of Sojourners and Convenor of Call to Renewal, a US movement of faith-based organisations working to overcome poverty, spoke passionately on the position that faith could have in the political sphere, as well as the role that people of faith had to have in fighting poverty in the world.“Our God is a personal God, but not a private God. Our God is a public God,” said Wallis as he explained that Christians had to be active in testifying and revealing their faith across all areas of society.
He also added, “People are looking for a moral centre, which isn’t a mushy political centrism, but which looks at the moral challenges of our time and says ‘don’t go left, don’t go right - go deeper.’ It’s about applying a consistent moral ethic, something that inevitably leads to the crossing of political lines.”
Highlighting the shocking fact that approximately 30,000 children in the world die every day due to poverty, Wallis pointed to this “everyday tsunami” as something that Christians had to tackle with faith.“God is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them,” said Wallis.
Backing Wallis’ call for people of faith to engage with the state, Rev Chalke said, “The Church must never lose its prophetic edge. We have to learn what it means to be in the company of the king, but never in the pocket of the king. Our concern should not be for just social action, it should also be for social justice. The Church should be involved not just in service, but also in politics, affecting policies and bending them towards justice.”
Completing the resounding call, the leader of Faithworks, Rev Malcolm Duncan told that there had to be a commitment to tell the government that “Christian faith has a vital role to play in a healthy society,” and “we must show that we are committed to justice and not just charity.”
Jim Wallis’ book, God’s Politics, can be now be purchased directly from Christian Today’s bookshop. Please Click HERE for more information.
