An Open Letter to Famous Progressive Christian Jim Wallis

Last updated on: October 20, 2020 at 12:26 pm by John Shore

An Open Letter to Famous Progressive Christian Jim Wallis 2020-10-20T12:26:33-08:00 John Shore

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dear Mr. Wallis,

Hi! You and I aren’t personally acquainted or anything (though we are slightly affiliated, insofar as we both blog about religion for The Huffington Post). I definitely know that, as the author of New York Times bestsellers God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It and *The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America—*and as president and CEO of Sojourners, and editor-in-chief of the highly influential Sojourners magazine—you are one of the guiding lights of American progressive Christianity.

That’s so awesome. Could you be more famous? Congratulations on all the fantastic things you’ve accomplished.

I’m writing because I believe you have someone on staff at Sojourners who, for some reason, is maybe not entirely clear on the work you and Sojourners do. And, alas, that person recently made a pretty awful mistake that I am sure you will want to right away rectify.

Recently the good people at Believe Out Loud produced a wonderful little video promoting LGBT equality in our churches. Here is that video:

Have you seen it before? Really tugs at the ol’ heartstrings, doesn’t it? I find it exceptionally powerful.

Anyway, last week or so the folks at Believe Out Loud tried to buy ad space for this video on Sojo.net. They were hoping the video might run on your site on Mother’s Day, for which of course it would have been particularly apropos.

I say “would have been,” because guess what happened? Someone at Sojourners turned down the ad buy for the video! Can you believe it? Me neither! In refusing the video, someone in your office wrote to the Believe Out Loud people, “I’m afraid we’ll have to decline. Sojourners position is to avoid taking sides on this issue. In that care [sic], the decision to accept [this] advertising may give the appearance of taking sides.” That person went on to say that Sojourners has not taken a stance on gay marriage, or on the ordination of homosexuals.

I know! Can you imagine someone working for you declaring that video to be too radical or controversial for Sojourners to be associated with? It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it? Hasn’t that person even read the Sojourners Diversity Statement, where it says things like:

We affirm the biblical truth of every human being’s inherent dignity and worth,
We affirm that in the Body of Christ there is no distinction or hierarchy according to racial, ethnic, gender, or social identity and economic status,
We celebrate diversity as essential to the unity and strength of Christ’s Body
We confess that both personal prejudice and systemic oppression are sin.

Calling personal prejudice and systemic oppression a sin! Now that is some seriously bold language, right there. I love it. Way to lay it straight out, so that no one can possibly misunderstand you.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you might want to track down and correct whomever it is in your organization who is so egregiously failing to properly represent you and your wonderful work. (Hint: the person you’re looking for might be someone pretty high up in your organization; Believe Out Loud was told that the decision to refuse their video was made by “the folks in executive.” It’s almost funny, isn’t it?)

Thank you very much for reading this, Mr. Wallis. And thanks for doing, as I am absolutely confident that you will, the right thing.

Sincerely yours,

John Shore

[Update: Mr. Wallis and His Big Gay Waffle.]

Christian Issues

LGBT and Christianity

Previous Post

May 9, 2011

Pastor Bob on Romans: Christian Diversity; Sin and Grace; Excessive Lust

Next Post

May 10, 2011 Mr. Wallis and His Big Gay Waffle

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Issues Christian Spirituality Dear John En Espanol Everywhere She's Not Humor Look See Pastor Bob's Corner Personal Portuguese Relationships Russian Short-short story Smith Family Chronicles Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 August 2022 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 June 2019 December 2018 May 2018 May 2017 January 2017 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What city is known as the Holy City, sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jerusalem Cairo Athens Rome

Books by This Author Books by John Shore

See All Titles »