The presence of the Sojourners organization at the so-called One Nation rally last Saturday is disturbing to me. Sojourners says it is an evangelical organization, yet it found common cause with communists, socialists, homosexuals activists, and assorted other radicals at this rally.
The leader of Sojourners, Jim Wallis, claims to want to bring civility back into the political debate. Is that what took place last Saturday? Civility? Not by any definition of the term with which I’m familiar.
While Wallis is saying he is a voice of reason against the extremes of both sides, it turns out he is taking money from one of the most extreme players out there.
George Soros is one of the wealthiest men in the world. He’s also an atheist and confirmed leftist. He uses his money to bankroll a variety of radical organizations and causes. Sojourners is one of the groups to which he has donated money, apparently in excess of $300,000. An evangelical organization allied with George Soros the atheist? What kind of evangelicalism is that?
Marvin Olasky, the editor of World magazine, asked Wallis to come clean and just admit that he is on the extreme Left of the political spectrum. Just be honest about it, Olasky said, and acknowledge the connection to Soros.
Wallis’s response was to call Olasky a liar. His exact words were, “It’s not hyperbole or overstatement to say that Glenn Beck lies for a living. I’m sad to see Marvin Olasky doing the same thing. No, we don’t receive money from Soros.”
Unfortunately for Wallis, the proof of the funding was found on the Internet, although it took some searching after Sojourners scrubbed its site of all evidence of the connection. Wallis was forced to apologize for his earlier statements.
I cannot look into the hearts of those who call themselves Christians yet have no problem working with those diametrically opposed to the Christian faith. I believe I know why they are pulled in that direction: first, they are overwhelmed by the needs of the poor and want to see a resolution; second, they think that government money and programs are the solution. I understand their desire to help, but they have little or no comprehension of the proper Biblical sphere for civil government. As a result, they join hands with very unsavory characters with philosophies contradictory to Biblical truth.
I urge self-described evangelicals on the Left side of the political spectrum to reevaluate their positions. Raising government to the level of man’s provider is to replace God. That was the approach taken in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, and other communist nations.
This is going to sound self-serving, but I have spent some time thinking about the proper role of government in society. I have written a book that goes through basic Biblical principles and their application to an understanding of the purposes and limitations of civil government. Don’t worry—I will never get rich selling this book, but I do commend it to you if you have an open mind and heart, and I would be happy to dialogue with you about this issue if you first take the time to read it. You can find it on Amazon.
The apostle Paul wrote,
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. … Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.