Getting in the Way

day one: Mobilization to end Poverty. Already beginning to experience this as more than an event or a conference. This is what it means to join a movement, to take part in a rally, a march, a campaign. This is what rep. John Lewis meant when he said, "Its time for people of faith to get in the way." This mobilization is how people of faith come together to speak with one voice to those who will listen that we will not passively allow injustice to continue. Tonight we met for worship at Shiloh Baptist. We were treated to the best of Baptist liturgy, with powerful testimony delivered by a minister of the Word from NY. He spoke about his Harlem childhood, his imprisonment and walk away from the LORD. He spoke about his return to the LORD in Sing-Sing prison and his completion of the only MDiv program offered to people in prison. When he was released, he stepped into his new life with power and conviction, developing ministries with youth. His testimony showed the power of GOD to raise up a poor black child in Harlem to become a blessing to other children. Difficult to capture the evocative language and emotional strength of this voice. The cadence and character of Black Baptit preaching is hard to describe and requires that one actually experience it first hand to feel its authenticity in the delivery.
We heard the Howard University Andrew Rankin memorial chapel choir. They were amazing, inspiring, and brought movement to the movement. It's hard to characterize or capture the music in a way that does them justice. Soloists sang descant parts. Choir sang harmony on some powerfully moving spirituals and gospel songs. They had the entire congregation clapping and singing on "Let it rise."
We heard Jim Wallis of Sojourners introduce Rep. Lewis by reading a persuasive essay written by his ten-year-old son Luke about his hero-Lewis. Lewis was the son of sharecroppers in Alabama. He participated in freedom rides, bus boycotts, lunch counter sit-ins, the march on Washington, the Selma march over the Edmond Pettis bridge. He is a civil rights legend, who went to congress in 1986 as a rep. from Georgia's 5th district. He sits on the house ways and means committee. he is a trouble maker and a baptist preacher. After a fine introduction by Wallis, himself a prophet and champion of the poor as an advocate speaking the truth to power, Rep. Lewis spoke. He said, "What does it profit a great nation to gain the whole world and lose its soul?" he believes this movement is to enliven the soul of this nation to act with compassion and justice for the least who suffer the most. He is hopeful that we will pass more universal health care. He said, "War is obsolete and must not be used as a tool of foreign policy." He suggested that this movement is related in its heart to the civil rights movement. Dr. King and rep. Lewis believed that racial equality and economic justice are related as sisters. They are inextricably linked. I wonder how this event might relate to post-mobilization ministry at home. What is God calling me to do as a result of this experience and how will it impact local mission and a rethinking of economics on the home front. What story needs to be told to build the will to change habits, hearts, and minds in order to organize to eliminate poverty?
We have a 20 minute walk from Adams Inn to the metro train ad a five minute ride to the convention center. Tomorrow morning President Obama is slated to give a major address on poverty and his intentions with respect to the Millenium development goals and the half in ten pledge to reduce domestic poverty by 50% in 10 years. We will be prepping tomorrow for Tuesday on Capitol Hill with both PA Senators and Congressman Pitts. Tomorrow noon is a Lutheran luncheon. And tomorrow night is Cafe Koinonia with "Blue Like Jazz" author Donald Miller. I'll post more tomorrow night.