On NPR today, a guy was talking about William Jennings Bryan. He was explaining that when Bryan was in congress, Christians were experiencing a political revival, much like the one being experienced today.
The difference was, though, that at that time, political power was being wielded by those on the Christian Left. It was the time of the social gospel, of a religious voice which spoke of care for the poor and fair treatment of all of our neighbors. (Wonder where they got that stuff...)
The guy on NPR drew the obvious distinction between those days and ours, and then said about today, "The Christian Left is practically nonexistent."
I imagine it seems that way. And it is hard in these days of color reduction ("I'm blue; you're red") to want to carve out our side of the political spectrum.
A spectrum--what a novel idea! Or a very bad mixed metaphor--you make the call.
But I am a proud member of the Christian Left. I hope we're not irrelevant, and I know we're not "practically nonexistent," though I can imagine why one might think so. It's the only place I can think of to be, as a person trying to follow Jesus, though messing that up pretty badly some days.
Here I stand, I guess. I can do no other.
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