Occupy Faith Reaches Out to Greater D.C. with a Message of Social Justice

By Matthew Santoro

(Photo by Coulter Loeb)

Even before the raids that ended the encampments at Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square, Occupy DC’s faith-based community had begun to shift its focus.

“After a time, we felt the physical encampment had lost its effectiveness towards the ends of the Occupy movement [such as] ending inequality, corporate power in government, and for us, as Christians, calling out a society that worships money and economies in place of God,” said Jeremy John of the Occupy Church.

The Christian activist group started out of a prayer tent in McPherson Square, where they offered tea and conversation to passersby and held a weekly service on Saturday night, giving occupiers a space for worship and discussion.

National Prayer Breakfast Breakdown, Part 3: Obama on a Faith of Action

By Matthew Santoro

This is Part 3 of an three-part series on President Barack Obama's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. Read Part 1 and Part 2 now.

President Obama speaking at a church,
Source: Reuters/Faithworld

Part of President Obama's enthusiasm for a role for faith in public life is no doubt rooted in his understanding of Christian responsibility. Let's return briefly to the Biblical passage with that concluded Sunday's blog post (and from which Obama quotes in his speech):

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. —1 John 3:16-18 (NRSV, emphasis added)

Doers of the Word

For Christians, our knowledge of God's love compels us to have compassion for those in need. In quoting 1 John, Obama demonstrates the Biblical basis for Christian compassion that surpasses intellectual concern and becoming a compelling force for action. Through faith, its intended that Christians will become active stewards of their community and their world.

Passion 2012 Calls Young Christians to Rise Up Against Modern-Day Slavery

By Matthew Santoro

Image from Passion 2012.  Photo by: Kenny Hamilton,
11Alive News, used with permission.

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? – Isaiah 58:6 (NRSV)

A pervasive criticism of modern Christians, both from outsiders as well as concerned Christians, is that people of faith are not taking seriously Jesus’ call for us to serve “the least of these.”

Thankfully, we may be turning a corner.

Last week in Atlanta, more than 42,000 Christians packed the Georgia Dome for four days to participate in Passion 2012. Spearheaded by Passion Conferences founder Louie Giglio, Passion 2012 is another in an ongoing series of conferences intended to engage the “university moment” with Jesus’ compelling message.

What made Passion 2012 so compelling for so many wasn’t the impressive list of popular Christian speakers, including Francis Chan, John Piper, and Beth Moore. It wasn’t the popular worship music of Chris Tomlin, the David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, and Kristian Stanfill. Nor was it the presence of 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne.

It was the call to action — the invitation to make Jesus’ message of social justice a reality in this world.