On the 11th April 2006, Jim Wallis author of the best selling book ‘God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It’ who had to ordered a reprint in the UK after 20,000 copies were sold on the first day, called on this generation to be the fire that burns through the cynicism, which seemed to immobilised many in the western world.
Tim Costello CEO of World Vision, gave a bleak assessment of the current world where the life of a 38 year old Sierra Lorne man in 2006 was lower compared to the same man living in London in 1810.
Jim Wallis followed with a passionate call for this generation to be the fire, which would blow across the affluent countries including Australia.
On a book tour he undertook to highlight not only his book but the extreme poverty that existed around the world, the participants became younger and younger where the youngest girl he met was 8 years old. He asked: ‘What did you think about it?’ She responded by saying: ‘As a Christian I must do something about it. I cannot let this silent tsunami kill kids each month.’
He emphasised the political process of bringing an end to poverty cannot be changed inside but outside. Gordon Brown the Chancellor of the Exchequers in the UK told him that right now we had the knowledge, information and technology to fix this problem. However what we lacked were willpower and conviction. “This was where you step in Jim,” Mr. Brown said.
Reverend Wallis spoke with a passion for Christians to mobilise, to force a change from the outside saying the pulpit could change a nation because it formed the spiritual foundation. That was why going back to Ebony Baptist Church in Atlanta Georgia, where Dr. King preached brought back so many memories.
Recounting the story of Lisa a close friend of Jim, a black woman who obtained a PhD in Yale who spent her life ministering to street kids gave him inspiration to go on when she passed away.
He concluded by saying do not complain and look at the problems around you. If Lisa was here this was what she would say: “We are the one the world had been waiting for, where through the Lord, He could use us to usher in a new history.”
A Q&A session was followed afterwards. Reverend Costello gave an interesting assessment of the two key foundations within all Australians mindset. He quoted from the World Vision Report saying: “We were the most committed to eradicating world poverty where we were only behind Ireland in personal donation. On the other hand we were the most fearful of terrorists even compared to the USA.”
These two foundations were ‘Giving people a fair go’ and the isolationist mindset, which deeply remained entrenched within us.
The final question was directed to Jim Wallis asking him to share an Easter message. Recounting his time in South Africa where he was smuggled into the country by World Vision he vividly described the scene where on Sunday Service in St. George Cathedral, Archbishop Tutu was preaching to a congregation. However there was a heavy military presence both inside and outside used by the apartheid government to intimidate him.
The military commander taking out his notes told Archbishop Tutu that ‘whatever you say we would record it and if it was something we didn’t like we would put you in jail like before.’
Archbishop Tutu paused for a little while and then he looked them straight in the eye and said: “You were very powerful but not as powerful as God. God cannot be mocked. You (military) already lost so why don’t you come over to the winning side?”
This stunned the commanders and the congregation broke out dancing and praising the Lord.
In the inauguration of President Mandela in 1994, Reverend Wallis prompted Archbishop Tutu whether he remembered what he said a few years ago. Just then three fighter planes piloted by white man flew across the inauguration. As the crowds were nervously waiting to see what the plane would do Archbishop Tutu stood there. The plane released a fuel bomb bursting into the colours of the new South African flag paying tribute to the new president.
Archbishop Tutu said that as Christians we were prisoners of hope. The real choice Reverend Wallis said was not whether you were a believer or not but rather were you hopeful or cynical?
Christian must choose whether they would like to be stuck in their cynical world where although they believed in good but due to past efforts in trying to change the world they retreated back due to a crushing defeat. Or be the hope for this generation where the Lord would use each and every one of us to bend the universal back to justice even though the odds seem impossible.
Reverend Wallis concluded by saying that for such a monumental task of eliminating poverty faith was needed. Faith he defined was believing despite the evidences pointing to the contrary.
He left a deep impression on the audience with this remark: ‘Have hope, have faith in God that this hope would be carried out, embed this hope inside of you by putting it into action and finally the world would change.’