The other night I drove to Boulder, Colo., to hear well-known preacher and activist Jim Wallis speak about his new book, On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good. I’d read several of his books and heard him on podcasts (he’s got a great, deep voice) before, but I especially appreciated his focus on the common good in this latest book that brought him to Boulder on a book tour.
Despite cataloguing a number of reasons not to be hopeful about America’s future, Wallis nonetheless made hope a keystone of his message to the Boulder Bookstore audience of 50 or so people. “Hope is not a mood or a feeling. It is a decision you make,” he said. I found that particular quote meaningful, as I’ve felt overwhelmed lately in my own sphere of influence as I’ve tried to help a handful of people “on the margins.”
I look forward to reading the whole book.
