Widening the Circle of Protection

Previoulsy I wrote that I was one of over 4,000 pastors who signed an open letter to President Obama and Congress regarding the current budget impass.

I am also one of more than 500 people from across Illinois who signed a memo to our Senators, Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. Today, Thursday, July 14, Bread for the World activists delivered those memos to the Senators’ local offices. The memo reads:

MEMO

TO:    Senator Richard Durbin/ Senator Mark Kirk

FROM:    Your Constituents (enclosed)

RE:     Things to Consider Before You Vote

As you work to balance the federal budget and reduce the deficit, I want to make sure you know my priorities. The economic recovery is still too slow. One in six families in the United States struggles to put food on the table. And one in five people around the world lives on less than $1.25 a day.

I agree that we need to substantially reduce future deficits, but not at the expense of hungry and poor people. You must create a circle of protection around programs vital to hungry and poor people. As you debate how to balance our budget, I want you to keep the following questions in mind:

• Did I vote to protect vital programs needed by the most vulnerable people here and abroad in these difficult times?

• If I did not, what do I tell the men, women, and children who have been hit hardest?

Or ask yourself, “What would Jesus cut?”

I’m counting on you as my representative in Congress to do the right thing. As a voter, I care deeply about the 26,000 kids abroad who die daily because they are simply too poor to survive, and about the millions of people here at home looking for work and trying to make ends meet.

Hunger has never been a partisan issue. Now is not the time to make it one. I’m interested in protecting hungry and poor people in these difficult times.

Thank you for listening.

More than 11,000 people from across the country have sent this memo to their members of Congress. I hope you’ll join us in creating a Circle of Protection with and around the most vulnerable among us.

In related news, Brian McLaren had a terrific Debt-Ceiling Dream that I highly recommend.

How are you raising your voice on behalf of people in need?