Blog Posts By God's Politics Editor

To a nation bent on violence, anyone who claims to be speaking for God's kingdom and who advocates non-violent means as the way to it is making a very deep and dangerous political statement. - N.T. Wright + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

Lord, we do not always rush to do your will. Often we tiptoe our way into obedience, dragging old habits and mindsets with us. Help us to delight at your voice and to trust that your calling is always good news. Amen. -Adapted from Common Prayer

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. - Mark 10:13-16 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

To the true servant of God every place is the right place and every time is the right time. - Catherine of Siena + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

God, we pray for those affected by the out-of-season typhoon in the southern Philipines today. We pray that you would comfort those who lost loved ones. Stir your body into action and support where needed. Amen.

For [God] did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; [God] did not hide [God's]face from me, but heard when I cried to [God].  - Psalm 22:24 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

Those who would learn to serve must first learn to think little of themselves ... Only those who live by the forgiveness of their sin in Jesus Christ will think little of themselves in the right way. They will know that their own wisdom completely came to an end when Christ forgave them. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

Hound us, Lord, with affection and conviction until we renounce all lesser things to follow you. Help us see that in giving up the fool's gold of the world, we open ourselves to heavenly treasure that lasts forever. Amen.

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. - Isaiah 42:5-10 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

"The dominant culture -civilization- is killing the planet, and it is long past time for those of us who care about life on earth to begin taking the actions necessary to stop this culture from destroying every living thing.” - Derrick Jensen from Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

God, we pray for peace and your presence in areas of turmoil and conflict today, especially the Congo, Syria, and Egypt. Amen.

It is as impossible for us to demonstrate the existence of God as it would be for even Sherlock Holmes to demonstrate the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle. All-wise. All-powerful. All-loving. All-knowing. ... God cannot be expressed but only experienced. In the last analysis, you cannot pontificate but can only point. A Christian is one who points at Christ and says, "I can't prove a thing, but there's something about his eyes and his voice. There's something about the way he carries his head, his hands. The way he carries his cross. The way he carries me." - Frederick Buechner In Wishful Thinking: A Seeker's ABC + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

God, send your Holy Spirit to free us from the burdens of fear and worry, and to help us put our trust in you. -From Daily Prayer 2013

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. - Romans 12:9-13 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

Stephen Colbert, a practicing Catholic and sometimes CCD teacher, does a "liturgical dance" number to the hymn, "King of Glory." You're welcome.http://youtu.be/oASYa-Wkroc

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.  - Isaiah 1:16-17 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

The only answer in this life, to the loneliness we are all bound to feel, is community. The living together, working together, sharing together, loving God and loving our [neighbor], and living close to [God] in community so we can show our love for [God]. - Dorothy Day + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. From Psalm 95

Climb the mountains andget their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. - John Muir + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail

 God, fill us with a desire to support those in our communities with the most need, even when doing so requires us to sacrifice.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. - Galatians 5:22-25 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners, met with President Barack Obama and other key officials at the White House on Friday to discuss the fiscal cliff, and urge a fair budget deal that does not harm the poor and vulnarable. After the meeting, he sat down with Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC's Politics Nation to talk about the results of the meeting. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.  - Acts 2:42-47 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail

Our country just hit a tipping point. Leading up to the election, contentious posts filled our Facebook feeds, and bickering pundits caused more stress than is healthy. We split ourselves down the middle. But in the aftermath of the election, out of the rubble, a new consensus is forming—that we need to come together to solve the nation’s most pressing and impending problems.We believe what we need right now is to come together and have a robust discussion about the “Common Good.” It’s an old concept that’s being reinvented by a new generation. From caring for our neighbors, whether next door and across the glove, it’s also the theme of Jim Wallis’ newest book, On God's Side, set to release from Brazos Press in early February of 2012.Jim’s book is the beginning of the conversation, but he can’t have it by himself. An essential part of the common good is a multi-faceted, community-driven exploration of what that really means.This is where you come in.We’re looking for one- to three-minute submitted videos that examine what the common good means to you. We’ll send you an advance copy of Jim’s book for inspiration, and you take it from there.The best part? We’ll pay you $1,000.Afterwards, we’ll promote your video on all our platforms. You can expect nationwide publicity, and a huge bump in your viewership. Your portfolio will thank you. Here’s the process:Start applying today, November 16th. The application is HERE. It’s pretty straightforward. Submission deadline is December 10th, and we’ll let you know by the 12th if you’re 1 of 3 finalists. You send us a rough cut by January 16th, and a final cut on January 30th. January 30th comes, we get a final cut, and you get $1,000.Want in?