Our cover feature by veteran journalist Bill Moyers is an adaptation of the keynote speech he delivered to a standing-room-only crowd at Call to Renewal's Pentecost 2004 event held here in Washington, D.C., in May. Moyers brought the house down with his passionate and populist indictment of the negative influence of money in our political process and the vital need for people of faith to stand up and be counted in the struggle for a just society. The audience's enthusiasm made the keynote address feel like a revival meeting.
Moyers began his speech with the kind of personal and professional affirmation that is rarely received but much appreciated. "I was honored by your invitation to share this day with you," Moyers told the conference attendees. "Call to Renewal is an inspiration to me and so is Jim Wallis-for his witness of faith, his generous heart, his way of life, his engagement with politics, and his magazine: I could not do without Sojourners."
Another source of excitement was the conference's "Emerging Leaders" track, featuring activists who are 30 or under. In a forum, in workshops, and in informal meetings, these leaders discussed organizing techniques, ways their faith informs their activism, and many issues connected to poverty. The best part, according to attendees of all ages, was the spirit of equal dialogue and mutual learning between young and old that came to permeate the entire gathering.
To learn more about Call to Renewal and its work against poverty, visit www.calltorenewal.com.
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