IF ALL THE Sojourners readers got together, we would fill the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium here in Washington DC. I've only been there once, but I remember having a very vivid picture of what it would be like if we could all be there together. The thought made me smile. What a wonderful event it would be!
That image of a stadium full of Sojourners readers has come up for me again several times as we have encountered the financial stress of the past few years. It's so hard to express the strength of the vision and the depth of the need in a fund-raising letter; and it's so hard for a letter to penetrate the busyness of our readers' lives and go right to the place in the heart where I know so many of our readers hold Sojourners community and magazine.
Many times I've thought to myself or remarked to others, "If only I could get them all together and just share our dreams and our need for their support -- I know they would respond." I really do believe that, and know personally from my travels how wide and deep the support for Sojourners is throughout the country and even around the world now. But I also know how very difficult it is to get our wonderfully supportive readers to focus on what Sojourners most needs and how they can most concretely help.
So I've decided to give my "stadium speech." And since I can't get you all in the stadium, I'm offering it to each of you and asking you to listen and respond as if we were all there and I was speaking directly to you. I hope you will really listen. I'm afraid the future of Sojourners depends on how well you hear and how deeply you respond. Here's my speech.
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