Inside Story

Several people from Sojourners attended the October 1997 Promise Keepers' "Stand in the Gap" gathering here in Washington, D.C. Afterward, talking about it at our weekly staff lunch, there were a variety of responses, including praise for speakers' strong words about racism in this country-and the sense of a troubling lack of clarity about the PK position on equality between women and men. In Philadelphia on business soon after "Stand in the Gap," editor Jim Wallis made a point of meeting with Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen, an Eastern College professor who's become a key commentator on the PK movement. One result is our cover feature, in which Mary explores some of the confusion in PK messages on male "headship" and explicates the biblical grounds for gender mutuality. We are pleased to introduce a new column in this issue, "Uprisings." The promise that sons and daughters would prophesy has been fulfilled through the centuries-but listening to what the Spirit has given has not, to put it mildly, always been the church's strong point. Our hope is that "Uprisings" will be, as Aaron Gallegos writes, "a place where the struggles, issues, and unique voice of a new generation of Christians are presented to readers of all ages." As a new year begins, we pray that you-whatever your generation-are drenched with dreams and visions.