Table Talk

Come to the Table

Invite your friends, pass the cookies, and dig into Sojourners. Table Talk discussion guides provide a gathering place for communities to discuss issues of faith, politics, and culture—local and global. Table Talk offers a smorgasbord of questions (enough for four sessions, if you want to arrange it that way), as well as resources for further study and action. You bring dessert.

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Session I. God and Empire

"Dangerous Religion" (p. 20)
"The Project for a New American Empire" (p. 27)
"Defiant Daughters" (p. 31)

Jim Wallis critiques George W. Bush's transformation from a self-help Methodist to a man who seems to view his presidency, and America's position of power, as part of a divine plan to "rid the world of evil." As Duane Shank reveals, the administration's wars and policy are shaped in large part by right-wing ideologues bent on maintaining the U.S.'s worldwide military superiority. Laurel Dykstra's study on Exodus offers one biblical response to empire—the resistance of Pharaoh's daughter.

Questions to Consider

1. In what ways does the United States differ from and resemble the Egyptian and Roman empires during biblical times? How did God's people respond to those empires? How can and should U.S. citizens have an effect on their government's current direction?
2. Do you have Christian friends or acquaintances that differ from you in their view of America's recent behavior in the world? In what ways do you and/or they differ from the Christian church worldwide? How can you engage with your sisters and brothers in Christ on these topics?

Resources

The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium, by Walter Wink. Theologian Wink offers a biblically grounded, revolutionary new look at political powers and how Christ calls us to relate to and challenge them. (Doubleday, 1998)

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, by Kevin Bales. An eye-opening, accessible exposé of the literal slavery in which 27 million people are currently held. (University of California Press, 2000)

Set Them Free: The Other Side of Exodus, by Laurel Dykstra. Read more of Dykstra's take on the epic story of the Hebrew people's journey out of slavery. (Orbis, 2002)

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Session II. Class Not Dismissed

"Class Warfare" (p. 7)
"'This Will Not Stand'" (p. 18)

Even as economic inequality in this country is skyrocketing, Congress is failing to extend a modest child tax credit to the working families that need it most. As Jim Wallis discusses, the biblical prophets had strong words against "laws that make misery for the poor"—a point not lost on Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, a fiscal conservative whose Christianity is motivating him to try to change a tax structure that is unfair to the poor. As Jim Dickerson points out, the crisis in affordable housing has become a key problem for low-income people—and local and national government is making the problem worse.

Questions to Consider

1. Does Gov. Riley's behavior surprise you? Does it expand or inspire your thinking about different ways by which social change might come about?
2. Have you, or people close to you, experienced a rise in housing costs over the past few years? How has it affected you, and how might it affect people with fewer resources than you?
3. As Jim Wallis notes, those who speak about the plight of the poor are often accused of "class warfare," as if concern about inequality were not something that could unite rich and poor. How do you think Amos or Isaiah would respond to charges of "class warfare"?

Resources

The Message, edited by Eugene Peterson. Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible makes no bones about God's or the prophets' zeal for social justice. (NavPress, 2002)

Manna, the organization Jim Dickerson chairs, creates quality affordable housing for low-income families (to which it offers home-ownership classes) in order to foster sustainable communities. (www.mannadc.org)

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Session III. Grace Under Fire

"The First Cup Is for The Guest" (p. 9)
"Blast of the Divine" (p. 40)

Rose Marie Berger recounts how "holy leisure and radical hospitality" provide sacred moments in the midst of poverty and war. Meanwhile, Jens S"ring learns that centering prayer is not an escape from the pain of life in prison, but rather a way to experience God's presence within that life.

Questions to Consider

1. After Harija's family was displaced and threatened with death, and Jens S"ring was shot in prison, both experienced rage and other responses to trauma. Without romanticizing the suffering of others, what can we learn from their responses to it, and how can those lessons apply to our daily lives?
2. What have been your most profound experiences of giving or receiving hospitality? In what ways have these experiences reflected the Lord's Supper or other instances of hospitality in the Bible? What lessons can you learn from these experiences about relating to God and to fellow humans?

Resources

Church World Service offers information about and help for refugees and victims of economic injustice worldwide. (www.churchworldservice.org)

Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., offers information about centering prayer, including articles by Fr. Keating. (www.centeringprayer.com)

The Way of the Prisoner—Breaking the Chains of Self through Centering Prayer and Centering Practice, by Jens S"ring. (Lantern Books, 2003)

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Session IV. United We Stand?

"Rescuing Ourselves" (p. 44)
"Say Goodbye to the U.N.?" (p. 19)
"Costly Grace" (p. 58)

Although they get scant coverage in the U.S. media, civil wars in Africa are taking an enormous toll; the war in Congo, for example, has killed more people than any conflict since World War II. Yet, as Tad Daley reports, the U.S. has a history of looking the other direction, even in Liberia, where it has a long, historical connection. Daley argues that a U.N Rapid Deployment Force is a moral imperative. David Batstone also argues for the role of the U.N., while Denise Giardina reviews Bonhoeffer, whose hero spoke up in opposition to one of this century's most lethal regimes.

Questions to Consider

1. How do you feel about the U.N.? In what ways does your faith inform your idea of what its role should be?
2. Compare Daley's arguments for U.S. involvement in Liberia, and for a U.N. Rapid Deployment Force, to the 6-point plan [www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.6_point_plan] Sojourners proposed early this year as an alternative to war in Iraq. When, if ever, do you think that military intervention is acceptable? Does it make a difference whether force is exercised unilaterally or with international consensus?
3. Bonhoeffer struggled with his decision to try to help assassinate Hitler. What can Christians, pacifist and otherwise, learn from his struggle?

Resources

Christian Aid, a nonprofit, also offers updates on countries, in Africa and elsewhere, where military conflict leads to humanitarian problems. (www.christian-aid.org.uk)

The International Refugee Committee offers updates on the situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and other locations worldwide. (www.theirc.org)

Bonhoeffer. Producer Martin Doblmeier evokes the German theologian's life, theology, and public voice against the Nazi regime. (Journey Films, 2003)

SojoCircles

SojoCircles is a network of local groups that meet regularly to pray, dialogue, and build community in churches, families, and neighborhoods. Organized by Sojourners after Sept. 11, 2001, to discuss issues of peacemaking and social justice, SojoCircles includes groups from Australia to Wisconsin. Sojourners provides an organizer's packet with tips on meeting facilitation, resources for publicity, and links to SojoCircles around the world. Want to join? Contact sojocircles@sojo.net or call 1-800-714-7474.