God shows a special concern for those in poverty and acts in history to lift them up. The Bible teaches that societies should organize so that all members have genuine access to the resources needed to live a decent life and provide for those who are unable to care for themselves. In the face of historic deficits, our nation faces unavoidable choices about how to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices. In making these choices, Congress and the administration should give moral priority to programs that protect the life and dignity of poor and vulnerable people. Tax revenues and public spending are instruments of economic development and social solidarity. We should ensure intergenerational justice for all, rather than pitting generations against each other.

The tax bill being voted on this week will blow up the deficit in order to cut taxes for the wealthiest while cutting programs for the poor and vulnerable. That moral choice is immoral and contrary to the priority of the poor in our Scriptures. So we are calling Christians to act. This comes after endless meetings and calls with our members of Congress, countless statements, press releases, sermons, and lobbying and praying for and with the most vulnerable. It is now time for nonviolent, faith-based, civil disobedience for those called and for all of us to present what God says in our Scriptures about the poor who is about to vote for a bill that would devastate low-income people and families.

Here's what you can do. 

  1. Send a message.
    You can take action now and send your senator a note with a list of some of the 2,000 Bible verses about poverty and justice in the Bible. Remind the 91 percent of Congress members who profess to be Christian what the Bible says about justice for the poor. 
  2. Double down.
    Sojourners is tweeting some of the 2,000 Bible verses about poverty and justice for the vulnerable. Retweet them with hashtag #2000verses #GOPTaxBill and target your senators using their Twitter handles. Here's where you can find a list of your senators' Twitter handles. Find a sampling of some of those verses here.
  3. Proclaim the Word.
    Read some of those 2,000 verses aloud as a group in your senator’s office until you are thanked, asked to leave, or are arrested. Sojourners and our partners are doing that here in Washington, D.C., but we need your help to spread that to senators' regional offices across the country. Find a searchable list of your senators' offices here. Or download a pdf list.
  4. Tell us about it.
    Whether you're gathering in prayer, reading verses aloud in your senator's home office, or simply sharing your support, tweet @Sojourners with hashtag #2000verses so that we can lift up the work that you're doing.
  5. Keep the movement going. 
    Sojourners President Jim Wallis, Barbara Williams-Skinner, and a number of other faith leaders will represent the movement at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Get alerted when our livestream begins by following our Facebook page, and on Twitter at @Sojourners and #2000verses, and share to spread the word that there are people of faith who are living out the call to justice.