Occupy Wall Street Protesters 'Stand With Jesus,' Says Christian Leader
Popular Christian leader Jim Wallis has joined the “Occupy Wall Street” movement Friday. Wallis, the CEO and President of Sojourners, a progressive Christian commentary, offered the perspective that “Occupy Wall Street” protestors are standing with Jesus.
“When they stand with the poor, they stand with Jesus. When they stand with the hungry, they stand with Jesus. When they stand for the those without a job or a home, they stand with Jesus,” Wallis wrote in a Huffington Post article.
Wallis stated, “I’ll be in New York City, where I will head to the financial district to visit with Occupy Wall Street demonstrators, because they are carrying on the most interesting conversation going on in that city – or any other – right now.”
Wallis’ post was titled “Praying for Peace and Looking for Jesus at Occupy Wall Street.”
It was written in part to mark the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the moral, human, and financial costs of war.
He listed many significant facts and statistics that call for pubic attention. For instance, the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be more than $1.259 trillion, 400 million children lack access to clean water and three billion people around the globe are living on less than $2.50 a day.
Wallis explained the state of the world and presented the idea that “Occupy Wall Street” is a way for the people to hold government and business accountable to what is happening in the world in many vital aspects.
He said, “There is a lot of speculation as to who the “occupiers” are and what they might accomplish. There is much I still don’t know about the movement, but undeniably it has caught the imagination of a generation – and that matters.”
In his article, Wallis encouraged Christians and non-believers to take “your church potluck down to the occupation, sit, eat and talk with the protestors. Offer them the sacred gifts of hospitality, company and friendship.”