Red Letter Christians mark Sunday as national day of prayer for Trump impeachment inquiry
A nondenominational group of liberal believers who call themselves the Red Letter Christians — because they are committed to “doing what Jesus said” printed in red font in many Bibles — will hold a national day of prayer Sunday in support of the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump and are calling on other believers to join them.
“As we issue this statement together, we commit to pray for our members of Congress and the impeachment inquiry while they are home in their districts this coming Sunday, October 13th. We encourage faith communities to invite their Congressional representative to join them for a National Day of Prayer, read the statement aloud, and pray for those who bear the responsibility of shining the light of truth in this moment,” the group said in a statement Tuesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced a formal impeachment inquiry into claims that President Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a telephone call in July to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for what she described as "personal gain.” A transcript of that call can be read here.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The inquiry has reportedly led to anger among some of the president’s most ardent evangelical supporters. First Baptist Church of Dallas Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress said an impeachment would cause a "Civil War-like fracture."
The Red Letter Christians explained that they decided to pray for members of Congress after a gathering on Oct. 1-2, in Goldsboro, North Carolina, for a Red Letter Revival to lift up Jesus and justice.
“While President Trump has claimed a ‘revival’ of evangelical support for him as he faces an impeachment inquiry, our revival in the long tradition of prophetic Christianity inspired faith leaders to make this joint statement in support of shining the light of truth through the impeachment inquiry,” the group said.
“As Christians in the United States of America, we join together as people of faith to express our conviction that an impeachment inquiry is necessary to reveal the truth, hold President Donald J. Trump and other public officials accountable, and bolster democracy in the United States. We welcome the light of truth, honesty, and transparency that this moment affords our country, whatever may be revealed. We call for an open inquiry that shines light on this administration’s dealings behind closed doors and petition people of faith and integrity to join us in calling forth this light,” they added.
The statement was signed by more than 80 prominent progressive Christian leaders such as the Rev. William Barber, II of Repairers of the Breach and Jim Wallis, founder of the progressive Christian magazine Sojourners, who recently said he believes the “threat of evangelical anger” over the impeachment inquiry of the president “is real.”
“Trump since entering political life has evoked, capitalized on, and fanned America’s worst demons — demons like racism, xenophobia, and misogyny,” Wallis argued. “It’s hard to say how much anger was already there in his white evangelical supporters, who have felt for decades like their pride of place in American society and culture is being eroded or actively under assault, and how much anger is new and the result of Trump’s incitement.”
