Last Sunday, December 24, 2006, Tim Russert, host of the weekly news program, Meet the Press, interviewed Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and Jon Meacham, Editor of Newsweek and author of American Gospel. The three men discussed faith in America for most of the program.
Check it out at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898804/.
I found the program extremely refreshing and most encouraging.
The issues facing American cities require a new coalition of leaders and forces that must include government, private and business sectors and truly motivated faith communities. If new partnerships that include all of these players could be fashioned, real progress could be made.
Warren and Meacham both emphasized the importance of civility in our public discourse as a key to the formation of any new collaborations.
Warren recently demonstrated his commitment to creating such space for productive discourse when he invited both Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) to speak during the same seminar on fighting AIDS in Africa.
The problems are far too large for us to go forward in arrogance or pride. We must work together with any and all who want to help in the struggle to renew our great urban centers.
What do you think?
He's probably done as much as Hillary, which is nothing.
ReplyDeleteRC, thanks for the post. I think you missed my point. The issue is not Obama's record, which I expect is more substantial in his state than you realize, likely as strong as Brownback's. The issue for me was the differing points of view on many issues not preventing these men from coming together where they could agree. I was not concerned about politics, but new outcomes and progress. Thanks again.
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