A Greater Awakening: 21st Century Letter to the Churches in the USA:

The Editor-in-Chief of SOJOURNERS Magazine, the Evangelical Jim Wallis, has released a new book, The Great Awakening, written with hope to wake up American institutionalized Christians to be a part of the rebirth and renewal to heal, mend and transform "the biblical scandal of poverty around the globe and here at home, the crisis of environmental degradation and climate change that pose a threat to God's creation, and to the multiple assaults on human life and dignity that shame our world." [Page 12, Feb. 2008, SOJOURNERS]

Wallis is seeking revival, but this non-institutional Christian of The Beatitudes is calling for a revolution. He begins with common sense and goes retro, back to the voices of wisdom that founded this nation.

"Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense" [on Feb. 14, 1776] in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion... The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion." -Tom Paine

In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine legitimized Christianity and thus, those who had been considered rebels and outlaws began to enjoy political power and prestige. Within 100 years of Constantine, the Empire required all soldiers in the army to be baptized as Christians and, thus, the decline of Christianity began in earnest.

With the justification of war and violence supplied by Augustine’s Just War theory, wrong became right. Nothing much has changed in two millennia, for in today’s Orwellian world, politicians claim the way to peace is through war and that nuclear weapons provide protection. American money claims 'In God We Trust,' but the truth is America's faith is in an out-of-control Military Industrial Media Complex that seeks domination, power and control over any who would defy and challenge the American status quo. Eisenhower warned America not to bind our economy to the Industrial Military Complex and like most prophets, he was ignored.

Jesus’ other name is The Prince of Peace, and with the marriage of church and state, his true teachings were reinterpreted. The justification of warfare and the use of state sponsored violence corrupted what Christ modeled and taught. Jesus was always on about WAKE UP! The Divine already dwells within you and all others. Christ taught that to follow him requires that one must love one’s enemies; one must forgive those who hate, curse and revile them, without even a thought of payback.

Christ lived a life that proved evil can be opposed without being mirrored, and that the cycle of a “tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye”, will never bring peace and justice. Before Emperor Constantine brought Christianity into the mainstream, all the early Church Fathers taught Christians not to serve in the army but instead willingly suffer rather than inflict harm on any other.

The term Christianity was not coined until three decades after Christ walked the earth. Until the day of Paul, followers of Christ were called members of The Way; the way being what he taught!

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