We began this Lenten Season in the aftermath of the virtual destruction of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As a result, millions will starve and millions will die around the world. The scale and scope of this preventable tragedy gives added weight and significance to our observation of Lent. The Lenten tradition of discipline and fasting requires us to increase our awareness of–and strengthen our compassion for–the suffering of others. Lent also calls us to focus on reaching out in service and justice as we await to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ at Easter. In this very special episode of the Jim Wallis Podcast, we provide a window into the magnitude of the torment being inflicted upon those Jesus called “the least of these.”

You can read Jim’s Commentary on this subject here

Rev. Jim Wallis speaks with an eyewitness to the desperation, devastation, and imminent death that is resulting from the Trump Administration’s vicious assault on people providing life-saving humanitarian aid around the world.

Rev. Tim Costello, a global expert on international humanitarian aid, is the former Chief Executive of World Vision Australia (WVA) and the current Executive Director of Micah Australia. He was in Kenya and Uganda when the Trump Administration inaugurated the irresponsible and unconscionable freeze on USAID funds. “Kenyan women, clinicians, doctors [were] in tears saying, ‘the medications, the U-S-A-I-D medications have dried up. This means we cannot treat the people who we've treated for so many years, poor Kenyan people without a chance without these medications.’”

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A historic lawsuit has been filed by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, in partnership with the Center on Faith and Justice, on the behalf of a broad coalition of 27 national church and organization plaintiffs, whose combined membership numbers in the millions, to defend the teachings of Jesus and the traditions of all Abrahamic religions.

Rev. Jim Wallis speaks with two important leaders involved in the case of Mennonite Church USA VS The Department of Homeland Security: Kelsey Brown Corkoran, the Supreme Court Director at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law, and Reverend Carlos Malave, the president of the Latino Christian National Network (LCNN), which is a broad Christian Latino network in our country, including Pentecostals, evangelicals, Catholics, and mainline leaders.

On the first day of his second term as President of the United States, according to Fox News, Donald Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to upend a decades long practice honoring sacred spaces and “sensitive locations” to allow religious leaders and congregants to obey the commandment of Jesus from Matthew 25: “As ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Jesus’ words include “the stranger” which means immigrant and refugee in Greek.

Immigrants and refugees, who rely on these sacred spaces for sustenance for their souls and bodies, are being deterred by the aggressive and unorthodox tactics from the Trump Administration that the lawsuit alleges are a violation of the First Amendment right to freely practice religion.

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In the wake of the decisive victory of Donald Trump and his followers, Rev. Jim Wallis speaks with Executive Producer Paul Woodhull about what must take place before we consider what lays before us. Wallis counsels that it is appropriate and healing to feel grief and to lament where we find ourselves as a nation. But he warns against falling into despair.

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Elizabeth Neumann, Former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security and the author of Kingdom of Rage talks with Jim Wallis about her time serving at the Trump White House.

Neumann says, “This is what another four years would be. Nobody tells [Trump] no. And then you end up violating people's constitutional rights… His rhetoric was inspiring hate crimes and violence. We actually have documentation of that now.”

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Daniel Gutierrez is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, the second oldest and fourth largest diocese in the Episcopal Church. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and as Director of Economic Development there.

Regarding America’s immigration policy Gutierrez analyzes the dilemma by reconciling both a practical and a Christian viewpoint.

Pragmatically, Gutierrez says, “Migrants, immigrants pay taxes. And then what would happen if every worker in our fields, starting in Iowa, California, Arizona, Texas, were deported? Look at what that would do to our economy. Almost overnight, it would ruin American businesses in the agricultural industry.”

More importantly, Bishop Gutierrez reflects upon the teachings of Jesus when regarding migrants and refugees. “The only way to have union with Jesus is to have union with one another.” He continues, “I want my diocese to be the diocese of the poor, compassionate, merciful, and loving.”

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Christian Ethhicist David Gushee explains how White Evangelicals have lost their way as religious reactionaries work to destabilize our democracy.

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Jim Wallis convenes a roundtable of thought and faith leaders to discuss our responsibilities for the upcoming 2024 Presidential election:

Jemar Tisby--New York Times bestselling author, national speaker, and public historian on a mission to deliver truths from the Black experience with depth and clarity

Kristen DuMez--New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University.

Diana Butler Bass,Ph.D.--Award-winning author, speaker, preacher, commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality

Robert P. Jones --the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and a leading scholar and a New York Times bestselling author.

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As threats of deadly violence are mounted against election officials across the country, Jocelyn Benson, the Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer of Michigan, analyzes the unique challenges they face in 2024. Despite an onlslaught of efforts to intimidate, Benson shares her commitment to ensure all votes are counted and the true electors are certified.

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