It was chilling to see the Republican “wanted poster” of Rep. James Talarico.
Some Republicans are claiming James is guilty of “dereliction of duty” because he is one of the Democratic leaders who have fled the state to prevent the Gerrymandering away the votes of districts that are predominately Black or Brown.
This is a personal issue for us at Saint Andrews because James came up through our church preschool and is a faithful member of our community. James embodies the love that has matured into a passion for justice for all people. In fact, it is embarrassing to speak on the same event as James because I sound like the politician and he sounds like the preacher.
James often credits our church for his prophetic faith but I can tell you he has always had a passion for justice that comes from his own heart. Even as a small child James broke up fights and negotiated fairness with the other children. Far from a dereliction of duty, it could be said that James has fled the state for the same reason Moses had to flee Egypt. He feels he is chartered with a message to the Pharaoh’s of our day, “Let (all) my people go!”
James is the opposite of a Christian nationalist. His faith calls him to love and serve others regardless of their faith or lack thereof. It is a strange time in America when Christian nationalists say they love America but then are hateful to any who are different from them. James represents a kind Christianity that not only hears Christ’s message of love, but wants to embody that love in service to ALL people.