Jim Wallis is a bestselling author, public theologian, speaker, preacher and international commentator on religion and public life, faith and politics. His latest book is The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America; his previous book, God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, was on the New York Times bestseller list for 4 months. He is president and chief executive officer of Sojourners, where he is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine. He is speaking on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. during the adult worship service. Wallis spoke with mPress reporter Sheldon Good on Friday.

What is your history with Mennonites?
“Though this is my first speech since the [Mennonite church] merger, I have a long history with Mennonites and visit all of the colleges, most recently Goshen College and AMBS. There’s been a clear Anabaptist influence on us at Sojourners over the years. Early on, I used to have long conversations and meals with John Howard Yoder. In fact, I have a whole line of “Yoder” and other Anabaptist story books on my bookshelf at home. I feel like I’m kind of an honorary member of the Mennonite family.”

In what ways will you look to challenge the Mennonite church?
“I grew up in a very evangelical home and family with no sense of faith as a public commitment. However, I’ve learned that God is personal but never private. What I love about Anabaptist is their focus on the kingdom of God, not on ‘me’ but on the Lord, on what God is doing in the world. The kingdom is the new order of things and designed to change everything and us with it. Mennonites need to not conform to the battles going on in other churches.”

How do we have a faith that is deeply personal and that transforms our lives, making a real difference in the world?
“I want to call my brothers and sisters in the Mennonite church to the strength of their own tradition that is both personal and public at the same time. There are three big shifts going on right now: One, the new generation of believers can’t conceive of church apart from the social justice; two, political: change doesn’t just happen rom Washington. It happens in social movements, which push on open doors. We now have an open door, just when the movement is more important than ever; and three, economic crisis…we have a real opportunity to rethink some of the things we haven’t rethought for a long time. Christ gives us a chance to talk about our values and priorities in a new way.

You recently finished “The Great Awakening.” Are you working on a new book?
“I’m working hard on a book about the value of a crisis, specifically the current economic crisis and our moral recovery.”

There’s conversation going on within our church about a denomination-wide healthcare plan for pastors. What do you think about the idea?
“I think it is a great idea. The economic crisis is creating a rebirth of mutual aid in our churches. New ministries are needed that would be models for society. We need to ask, ‘how do we best serve our members and our communities with new models of mutual aid?’”

You’re speaking to adults on Saturday. What would you say to youth, if you had the opportunity?
“Half of the audiences I speak to now are under 30 years old, and I’m more often talking to 14-year-olds. This new generation has a chance to shed a lot of the old baggage that has polarized the church. I see a new energy from a generation that wants their energy to be felt. I feel a lot of investment in [the youth] and their choices. They’re the ones who have to clear up the confusion of what it means to be Christian.”

How does it feel to speak on Independence Day?
“There’s a holiday tomorrow?”

Yes. July 4.
“God bless America is not found anywhere in the Bible. Loving your country can be a good thing. When I hear the song ‘This land is your land,’ my hear rises. But nationalism has never sat well with the gospel. If most American Christians really believed Christ was first and America was second, that would transform this country. That doesn’t mean we can’t love our country. It means that nationalism is not something that is part of our tradition.”