As a Jew I don't get to church much, but the last time I did it was at Riverside Church up in Harlem for Martin Luther King Day this past January. I was there to see John Edwards, but Rev. Forbes really caught my eye, my heart and my soul. He isn't a stereotypical preacher by any means. He helped lead the civil rights movement in the 60s, earned his ministerial degrees and later on began inspiring churchgoers up in that magnificent cathedral in Harlem. Not only did he touch the lives of the congregants, but many more around the world.
From 1010 WINS:
NEW YORK -- The Rev. James A. Forbes Jr. plans to mark his retirement from leading one of the nation's most prominent liberal Protestant churches by moving on to a broader ministry, traveling the country exhorting Americans to become political "healers."
"If people hear the call to be healers, then the healing that God will provide will make America the kind of nation we want to pass on to our children," Forbes said Wednesday at a ceremony honoring his 18 years as senior minister of the Riverside Church.
"When a critical mass of citizens in the United States are committed to being healing influences ... we will discover that the policies of the nation can turn from war to peace," said Forbes, who has gained national attention for his efforts to provide a progressive alternative to the religious right. He has hosted a weekly show on the liberal radio network Air America since last year.
Wednesday's tribute was attended (and virtually attended) by such national and worldly figures as Bill Clinton, Cornel West and Desmond Tutu. Forbes was certainly wished well on his new quest to bring peace and harmony around the globe. Teaching people to be political healers is simpler than it seems. In this turbulent political climate, there must be a new way to have reasoned debates without hatred and bigotry. Hopefully Reverent Forbes can be the guiding light.
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