Wednesday 26 January 2005

Jim Wallis and Jon Stewart - "behind the scenes" at the Daily Show

I have been filled with hope (and laughter) while enjoying all the recent interest and positive response generated by Jim Wallis' tour promoting his book "God's Politics."

See: http://tinyurl.com/4s7qo

And I'm especially grateful to read these notes this evening from Wallis himself --a link to which was included in the most recent email from Sojo.net -- proving once again that good humor really does get you a long way down the road!

-Clair
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"Notes from the Road" - A book tour blog by Jim Wallis

1/24/2005 - Thoughts on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:

I really enjoyed meeting Jon Stewart last week. Before the show, Jon came back to the "green room" to say hello. I soon realized he had read God's Politics from cover to cover (as his producer told me he had) which, I can tell you, is not always the case with show hosts. Stewart asked some very smart questions about the global poverty issues, the up-coming G8 Summit in the UK, the roles of British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and Prime Minister Tony Blair (both of whom are discussed in the book). I felt Jon's warmth and receptiveness right away to both the issues of justice and the spiritual/faith dimension to it all. We had a good time on the show together, and the audience was very responsive. (It was great to see a youthful audience whooping and hollering for progressive religion!). Jon seemed touched when I shared with him the inscription I wrote in the book to him, "The biblical prophets used humor and truth-telling to help make their point - often satirizing the political leaders of the day. You do both very well and may be in the tradition of those Hebrew prophets!" Sitting there after the segment, we talked a little more and again I felt his keen interest in this connection between spirituality and social change. While Stewart described himself as "secular," I told him there was a moral edge to what he does and encouraged him to keep on. We both expressed a desire
to stay in contact. - Jim Wallis

To watch this "classic" 7+ minute interview go here:

http://tinyurl.com/3splc


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