a mass against poverty

i got the last minute opportunity to go to edinburgh this weekend for only 25 pounds! and this weekend is the huge Make Poverty History rally. i'm incredibly excited to be a part of it.

it's strange, but many christian churches in the UK are very activist against poverty and injustice in general. most churches i've come across around this area are also part of the Make Poverty History movement. why is it that the christian churches in the states, if they decide to take up a cause like poverty or social injustice, are automatically labeled left-wing and radical?

i got to listen in to an amazing service at york minster a few weeks ago, and i overheard the leader (pastor? priest? bishop?) pray for the people of zimbabwe and those who died in the genocide in sudan. why is this so strange for me to hear?

because it never happens in the states -- at least, not in the bible-thumping parts of the states.

i don't understand -- compare the number of bible verses that talk about abortion and homosexuality to the number of verses that talk about the poor, hungry, and needy. why is helping the poor, feeding the sick, and serving those in prison automatically assigned a political position?

frustrating...