Behind the Numbers: We Are Mobilizing!

Do the numbers 917 billion, 1.5 trillion, 690 billion, 98 billion, and 32 mean anything to you?

If not, I bet they just washed over you like water off a duck's back. Hearing those figures probably felt as inconsequential as the drink you had with your lunch yesterday. What was that, anyway? Iced tea? A diet soda?

Numbers feel insignificant -- until we understand their meaning.

• The U.S. Congress already cut $917 billion from the nation's budget on August 1 as part of the infamous debt ceiling deal.

• As part of the deal, Congress has to cut another $1.2 - 1.5 trillion from the budget by November 23.

• As you are reading this, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (a.k.a. The Super Committee) is making choices about who and what our nation will protect. Will we protect the wealthiest two percent by preserving $690 billion in Bush era tax cuts? Or will we protect children by preserving $650 billion in special education, student aid, and assistance to low-income schools? Will we protect corporations by preserving $97.5 billion in subsidies for big business or will we protect families by preserving $98 billion in Head Start and child care programs?

• We have 32 days left to remind Congress that, "Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss" (Proverbs 22:16).

Behind the numbers are vulnerable people and sacred lives.

Check out the video below where I interviewed folks who attended this year's Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference and asked each one a simple question: "How would major federal budget cuts affect folks in your community?"

Last year we asked, "What would Jesus cut?"

Last spring we fasted for a moral budget.

Now, we're escalating. Please join us!

Come and See!

Inspired by the biblical story of Philip and Nathanael (John 1:43-46), Sojourners is calling on faith communities and faith-based organizations to invite their Congressional representatives to "come and see" the organizations and people in your communities that will be placed at risk by severe budget cuts.

Learn more HERE.

Human Circles of Protection

On Nov. 16, 2011, at 12 p.m. in each time zone, faith leaders, parishioners, advocates, community leaders, and their constituents will come together, join hands, and create human circles of prayer and protection around agencies and programs at risk of deep budget cuts.

We will let Congress know we must not balance our national budget on the backs of "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40).

Learn more HERE.

I'll say it again: Behind the numbers are vulnerable people and sacred lives.

Please join us!

Lisa Sharon Harper is the Director of Mobilizing at Sojourners. She is also co-author of Left, Right and Christ: Evangelical Faith in Politics and author of Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican