Thank God

Via Ezra Klein (who is a superior blogger...far superior to my own self, you should read him) we get this beliefnet (which is a great site itself) interview with Rick Warren, the evangelical minister.
He's one of these guys that has a megachurch and a bestseller, but he hasn't become a James Dobson style douchebag and has apparently decided that the combination of influence and faith is the sign of a high calling to serve his fellow man--and not as a spring board to political influence and hating homos. As the man said:

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,

naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

It's really very nice to see him embrace those wonderful things about religion that keep my own faith from turning sour. That said, I have my own issues with megachurches, and I have no doubt that Pastor Warren and I would have giant disagreements about Chrisitianity, its expression and its place in the world--also, I think that his book, The Purpose Driven Life, sucks hard. Still, I say good on you Pastor Warren. If only becuase you reminded me of the good that religious folk can do--and of a line from my favorite hymn. We used to sing it at Mass at Nativity of Our Lord Parish when I was a lad and it comes from the passage from Matthew (25:34-40) that I quoted above: "Whatsoever you do for the least of my people, that you do unto me."