Image courtesy of broadstreetministry.org

I would like to pause for a moment and share a small portion of the health-care “town hall” debate that took place yesterday at Broad Street Ministry. Reverend Bill Golderer hosted and moderated the debate, which filled the entire church and spilled over into the streets. The center of the debate was featured speaker Joe Sestak, a freshman Congressman representing Pennsylvania’s 7th district and retired United States Navy Rear Admiral. For more information on Rep. Sestak take a look at his biography on Wikipedia. The forum had an unusual feel not only for the church but the tone of the debate deviated from the vitriolic shouting matches seen on the news of late.

The sanctuary, at capacity.

Broad Street Ministry is no stranger to difficult social and political issues. The ministry has held a number of forums in the past few years on topics ranging from prison conditions to religion in politics. Even more important are the weekly programs of the church, which address the fundamental problems of society simply by bringing citizens together from all walks of life. At times it seems singular goal is to bring people together and for good reason all of their work is made easier with common understanding. It is no surprise then to see the health-care debate at church but to see the sanctuary filled with attentive listeners unfamiliar with the unique atmosphere of Broad Street was truly inspiring. It is an atmosphere I cannot do justice by explanation. To understand the church and Rev. Golderer I recommend attending a service whether you are religious or not. Continue reading →