The email provided a helpful link and instructed me to "Tell Glenn Beck: I'm a social justice Christian." The blunt Fox News pundit had recently outed "social justice" as code language for socialism. According to Beck, should you uncover this sinister conspiracy at your church, the best course of action is to run "as fast as you can." As Skye pointed out on this blog, the interesting thing about Beck's claim is not its validity or his sanity but how "the church engages this issue of social justice and its role in the life and mission of God's people."

In the days following Beck's rant, links were posted via Twitter and Facebook to articles and videos lampooning Beck's character and claims. I was invited to join virtual groups to demonstrate my opposition to any version of Christianity that doesn't claim social justice as a central tenant.

Why the stampede to distance ourselves from this talking head's pontifications about social justice? I'd like to suggest two motivating factors—the tarnished ...