“I have never been considered a part of the religious right, because I don’t believe politics is the most effective way to change the world,” he says now. “Although public service can be a noble profession, and I believe it is our responsibility to vote, I don’t have much faith in government solutions, given the track record. It’s why I am a pastor, not a politician. None of my values have changed from four years ago, but my agenda has definitely expanded.”

Warren had an epiphany in 2003. His wife Kay had dedicated herself to the fight against HIV/AIDS, a brave move in a community where it was still often stigmatized. In Africa with her nine months later, he says, he heard a message from above. “God said, ‘You don’t care squat about the sick and the poor. And you need to change; you need to repent.’” He became fond of repeating that the Bible has 2,000 verses dedicated to the poor and that the Gospel of Matthew contains not only the Great Commission, in which Christ bids his disciples to spread his word, but also the great commandment, in which he tells the Pharisees to love thy neighbor as thyself.

TIME Magazine just did a piece on Rick Warren, and how his aspirations have turned global. Reading this article, I think this is where current day evangelicals are heading. Looking around at my friends, we are not so much worried about abortion or gay marriage as our parents, but more on what we call “social justice.” That could be Darfur, the invisible children, or the AIDS crisis. We’ve begun to think more globally, and less along party lines. We’re less likely to write a letter to our congressman or sign a petition, and more likely to raise awareness or attend a rally to raise the visibility of the problem.

And after reading this article, it seems like Rick Warren is at the forefront of the evangelical arm of this movement. Hopefully he can continue to use his God given gifts to further the kingdom of heaven.

⇒ The Global Ambition of Rick Warren (TIME, via Slate.com.)