Would Jesus Shop at Wal-Mart?

(Joe Phelps is pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. and appears in a current commercial ad sponsored by Wake-up Walmart.This is a column by Phelps that appears in ethicsdaily.com.)

Joseph Phelps
12-15-06

I accepted a unique opportunity to appear in a 30-second "Wake Up Wal-Mart" commercial. It appears across the nation on major television networks this Thursday and Friday.

"Wake Up Wal-Mart" (wakeupwalmart.com) is a national campaign that challenges the country's largest retailer to clean up its act on multiple fronts, particularly in matters that adversely affect its 1.4 million employees.

Why would a minister appear in such an ad campaign?

I accepted the chance to speak to millions of Americans because of my pastoral role of evangelist--one who announces the message of God's agenda as seen in the life of our Savior, Jesus.

The Bible is full of God's passion about the livelihood and welfare of workers, their families, and their communities. At the same time, God also expresses grave concern for employers who exploit their workers. For the God of the Bible, words like peace and truth aren't abstract ideals; they are to be lived out in how we interact with God and each other, not just on Sunday, but every day.

Read more!

Below is the commercial featuring the Rev. Phelps.

Here's another commercial by Wake-up Walmart featuring actual employees.