When the NAACP Came to Lunch

Recently, I hosted 20 representatives of the NAACP for lunch at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., and while it wasn't exactly a "Sunday picnic," it was a remarkable and important experience. I came away with a better understanding of our differences -- and our areas of agreement -- and a commitment to work together on important challenges in our country.

I expressed outrage at the killing of Christians in South Sudan; they were indignant about the killing of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. I said I couldn't support a candidate of any party who supported the right to abortion and same-sex marriage; they urged white evangelicals to expand our objection to these two issues to include opposition to injustice, racism, the plight of the poor and other very real social problems.