The Texas Legislature is “so focused on the 10 that they forget about the two,” James Talarico told a Dallas megachurch Sunday, Oct. 13.
His reference was to the Legislature and governor’s fixation on the Ten Commandments, wanting all public schools to post the commandments. In contrast, a hallmark of Talarico’s stump speeches is talking about the two commandments of Jesus.
“I want to speak to you this morning not just as a candidate but as a fellow Christian,” he said during brief remarks at Inspiring Body of Christ Church in South Dallas. “My granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas and when I was real little he told me that our job as Christians is to follow the two commandments that Jesus gave us — to love God and to love neighbor.”
“I want to speak to you this morning not just as a candidate but as a fellow Christian.”
He added: “We as Christians are called to love all our neighbors, not just our neighbors who look like us, not just our neighbors who pray like us, not just our neighbors who live in our neighborhood. We are called to love all our neighbors the way we love ourselves. Jesus could have told us to love our immediate family; he could have told us to love our close friends. Those would have been easier commandments to follow. But he told us to love our neighbors.”
That’s what led him to public service, he said. “I try to love my neighbor through public policy. I’m trying to make my neighbor’s life easier, better, less stressful. Do you know people who love Jesus but don’t seem to love anyone else? We spend so much time looking for God out there that we miss God in the person sitting right next to us in that neighbor who bears the divine image; in the face of a neighbor we glimpse the face of God.”
The Presbyterian seminarian then quoted from 1 John and Matthew to say: “We can’t love God and hate people. Matthew 25 tells us exactly how we’re going to be judged and how we’re going to be saved by feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger, by loving the least of these.”
The Democratic nominee compared himself to David against Goliath in the Hebrew Scriptures. “We’re going up against our own Goliaths — the billionaire megadonors, the crooked politicians, the entire Washington establishment. Their power is real, but so is ours. David wasn’t as big or as strong as Goliath; he didn’t have as many weapons, but he had hope and he had a slingshot. You are my slingshot, the people of Texas are my slingshot, and on November 3 these Goliaths aren’t gonna know what hit them.”
Talarico’s appearance at the predominantly Black megachurch came on the third day of his return to the campaign trail after battling the flu for more than a week. At the same time he spoke, Republican opponents were launching false stories online about him not having the flu but instead being treated in an inpatient mental hospital.
U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (left) with his son-in-law at Vintage Church in Harker Heights, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 30. (Screencap)
The last known church appearance of his opponent, Republican Ken Paxton, was at Paxton’s son-in-law’s church in August where the pastor prayed over Paxton, asking God to give him victory over Talarico and “the kingdom of darkness.”
Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle last week wrote about the mystery of Paxton’s church membership and attendance despite him claiming to be the true Christian in the Senate race.
“The Republican attorney general has said he’s on a God-given assignment to protect Texas from the political left, and his supporters see him as a true believer whose record pushing Christianity into public life speaks for itself,” the Chronicle noted. “But little is known about Paxton’s personal relationship with religion.”
In the past, Paxton was a member of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, but church officials say he hasn’t been there in years. He also does not live in Plano.
The Chronicle said: “In a statement to Hearst Newspapers, he said he has been worshipping during the campaign cycle ‘at churches in communities all across Texas.’ I’m a committed Christian, and my faith guides every area of my life, from how I lead to the decisions I make for Texans every day. Right now, my focus is on meeting Texans where they are, and that includes sitting in the pews alongside them on Sunday mornings.”
Related:
Republicans falsely claim Talarico was in mental hospital
Jeffress calls Talarico ‘not a Christian’ and ‘evil’
Talarico pledges support for church-state separation
Paxton’s son-in-law prays for his victory over ‘kingdom of darkness’