Even in retirement, the Reverend Joseph Lowery still tells it like it is.

The financial disparity between the rich and poor is an issue that must be addressed in a religious context, the Rev. Joseph Lowery said in a fervent keynote speech to the National Baptist Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress Monday night.

"Poverty is a religious issue," Lowery said in a speech marked by applause and a standing ovation.

It is the root of many evils in America, he said, and he charged the church with the mission of addressing that problem.

"The church must help America rediscover herself," Lowery said. "We must move from charity to love."

You may remember Dr. Reverend Lowery from his remarks at Coretta Scott King's funeral, but you may also recall that he has a long history with civil rights here in the American South. He helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma march. He co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. And he is still very much active in the cause of civil rights.

He is in Nashville for the National Baptist Sunday School & Baptist Training Union Congress as, simultaneously, the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention meets in Greensboro, NC to discuss "issues of mismanagement, waning church contributions, dips in baptism rates and the authority of leaders to set stricter guidelines on Baptist faith and practices."

It's a real study in contrasting priorities, isn't it? One looks outward to work towards solving the immediate needs of all, while the other struggles from within to address its own concerns.

I'm not a God-fearing man, but I have deep respect for the continued efforts of Dr. Lowery, and for people of all faiths who take his message (the central message of Jesus himself, no less) to heart.