✍️ To James Talarico: A Letter from One Christian Progressive to Another

Dear Brother James,

From one Presbyterian to another, I want to say—thank you.

I’ve watched your work with growing hope, not just as a fellow believer, but as a woman of faith trying to hold firm to the Gospel in a time when it’s so often distorted. What you’re doing—speaking with compassion, courage, and biblical nuance in spaces that rarely welcome either—is nothing short of holy.

You don’t use Scripture as a weapon. You wield it as a balm. And for those of us walking the line between activism and faith, trying to bring the Sermon on the Mount into the public square without getting drowned out by cynicism and supremacy—it matters that you exist. It matters that you’re preaching not just from pulpits, but from platforms.

I saw your interview with Rogan. You held space for the complexity of our convictions, for the humanity behind political tension, and for the divine call to consent, justice, and love. You reminded us that creation begins with breath. That Jesus never condemned homosexuality. That the Ten Commandments should point us toward grace, not power grabs.

You’ve given so many of us permission to believe that faith can still be righteous and relevant. That the progressive Christian voice isn’t fringe—it’s foundational.

And in your witness, I’m reminded of another young believer—Carlo Acutis, the soon-to-be saint who said, “We are all born originals, but many die as photocopies.” He used the internet to catalog Eucharistic miracles, not for fame, but to draw others toward God. Like you, he understood that digital spaces can be sacred when used with love and purpose.

In this season of upheaval, when so many leaders claim divine license for cruelty, I’m grateful that you stand in humility and courage. You embody the truth that the Kingdom of God comes not through domination but through healing, community, and radical grace.

So from one sister in Christ, activist, and writer to you: I’m praying for your witness. I’m cheering for your leadership. And I’m grateful we walk this path in shared covenant.

With faith and solidarity,
Kathy Utley

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” — Luke 4:18 (ESV)