A Minister and a Rabbi Walk Into a Podcast . . .

No Joke: Reaching Across Faith Traditions to Work for Justice

This piece originally appeared on Fran Quigley’s Substack We Can Do Better: Ending Poverty in Our Time on September 4, 2026.

“What is most important is not who we worship Sunday morning, it is who we stand up for on Monday morning,” says Rev. David W. Greene, Sr.

Religion has a huge impact on our U.S. society. Some of that impact comes directly through the tens of millions of people who are actively engaged in congregations. And some of the impact is felt indirectly through the enormous influence that religious traditions and values have on our society. That impact is particularly strong in deciding how we should be treating our neighbors who struggle with housing, healthcare, food, and safety.

But we also know that, if misused, religion can be a polarizing force: politically, racially, economically.

Can we have the good while avoiding the bad? This week’s guests on We Can Do Better prove the answer is yes. They show that our shared priorities to love our neighbor can serve as the foundation for working together, not just across different faith traditions but also alongside those who do not embrace religion at all.

Rev. Greene is the Senior Pastor of Second Baptist Church, Purpose of Life Ministries, Indianapolis, and president of the legendary civil rights organization Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis. He joins Rabbi Dr. Aaron Spiegel, Executive Director/President of the Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance to talk about how they find common ground to serve those in need, while also demanding justice for people who are homeless or facing eviction, and living without healthcare and other essential needs.

You can listen to and/or watch this episode and our past shows at our podcast channels on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Thank you for reading and listening!