We have been focusing on the theme of encouragement in discouraging times. As we face an escalating pandemic, ongoing recession, and divisive debates about policing, statues, and autonomous zones, Christians can find ways to “rejoice in hope” (Romans 12:12) and then share their hope with a hopeless world.
The world is more interconnected than ever, but it feels more divided than ever. We are conflicted on whether to wear masks and practice social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus. We are conflicted on partisan politics as the election season escalates. We are conflicted about racial justice, removing statues, and occupied zones.
We often think that Jesus died to save us because we were worth saving. The fact is, he died to save us because he loves us. In fact, he loves us enough to die for us again, right now. And he loves us because he is love. Not because we were or are lovable. Not because there is anything in us that merits his love.
It is sadly understandable that secular people would despair of hope in times that seem hopeless. Our responsibility as followers of Jesus is to help them follow Jesus as well, sharing God’s word and grace with all those we influence.
According to new findings, just 14 percent of American adults say they are very happy at this time.
On this day in 1865, US Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, where he announced that the Civil War was over and that the 250,000 slaves of Texas were free.
Today, let’s focus on advocacy, defined by Merriam-Webster as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.”
May 25 was the day when the world became aware of a reality that already existed. African slaves were first imported into what we know as America four hundred years earlier. Racial minorities have been dealing with discrimination for centuries. If you’re like most of us, you wish we were making more progress than we are on this front.
After the court ruled yesterday that a person cannot be fired based on their gender identity, I thought immediately about religious liberty. Does the ruling mean that churches, Christian schools, ministries, and other religious institutions could be forced to violate our biblical convictions regarding gender and sexuality?
On Sunday, former NFL star Benjamin Watson leveraged his influence to sponsor Boston Pray: Seeking Unity and Justice. The event’s Facebook page explained: “As Christians in and around Boston, we are grieved by the recent murders of unarmed African Americans, including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the systematic oppression of those peoples. We recognize that the underlying sin of racism is plaguing our city and nation.
