Guest Commentary

The big, big question remains: do I believe that we can truly have different convictions if we have the same Holy Spirit of God residing within us? 

Even among those who have reached a conclusion about abortion, there remains an openness to be persuaded of a different view.

When the “Government of Vietnam” posted two draft religion decrees the first week of June, even ranking staff members of the Government Bureau of Religious Affairs were taken by surprise and encouraged religious leaders to strongly object. The decrees with ancillary documents were posted online for input by government departments and the public. The document dump was 151 pages.

While July 4th celebrates our declaration of independence from tyranny and Memorial Day honors those who have given their lives to preserve our freedom, Flag Day reminds us that, though diverse and different as we may be, we are one nation. That was, after all, the purpose of the flag – to unify the disparate colonies and inspire them to fight together. Today Americans seem to fight more among themselves than together. My hope is that this Flag Day, we will remember that no matter our political affiliation, religious beliefs or social positions, we all fly under the same flag.

I’m sure it’s hard for the public to accept that celebrities have it tough in their spacious mansions, sports cars, and the jets-and-limousine world they inhabit after they’ve hit it big, but that’s what you see on the outside. When tempted to judge and even dehumanize a celebrity, consider what these folks must deal with internally.

Americans set Memorial Day aside as a time of reflection, appreciation and remembrance. We honor our fallen so their sacrifice will not have been in vain. We remember in order to secure our great nation and our way of life. Likewise, as Christians, we remember, honor and value the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to secure our eternal destiny and purpose for living here on earth. We remember the sacrifice He gave in order to ensure eternal life for those who call out to Him and recognize Him as Savior.

Memorial Day is a sacred day to reflect and give thanks to these heroes who have purchased with their lives the lives we enjoy today. For Christians, It’s the greatest modern-day illustration of how much Jesus loves us and wants us to be free from sin, pain, and death.

There have been recent reports that the Biden administration is planning to remove five groups from the U.S.' foreign terrorist blacklist. Each of these groups is now considered defunct. But it's strange that if they are defunct anyway, why anyone would worry about delisting them. It's better to let dead terror groups lie.

The Church has remained mostly on the sidelines of the abortion issue in fear of being seen as “too political.” When they do decide to “get involved,” their involvement, ironically, is primarily political. Christians ought not to see the life issue through a political lens but through a discipleship lens. Instead, Christians must begin to recognize discipleship as a critical tool in the fight to end abortion, because if we are to truly “end abortion,” the long-term support and transformational power of discipleship are irreplaceable.

“Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” If this statement by The New York Times best-selling author and speaker John Maxwell is close to being true, then the leadership potential of Generation Z is huge because they are influencing the world.