Love as described by Jesus is not morally disengaged. It is, and always has been, countercultural. It is also a challenge, particularly when people, including ourselves, are often not lovable.

As we start 2025, I invite all of us to go back in history, to go to our roots, go to what anchors us, go and rediscover what our hearts hold, so that we can grasp it again and let it inform our future steps.

President Carter knew that those who lack housing or food are not merely political pawns, but the real presence of God in our midst. What we do, or don’t do, to serve them reveals everything about what we value in our world and in our congregations.

A lifetime of trying to think “rationally” has me conditioned to see mutual empathy as heartwarming but naive. I am ready now to say, however, that it offers the only hope for stable peace in the Middle East (or anywhere).

As the Colosseum was a monument to ancient Roman power, shopping malls, political rallies, and sporting events are monuments to America’s present moment. All are important, even replacing religion in many instances, because they are the embodiment of victory, something that Americans are willing to pursue to dangerous ends, even if it threatens our country’s continued viability.