We are called as Christ-followers to love God, love ourselves, and love our neighbors. The idea of love can often be nebulous or even used abusively. Yet, there is a word for love in action and that word is compassion. Compassion isn’t nebulous, abusive, and doesn’t leave room for judgement, or fear, or exclusion, or rigid parameters of belonging.

We live in a busy society; between work, family, friends, and all the other activities we are engaged in we stay very busy. We often don’t know how to step away from those full and busy lives that we’ve cultivated, and it takes a toll on us—physically and spiritually. The mandate to rest and restore is perhaps one of  God’s greatest gifts to us. Sabbath-keeping is not just for our own good; it is a value that, when practiced faithfully, can transform the world.

Peace in the biblical and global sense is a state of being. Peace and nonviolence are not the same thing. They might be two parts of the same whole, but they are different entities. Nonviolence is a way of being; a practice, activity, philosophy, or avenue by which peace may be attained. If peace is the desired state of being, then nonviolence is an intentional set of practices by which we might arrive there.

It is easy for us to pass by hurt that we think is not ours to feel. We find ourselves not seeing the injustices that do not apply to us. Yet, when it comes to matters of justice, the privilege of “not seeing” is perhaps the inherent problem. As Christ-followers this is a huge misconception that leads to the idea that we can somehow be free when others are not. That we can learn to accept some inevitable inequality, as long as we are kind about it.

Being in relationships with others can bring pain, heartache, and wounds. Often, we are hurt by those closest to us. It is, in fact, the cost of loving, and perhaps just the cost of being a person. We as Christ-followers know that we are called to provide forgiveness but, at times that is easier said than done. Forgiveness does not come easy. Nor does it always take the shape it ought to.

Traditional thought values pretense above all else and that kind of façade can be profoundly destructive for children, for families, and for the churches in which we practice shared faith. This presents a fatal flaw where valuing pretense can destroy relationships. Communities that welcome, affirm, and celebrate people are more diverse, more effective, more fun, and ultimately, more life-giving to the world. 

Our society has been failing to truly value equality since the moment it first claimed to. Such short-sightedness is harmful to individuals and family connections; harmful to the community, and communities of faith. The root of this inequality lies deep within our history and deep within our faith traditions, but its impact is felt every day