Many political leaders and social influencers show mercy only to people they agree with. That isn’t what Jesus meant by “Blessed are the merciful.” Can we show mercy consistently in our social media and politics, even to those we don’t agree with?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.” Mercy is compassion in action. How can we show mercy to others? How can our government treat people with mercy, and in what ways is it failing?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus challenges us to hunger for righteousness – to have a deep desire to do what is right.  But how do we know we have the right goals and are pursuing them in the right ways?

Jesus calls us to a different set of values than we see from many star performers and political and business leaders.  Christians are called to live in God’s realm, even as we also live in the world. (Matthew 5:1-12)

In the Scriptures, the apostle Paul uses the terms "faith, hope, and love" as action words, not as abstract concepts. He talks about the “work of faith,” the “labor of love,” and our “endurance in hope.” How do we put these virtues into action?

The demand for strict work requirements to avoid being kicked off of Medicaid and food assistance programs is immoral and unChristian.  It is built on the false philosophy, recently articulated by Dr. Mehmet Oz, that you need to “prove that you matter” by working.  To God, every person matters.

The Bible uses images of God as a mother, in addition to images of God as a father, to help us understand how great God’s love is for us. Many people have anxiety-producing images of God as a stern disciplinarian. In the Bible, God uses images of being like a mother to express God’s intimate love and tenderness toward us.

This is the hardest article I have ever had to write. The second conclusion from my Civil Rights trip is that the treatment of Black people in American history was much uglier than most people know. From slavery to Jim Crow and beyond, the textbooks mostly downplay our ugly truths with language that misses the suffering behind the words.  We cannot hide from the past any more than Adam and Eve could hide from God in the Garden. What was done must be acknowledged.

Our society sees through the eyes of billionaires and influencers. God sees from the perspective of the people at the bottom. A comparison.

This Black businessman was a quiet leader in the Civil Rights era. His philosophy – find a need and fill it – is useful in difficult times.

Jimmy Carter never lost his empathy for people in small towns. He showed us how to practice solidarity, which is the call of all Christians.

My wife Sonia and I were practicing. As I began to sing the second verse of my part, my voice cracked, I choked up, and I couldn’t go on.

In family relationships, choose respect rather than harsh words. When I was a teacher, I sometimes saw the verbal boxing matches that go...

Civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson was a masterful teacher who showed us how to practice nonviolence and love others as Jesus taught.