Viral Faith

  "Democracy is not only a form of governance.  It is a promise: a promise that we can live with one another in dignity, equality, solidarity, security, justice, and hope. Practicing democracy can enable us to grow, to learn, to care, and to act. Democracy promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but realizing this promise requires that society commit to governance based on the equal value of each of our voices, discernment of our common interests through association, deliberation, and learning; and respect for the exercise of individual and collective agency." --Marshall Ganz in People, Power, Change Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve. (Proverbs 24:12 CEB) Throughout history, democracy has remained a fragile experiment.  The idea that government is "of the people" and "for the people"...

  Picture of Immigrating people sent from Texas and left on the streets of Chicago  I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 36:23 NLT) "The truth of the gospel is turned into a lie when it ceases to look like Christ himself.  The true image of the Son is that of a person who gave up his own life out of love for the weak and hopeless."--Nijay K. Gupta and Scot McKnight in Galatians For those who are followers of Jesus, we are members of a universal family called the Church (notice the capitalization).  Local communities of Christians are referred to as churches (lowercase c), which collectively make up the Church (capitalized). Followers of Jesus are invited into the Church upon placing their trust in Jesus.  Local churches typically have a process of becoming a memb...

  "Ignorant desire isn't good; rushing feet make mistakes" (Proverbs 19:2 CEB) Yesterday, the candidate for Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth had a congressional interview for the position.  It was clear that he is clearly unqualified for the position.  Mr. Hegseth has a history of poor leadership in businesses, disturbing ethics, and, most importantly, ignorance regarding the complexity of the Department of Defense, its mission, and the high level of skill required for international strategy, negotiations, and oversight of the massive defense complex.  Mr Hegseth has experience in the National Guard, which was activated to active duty during his tenure. However, that is a far cry from understanding the complexity of the US military. This would be like asking an autoworker who worked for Ford for 3 years on an assembly line to be the CEO of Ford.  Additionally, He has not been recommended by our current military leadership. During the hearing, he was questione...