We may feel and experience pressure, but it’s not always a bad thing. God is good at taking things that seem to be too much and turning them into something glorious. This is the message of the cross. Jesus took the weight of sin upon Himself through a Roman torture device to release the weight of glory upon all who would receive it. It was tension that led to hope and life.

In the end, the question is not whether we are human or headline, but rather how we will choose to respond to one another in this season. My hope is that one day we will be able to see beyond the headlines of this world to claim and act from the headlines of the Kingdom.

I believe we are at a Babel or Pentecost moment, and I hope that our response would be for the Spirit of God to be poured out on all flesh in such a way that a family is formed not divided by opinion or affiliation but united on one common ground: Jesus

I bet that if we set our collective gaze on the Lord, our responses, communities, churches, and world would look different. We’d speak, think, and act more deeply rooted in the Lord rather than our opinions, politics, or preferences.

The Good News today is that even if we are running hard, He is with us, and He’s not only showing us the way, but He is the Way. Let’s wipe off our eyes, throw away the other lenses, and look through the lens of Jesus together.

We are times in which we must look back with the Lord in order to move forward in what He has called us to. He’s inviting us into freedom and insight from our history, connection for our present, and vision for our future found in His hope and promise.

We must consider that the issues, circumstances, and most importantly, people, we are talking about are not just metaphoric babies and bathwater, but they are somebody’s baby too.

In other words, by God’s grace, Black History Month and the voices of color around me teach me to see how the Gospel of Jesus has reached into even the most divisive of issues and calls me to receive and participate in His reconciling, Kingdom work on the earth. And this is the beauty of our Lord, that He would take the things that are so difficult for many to talk about and invite us into the artwork of His redemption through it.

We must recognize that the various topics above have impacted people differently and our hearts should be moved to speak and act from empathy. We must see that even if we are right about a topic that our call is right relationship with those around us. We must return to the Lord and remember the foundation of following Jesus above our worldview and convenience.

Hindsight is 2020, but before us is 2021. Let us be a people marked by love, commissioned in grace, and filled with everything we need to be a blessing to those around us. I believe as we do, we will see the tides turn in this year, and we will experience the fullness of God’s promise. The best is yet to come. Amen.

The thing about light is that we don’t turn on a light switch to see light, we turn on light to see. The reality is that light illuminates what was dark, hidden, and could not be seen. Light is a source of vision where there was none. Light gives perspective when we couldn’t perceive it. Light permeates darkness until what was obscure is now certain.

This Love not only shows us the reality of our sin but the greater reality of eternal life. This Love not only opens our hearts to the momentary truth of our feelings but the everlasting truth of the passion of Agape love. This Love breaks off chains and fills empty spaces. It calls up, sees the best, and makes impossible things possible. Agape gives us the ability to receive and give love in unique ways and calls us to contend for the highest possible good for those around us.

When I was young, the joy of Christmas was based on the gifts I did or did not receive. Later on, I heard that “it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35).” Somewhere along the way, I discovered that whether I went above and beyond to generously give and find the perfect present, or received what I most wanted on Christmas day, joy was ultimately a choice.

In Christ, peace is our present and future promise that dwells in our hearts through faith and goes beyond our understanding. It’s the stillness of our hearts in the midst of storms to find rest with the Rabbi that leads to the stillness of the waters. It’s the calm of our minds in the blowing winds of our world’s circumstances that brings complete quiet.

Friends, I know many feel hopeless, alone, and full of pain. I know there are circumstances, relationships, and outcomes that do not look like we had hoped. I also know that there is an anchor for our soul in the midst of it all. I know that this anchor roots us, grounds us, and tethers us to hope. I know that this Hope is a man, and His name is Jesus, and His invitation is for all who are feeling lifeless and waiting to breathe again.

As we move forward beyond this election, as we press on with this global pandemic, as we continue to live and move and have our being, let us not neglect the Word and our call. This is not a season for growing in political biases, preferences, or opinions, but to grow in the Lord. His Word is the Final Word and He's calling us to mature.

If we stick together, we can accomplish anything. The good news is that the victory has already been won. It is finished. We simply get to invite and unite under the banner of our Champion and King, Jesus. Amen.

I am praying and dreaming of a day in which the message of Christ is so accurately proclaimed and displayed that people's "did they really just say that!?" is a desperate cry to hear more of the only Good News that will ever change things eternally and lead us to the love, action, and way of life we need now.

Now more than ever, we need to be people who keep their vows. Our witness of faithfulness to the world in the midst of constantly changing opinions, divisions, and convenience-oriented relationships/practices provides stability and points to the only truth that will set free: the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

We have never been called to convenience, comfortability, or complacency. Our goal is that our education and empathy-building processes would lead to effort. As we listen, become more deeply informed, and have our hearts stirred, we will find the next right steps to not just hear the Word but do the Word.