On April 7th, 2026 an important special election is happening in our city.

“Bidden or not Bidden, God is present.”

“Bidden or not Bidden, God is present.”

Lent can be a time of spiritual spring cleaning—that in and of itself might also be seen as an act of self-care, too. And it is hard work.

Fear keeps us from being close to God. It tempts us to believe in lies that bring us comfort rather than truth that brings us freedom.

The thing that keeps my grounded in my faith, a faith that was raised up in an environment where all of the emphasis was on believing the right things, is that faith is not an abstraction, it is something that comes to life when we live it out. Believing in the right thing isnt enough if we aren't putting that belief into action.

Want to know why the poor in spirit are blessed? They are blessed because we are called to be a blessing. The poor in spirit are blessed because we are the light of the world.

It is the actions we take that build, brick by brick, kindness by kindness, compassion by compassion, the edifices of God’s kin-dom here on earth.

We have to tell the story and proclaim Christ’s presence in the world—a story of justice for the downtrodden. A story of food for the hungry. A story of peace in the midst of violence. A story that rejects the powers that be as the ultimate authority and worships, instead, a poor itinerant and homeless rabbi as the Son of God.

With so much in the world trying to convince us otherwise (mostly to sell us something) this fundamental truth gives me hope: God has made you to be enough.

Love requires something of us while contempt devours us from within.

I dont think Joy is a feeling. I don’t think it is necessarily a verb either. The best way I can describe joy is connection.

Pax Romana, and I would argue the “peace” we enjoy as Americans are not terribly dissimilar. They both need violence to be sustained.

Let’s choose hope instead of apathy, because only hope can truly save us.

Whichever King is at large, we know as Christian that any true king we might revere must also have the title of “Prince of Peace,” “Messiah,“ and “Emmanuel.”

How can we live “responsibly” today?

Celebrity worship is easy because it demands very little of us while offering us nothing in return. Worshiping God is challenging while offering us a full life of purpose and connecting to the divine presence of the one who loves us and is love.

When we honor the saints, we must also take up their work in building God’s kin-dom and continue it. We inherit the riches AND responsibilities of the saints who have gone before us.

How can I even begin to organize my thoughts about what to hope for? It’s all too overwhelming.

One thing is for sure—things don’t get better by themselves.