When the world asks if there is any hope, we can say absolutely! No one is exempt from tragedy or disappointment- God himself was not exempt. Jesus offered no immunity, no way out of the unfairness, but rather a way through it to the other side.

Faith is not simply a private matter, or something we practice once a week at church. Rather, it should have a contagious effect on the broader world. Jesus used these images to illustrate His kingdom.: a sprinkle of yeast causing the whole loaf to rise, a pinch of salt preserving a slab of meat, the smallest seed in the garden growing into a great tree in which birds of the air come to nest.

Human beings do not readily admit desperation. When they do, the kingdom of heaven draws near

Christians are not perfect, by any means, but they can be people made fully alive.

Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God's point of view.

We admit that we will never reach our ideal in this life, a distinctive the church claims that most other human institutions try to deny.

When I am tempted to complain about God's lack of presence, I remind myself that God has much more reason to complain about my lack of presence.