In the Bible, God uses brothel owners, pagan kings, murderers and mercenaries as instruments of good; at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey.

I think of the Catholic worker movement and Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin and others.

Look through the prayer books. You'll see lots of dates. You'll see names of Native Americans remembered. This was an open-sourcing project among so many people.

[Jesus] said that they will know we are Christians - not by our bumper stickers and T-shirts - but by our love.

I say let's be idealists. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not yet see" (Hebrews 11:1).

How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?

It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream and struggle.