The death penalty has succeeded in America, not in spite of Christians, but because of us. The Bible Belt is the Death Belt. Wherever Christians are most concentrated is where executions are happening, and that's deeply troubling to me.

We should refuse to get sucked into political camps and insist on pulling the best out of all of them. That's what Jesus did - challenge the worst of each camp and pull out the best of each.

People had taught me what Christians believe, but no one had told me how Christians live.

We're remembering each other's heroes, too. We are learning each other's songs. We are reminding ourselves that we are a global family praying together. We're all trying to live in the light of the history that shines through the biblical narrative.

Our churches should attract the people Jesus attracted and frustrate the people Jesus frustrated.

We're not church planters. We are community planters and, as we work in our communities, we join local churches.

It's not that hard to say slavery is wrong after we've abolished it.