If every Christian family brought in a child who needed a family we would put the foster care system out of business.

Faith is not accepting the world as it is but insisting on building the world God wants.

Mother Theresa always said, "Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta."

One by one, these disciples would infect the nations with grace. It wasn't a call to take the sword or the throne and force the world to bow. Rather, they were to live the contagious love of God, to woo the nations into a new future.

So even as we see the horror of death, may we be reminded that in the end, love wins. Mercy triumphs. Life is more powerful than death. And even those who have committed great violence can have the image of God come to life again within them as they hear the whisper of love. May the whisper of love grow louder than the thunder of violence. May we love loudly.

There is a certain power when old and young come together - we can do more together than we can on our own.

Jesus taught us a prayer of community and reconciliation, belonging to a new people who have left the land of 'me'.