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The Law was never meant to save people - at best, it can only to show you why you need saving. It might affect behavior, but it cannot forgive sin, which is the very core of the Christian message. When we make the Ten Commandments the center of the conversation (on a courthouse wall or in our own hearts) we've already lost the plot. Only grace can save.

The internet lets people connect at a scale unprecedented in human history. Some of that is simple and good, i.e. people find friends in a fanbase for their obscure favorite thing and feel some belonging through that connection. However, the same scale that enables organic connection also enables targeted manipulation. Algorithms study you to keep you hooked. Influencers spend their time bending your opinions and desires toward particular products. None of this is "new," but it's bigger and more sophisticated than anything before it. Thankfully, the intentional, curated, creative life God dreamed for you is still available (and the antidote!) - but it takes real focus.

The Bible describes God as knowing everything. This characteristic of God even has a special term associated with it - theologians say that God is "omniscient." This characteristic of God is also one that any human (since we're all definitely not omniscient) would at certain times love to have. For this reason, we've compiled knowledge for generations, up to the point that now, since we have powerful computers and a semi-organized internet of information, we have developed artificially intelligent models that can have access to (some might say "know") more than any individual human could possibly contain. Kind of like a little god - if that's what God is. Let's consider knowledge, omniscience, intelligence and our relationship with it, as well as stepping back to analyze this AI-hype tsunami that seems to be washing things away all around us. 

Christianity is a large, varied thing. It is far from monolithic. Included in the variations is the approach to Israel. There are many Christians who argue that there are biblical and/or theological reasons to advocate for and support the existence of an organized nation of Israel. They believe the existence of this nation is necessary for God's will on earth to be done, and in that case, support of Israel is required to be a good Christian. This is particularly apparent when Israel is the focus or source of violent conflict, as the recent (as of 10/2025) invasion and bombardment of Gaza has shown. Especially since multiple agencies, including the UN Independent International Commission, have concluded that Israel's actions toward Palestinians in Gaza should be considered genocide, it is necessary to push back against these harmful interpretations of scripture so that Christians who want to be faithful to the Bible but are being misled by a bad interpretation of scripture can shift to the right side of God's mercy and justice.

Recent events (like the Executive Order Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias and the creation of the White House Office of Faith) suggest a growing sense among many American Christians that they are oppressed or targeted. This sense seems strong enough to either motivate people in government to act against it (or, at least, for those people in government to manipulate it. Either way, it's not great.) Let's explore why that narrative has taken hold, what it reveals about our theology of persecution, and how Jesus reframes persecution — not as something to fear or politicize, but as a chance to witness through humble endurance.

Christianity here on earth will always be as imperfect as the Christians of whom it is composed - and (especially if you consider yourself among them, you know that) those Christians will always be imperfect. Despite this, there is occasionally a hope or even call for this group of people, referred to as "Christianity," to be a force for something good. The reality, however, is that Christianity isn't meant to be a force. It is not given the tools or mission to be anything that might be described as a force, because it is not given greater power as a collective.