Like many stories in the gospels, the disciples serve as a “stand in” for the reader, asking questions and showing what sort of responses people can have to the gospel’s events. Their challenge is our challenge. Do we believe or do we doubt? What do we believe in more: the way the world tends to be, or the way the world could be, if the gospel is made known?

Graduation speeches are aspirational, but they also help us lift our heads and they provide simple answers that move us forward.

What if we took this season of political and social uncertainty to bear witness to Christ while living in a pluralistic society? What would it look like to elevate our Baptist principles, demonstrating what a life with God looks like when held in healthy tension?

We still have far to go. Juneteenth is a chance to remember our country’s practice trailing its aspirations far too slowly.

As people of faith who care about justice, we may be required to embrace both faith, hope, and hard reality at the same time. May we confront the brutal facts of reality, but maintain an unwavering faith and hope that good will prevail.