How can we serve the people of Georgia – our brothers, sisters, and siblings in Christ and in the wider human race – as the country of Egypt once served the Holy Family as they fled Bethlehem and the tyrant Herod?

Nonviolent resistance is basically people of faith saying, “You will have to go through me,” or “I will put myself on the line in some way for the sake of those with less power or voice.” I call on not just everyday people of faith but religious leaders and denominational heads to help point the way. This is our work at this time.

Love as described by Jesus is not morally disengaged. It is, and always has been, countercultural. It is also a challenge, particularly when people, including ourselves, are often not lovable.

As we start 2025, I invite all of us to go back in history, to go to our roots, go to what anchors us, go and rediscover what our hearts hold, so that we can grasp it again and let it inform our future steps.

President Carter knew that those who lack housing or food are not merely political pawns, but the real presence of God in our midst. What we do, or don’t do, to serve them reveals everything about what we value in our world and in our congregations.