Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.

In the Black church tradition, songs like “A Dressin’ Up Room” become theological texts in their own right — oral expressions of an eschatology that is not escapist but liberative. They echo the teachings of elders and ancestors who understood that God is not only waiting for us at the gates of glory but walking with us through the valleys of this life.

Maybe God is calling us into the streets, out on the plains, down by the lakes, or even at the borders that exist in our communities, where we can gather and proclaim that God is present, with us, now.

Pope Francis wasn’t trying to change the politics of religion; in fact, he disappointed both conservatives and liberals on political matters. Maybe that’s because his primary agenda was trying to awaken a sense of dignity within our hearts. That’s a new spirit, not an old political debate.