The deep boom of drumbeats, especially when I hear them coming from a distance, is a call for and to attention. Each beat has its meaning, whether it is a call to gather or a call to take cover or a call that a new life has made its entry.

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.

Dramatizations of history, like Netflix’s “Death by Lightning,” can be parabolic. We learn something about human nature and the inevitable choices we must make, no matter what station we arise to in this life.

As we look back on a challenging year and look ahead to a new one, remember this: Live by your thirst to make a difference. Don’t give up, or give in. You are an agent of hope.

Walls look magnificent; they may make us feel secure. But they shrivel our souls, they delude us, and they make our world small.