Real disruption — the Gospel kind — doesn’t invite chaos. It offers clarity. It invites the opportunity to step back and evaluate the situation.

If studying the Divine is a gift, and if we are living in a moment when God’s truth, love, justice, kingdom, and grace are being co-opted, then we must speak the truth. We owe it to our congregations, neighbors, our global Christian witness, and personal faith.

Each week 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.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, it’s clear we suffer from a deeper, more profound challenge: a crisis of belief — in our leaders, institutions, systems, even one another.  If we want to address this crisis of belief, and we believe people of faith have a vital role to play, then faith leaders must lead with civic purpose.

The myths surrounding the warrior cult are draped in religious — often biblical — language. Religious language adds an additional layer of cover for those who commit violence on behalf of their country or in the name of protecting their communities.