Jesus loved and cherished women and committed to listening to their stories. Jesus models this attitude for us by crossing social boundaries to have a conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. He goes out of his way to listen to her story, and the result is the longest theological conversation recorded in the Gospels.

Perhaps assuming the best of intentions and presuming goodness could inspire us not only in future space exploration, but as our astronauts so clearly communicated, bring a sense of unity: on Earth as it is in the heavens.

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.

For many of us, our mothers gave us the first lessons on who we are. As spiritual leaders, we continue to develop that “self” day by day and year by year. Asking Mom for advice is one way to go back to the source in your own development. 

The image of God as our shepherd in the Bible isn’t about whether God is literally a shepherd, but it is about the feeling of being watched over, the sense that if we could just hear God’s voice clearly, we would follow.