Crises around race have put the church in a reactive, defensive posture, but Jesus wants more. He wants Christians to play offense by discipling people into a new humanity that pushes beyond mere diversity so that the church becomes the aroma of Christ to our culture and gains ground against the demonic foothold of racism in all its forms.
Friendships are difficult. When conflicts and differences over serious issues divide us, it's easy to give up on people and just walk away. Bryan Loritts mines the book of Philemon for insights into how, with God's work and steadfast love, even the most painful relationships that have ruptured can be transformed into friendships that endure.