Compassion (&) Conviction

As headlines, polls, and everyday Facebook interactions remind us, we're a country divided. Sometimes it seems we're living on separate planets, with wildly different, seemingly incompatible conceptions of what constitutes reality. We need to take a timeout.

In this book from the AND Campaign, the authors invite us – that is, U.S. Christians – to take a deep breath, to reconsider our political categories with something closer to a resting heartbeat. Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler probably don't agree on every issue. Nor are they writing from a position of neutrality (as if such a thing were possible). But they do consistently demonstrate a commitment to principle over partisanship; humility over hubris. Here's just one line of many I could highlight: “When it comes to political ideology, to be conservative or progressive at all times and on every issue is not only to be intellectually lazy and easily manipulated, but also it’s unfaithful.”

Wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum in the year of our Lord 2020, you'll be challenged by this book. But I promise, you won't be called names.