By Andy Hale
There are a tremendous number of issues during this year’s election that are critical conversations for the church, such as immigration, school curriculum, abortion, climate change, and gun control. You can’t separate the topics you are covering without looking at them through the eyes of faith.
What does following Jesus look like in a divided America?
“Jesus’ ironic statement in the gospels assumes we do want to save our lives, ultimately. That we are headed somewhere, whether we are first or last. That we do want to be great. He’s not on some subreddit debating whether there’s such a thing as a truly selfless act,” said Bekah McNeel on the CBF Podcast Conversation. “Nor is he inviting us to try to win awards for piety and philosophical consistency. The gospels are saying that redemption is real and felt and experienced by all when we all stop adding to the suffering of others by trying to avoid it for ourselves.”
McNeel, a journalist and author, sat down with us to discuss her new book, This Is Going to Hurt. Bekah’s work has appeared in Relevant, Christianity Today, The San Antonio Current, the Public Justice Review, and Sojourners.
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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the Associate Executive Coordinator of CBF North Carolina. He’s also served as CBF’s Church Start Specialist, the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton, and the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Follow on Twitter @haleandy.