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by Rebekah Simon-Peter
What makes for happiness? The Beatitudes capture Jesus’ apocalyptic teaching on happiness or blessedness. Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the meek, the peacemakers and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Did that make people happy then? Maybe so. Especially given the time and place he taught in. Today? Doubtful. We live in a very different world with greater wealth, dazzling choice and growing personal power. Who really wants to settle for the pure, modest, self-sacrificing ways Yeshua counsels? READ MORE
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| by Michael W. Waters
As the American presidency of Barack Obama nears its conclusion, political pundits have begun the work of historically defining his terms in office. Among their considerations is what issues will remain most prominent in our recollections of the Obama era? Without question, one is an issue about which Obama was initially quite apprehensive to speak publicly, an issue that has once again taken center stage in our national conversation: race. READ MORE
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| by David F. Watson
“Unity” is a big topic in the United Methodist Church these days. People are worried about institutional division, and rightly so. Acts of intentional and public disobedience to the Discipline by those who have taken vows to uphold it have caused many in our denomination to ask whether a unified future is possible. Most mainline Protestant denominations have already split over issues related to homosexuality. As General Conference approaches, the political tension is becoming more palpable. READ MORE
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