Some questions I've been asking myself lately:

1. Do American Christians know what has happened throughout history to the church when it makes "marriage vows" with the State?  (Think Constantine ...)

2. If followers of Jesus aren't going to care for the poor, be a voice for the voiceless and watch out for the concerns of the marginalized in our society, are we abdicating one of our primary responsibilities?           (Think Matthew 25 ...)

3. Where in the Scriptures does it ever say that Christians should devote ANY of our time fighting for our own rights?

4. If the most radical call to love Jesus ever made was his call to love our enemies, what should that look like in today's society? When are we going to have that conversation?

5. If we who live in the richest, most militarily powerful nation in the world forget that the New Testament was written to a people who were under oppression by an occupying, wealthy, military powerhouse, how might we be reading it wrong?

As I ponder these questions and how I am living my own life, I often find myself whispering: "Lord, have mercy on me ... a sinner."

You?