The 2020 presidential election proved that Americans have retreated into opposing echo chambers. Even a small farm stand in upstate New York advertises eggs, vegetables, flowers, and Bernie for president. Every aspect of our lives has become politicized. The conflicts have drifted from lawn to social media, to public school classrooms. The question for English and History teachers is how to open students to a more inclusive and just worldview without taking partisan positions.

Our classrooms have become microcosms of larger divides. Partisans have fought to control the narratives in history books for years with high school and college texts…

“You spoke your words as though you denied the very existence of the shadows or of evil. Think, now: where would your good be if there were no evil and what would the world look like without shadow? Shadows are thrown by people and things. There’s the shadow of my sword, for instance. But shadows are also cast by trees and living things. Do you want to strip the whole globe by removing every tree and every creature to satisfy your fantasy of a bare world? You’re stupid.”

Mikhail Bulgakov — Master and Margarita

The absurdity of American politics propels…

Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. . . . It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. …

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 KJV)

Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes disrupts our identities and partisan passions. What do mercy, meekness, and poverty of spirit have to do with crushing our political enemies? How does electing the president of a superpower help us live lives of self-sacrificial love?

We struggle to draw clear lines between the things of God and the things of Caesar. The Christian’s life is defined by following a crucified Messiah, who calls us to take up our crosses and follow in His path. …

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. insisted that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We can find inspiration from his life and teaching to endure through times of darkness and hopelessness. Yet his many disappointments and assassination remind us of the difficulty of the journey. Many of us are struggling to find relief and new energy during the holiday season. As we seek to heal from Covid-19, extreme partisanship, racial injustice, and the chaos of disrupted lives, King’s words and Biblical promises of justice bring comfort and resolve.

Prophetic words are beacons of light…

That the Pilgrims Signed their Lives Away.

November 11, 2020 marks the four hundredth anniversary of the Mayflower’s landing at Provincetown on Cape Cod. (The actual anniversary is November 21st in the Gregorian calendar) While newspapers, politicians, and historians debate the true origins of the United States. Loyal New Englanders have long traced their beginning to the arrival of the Pilgrims and the signing of the Mayflower Compact.

Far from a simple tale of intrepid voyagers in search of religious freedom, the actual pilgrims were a mixed lot who benefited from disease and their distance from England. Wampanoag homelands…

As we enter the final days of the 2020 election season, I want to end my series on the Beatitudes and the values of Jesus by adding a translation twist to a familiar passage. What if each time we saw the word persecution in the Sermon on the Mount, we replaced it with refugee or outcast?

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding…

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 KJV

Sometimes the shortest passages cause the most trouble. Do you want to be called a child of God? Practice peacemaking.

As Americans we are solely tempted to add qualifiers to the expression. Yes peace, but only on our terms.

“Peace through Victory.”

“Peace Through Strength”

“Peace with Honor”

The qualifiers demolish the simplicity of the message. Jesus did not say we will have peace after we have obliterated our enemies. His crucifixion turned victory upside down. Within the context of his time, Jesus’ death…