Jon Caudill

Christ teaches many promises in his Sermon on the Mount. I have often misunderstood and misquoted one, and it has really stuck with me for the last week or so. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus states: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will  be called children of God." We are to be peacemakers, and up until last week I would have told you that Christ tells us to be peacekeepers. There is quite a difference between keeping the peace and making peace, right? I believe this distinction is especially relevant today in our culture more than ever, especially with the differences that divide us. Christ-followers should be involved in calming the heated tensions in our communities rather than being stuck in neutral hoping it will all work out for the best on its own. We are called to a higher standard, not one that calls us to always be right or one that calls us to ignorance about real issues around us, but rather to one that calls us to cling to the truth found in Christ...

I found this quote while listening to Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional and controversial response to the Las Vegas shooting through teary eyes: “I want this to be a comedy show, I hate talking about stuff like this. I just want to, you know, laugh about things every night, but that seems to be becoming increasingly difficult lately. It feels like someone has opened a window into Hell…” I don’t agree with Kimmel’s political views on gun control (though I am not an impassioned gun enthusiast either), but I am in full agreement with the emotion behind his speech. I also think he might be on to something when suggesting a window has opened to Hell. Day after day, I think of ways that will convince a dying world of it’s need for the salvation offered in Christ alone. Perhaps, if the world is beginning to recognize that a window has been opened, it is time to be a little more straight forward about who Jesus is. It is a little ironic that we refer to Hell as a place where evil comes f...