On this episode of Faith Conversations, my husband Mike Murphy joins me to talk about the art of conversation and to discuss some of the points on his Friday Rumblings, a list that he posts each week on Facebook. You can find his Facebook page here.

We get into all kinds of sticky conversations on this episode. Here are Mike’s rumblings for this week:

Rumblings. May 6, 2016

1. “Blessed are the peacemakers” someone famous once said. What if those who say they believe actually acted on those words of Jesus? Peacemaking is a dangerous, radical activity in these days of unfiltered bombast and underdeveloped impulse control. The peacemaker always pushes against the prevailing winds. Such is the way of the kingdom of God.

2. I was at a National Day of Prayer breakfast this week. I was begging God to help our country. But I’m not sure we want what God is offering. Our view of God is too tightly bound up with our view of America. God is not dressed in red, white, or blue. He tilts neither to the right nor the left. If we really want to find God we need to look in the low places, where we’re hesitant to go. Those places that require trust and not certainty.

3. “As soon as it (the Bible) begins only to confirm our own views it is reduced to the status of a hand puppet. It no longer conveys an alternative; it simply parrots our own opinion.” Michael Casey in Sacred Reading

4. Probably the best event of the year in Washington D.C. is the White House Correspondents Dinner. It’s not for the timid but amidst the barbs and humor some real truth gets spoken. One speaker said “Obama came in looking like Denzel and leaves looking like Grady from Sanford and Son.” It’s not an easy job being President. Perhaps that’s why those who have held that office show such deep respect for each other. Praying we get someone in office who will continue the tradition of poking fun at him (her)self.

5. Good for Malia Obama. Acceptance to Harvard after a gap year. Gap years are a good thing in my humble opinion. More high school seniors should do it. The horribly racist comments on the FOX news site concerning this announcement were absolutely appalling. Kudos to FOX for pulling the thread.

6. Creating political and economic systems so the rich can get richer and the poor are further diminished is troubling. Read that last sentence carefully. Having wealth is not the issue. It’s about the systems created that can tend to bless one group at the expense of another. That’s what needs fixing. It’s something we don’t want to talk about especially if we have much and the systems work for us.

7. Anita and I spent some time with some Young Life staff last weekend. It’s amazing what happens inside of me when I’m around people who are sold out to God, to mission, and to possibilities. I learned the basics in Young Life. Go to those you want to influence. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Keep loving despite the response. Earn the right to be heard. Don’t bore people with the gospel. Good stuff. It’s served me well.

8. So, when did the National Enquirer become a reputable news source? Thought a new low was hit with the insinuation that Cruz’s father was somehow linked to the death of JFK. Disgraceful.

9. I watched with some dismay a video this week. A woman was at a town hall meeting somewhere speaking about the transgender bathroom issue in a school. She was speaking on behalf of transgendered students. In order to shush her the crowd (mostly Christian) began to sing “Jesus loves me this I know”. This was after they verbally taunted her with bible verses and told her to shut up. I know this issue is a tough one for many people. I get it. And this isn’t about that issue. I just thought using a song about Jesus to rudely shush someone up just seemed nonsensical and frankly not very Christian. How we go about sharing our thoughtful, considered opinion is as important as the opinion itself. Even on Facebook. Could a rude display of faith be one of the reasons so many run away from the church even though they are experiencing a deep spiritual hunger? Please know that every week I see great examples of faith shared and lived well. Those examples rarely go viral unfortunately. As it happens so often in life the good often pay a penalty for the actions of the few.

10. On the National Day of Prayer I wrote: Lord, today give us the desire to cooperate with the necessary work you need to do in our lives. You want us think, act, feel and pray like your Son. We say we want to be like Jesus and then whine and complain when you start to conform us to that image. Please don’t listen to our self-serving resistance. We don’t like to give up control. Do what you need to do. Remind us that it’s for the abundance of our own lives. Remind us that it prepares us to live for the sake of others. And remind us that what you need to do in and through us is your gift to us. You are our God. Just keep going. In thought, word and deed we want reflect your goodness and glory. Keep going. Don’t stop until we become the people you really want us to be. Amen.