Spent some time with Luke 1 this morning, thinking about and meditating on Mary’s visit to Elizabeth – and of course, the Magnificat. Mary has such joy! She has faced her fear and turned everything about herself – and especially her future – over to God’s care. And very, very quickly, she experiences an outpouring of joy and wisdom, of knowing who God is and how God works. These are clearly words to be savored.

Lots of Facebook chatter today about the removal of 10 Commandment markers from public space.

I’ll just say this. I think removing these markers is actually good for Christianity. So is separation of church and state.

When we join with government we become “of the world” not in the world. Yes, Paul tells us that we are to honor our rulers, but at the same time we’re supposed to question seriously all governments except the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

When we take on government power, it actually corrupts us (look at what it does in scary theocracies around the world). That’s why Jesus, who easily could have been an earthly emperor, chose the very different route he did.