The Necessity of Nearness: A Review of the Documentary “Leap of Faith”

By Kristyn Komarnicki

Love in the midst of discomfort

Love your God, love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets rest on these two commands…

Leap of Faith is a full-length documentary from Nicholas Ma and Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) featuring pastors who commit to meeting for a year to look for a path to unity in the midst of polarized times.

Nikki Toyama‑Szeto

As an experienced speaker, writer, and trainer, Nikki pulls from her experiences as a leader in organizations like Christians for Social Action, International Justice Mission, the Urbana Conference, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Nikki writes and speaks on faith, justice, leadership, gender issues and racial justice. 

Nikki Toyama‑Szeto

As an experienced speaker, writer, and trainer, Nikki pulls from her experiences as a leader in organizations like Christians for Social Action, International Justice Mission, the Urbana Conference, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Nikki writes and speaks on faith, justice, leadership, gender issues and racial justice. 

If Love Conflicts with Our Politics, Let’s Change Our Politics

By Liz Cooledge Jenkins
When we become aware that there is tension between our political views and what love requires of us, we can change our political views. We “love our neighbors well” not only by caring for them directly but also by caring about the policies that impact their lives, often in devastating ways. Love and our politics do not have to exist in tension. We can let love shape our politics. 

How to Be Peacemakers in a World of Surging Polarization

By Chris Rice

Practicing Restorative Justice 

Polarized settings tend to be dominated by an either-or mindset. It’s oppositional thinking. Either you are Right or Left, and ne’er the twain shall meet. They are too divided and opposed to coexist.

The Best They Could Do

By La Thao

Thi Bui’s illustrated memoir The Best We Could Do tells the story of her family’s escape from Vietnam and the challenges of surviving as refugees in a new country. In an attempt to understand her parents better, Bui documents her family’s past and discovers the sacrifices her parents made for the sake of the family’s survival.

Making Our AAPI Heritage Visible 

By Jerry Z. Park

As we approach the end of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (the inclusion of Native Hawaiians occurring in 2021), here are a few quick-takes about this diverse collection of people groups.

The Surprising Numbers About the AAPI Community

By Nikki Toyama-Szeto

Sometimes data is just numbers.  But I like to tell my kids that statistics are numbers that tell a story.  In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, today’s list includes places to find data about the Asian American Pacific Islander community.