SojoMail - ‘Love thy neighbor,’ really? Is that all you got?

View this email in your browser This week: A lesson from the Target checkout line, what ‘The Monkey’ can teach us about suffering, and a reflection on Will Ferrell’s new documentary. ‘Love Thy Neighbor,’ Really? Is That All You Got? This week’s SojoMail features an article by Jeannie Rose Barksdale, who writes that the Trump administration has made many feel powerless and overwhelmed — but there is a path forward: Lately, it has been far easier to despair than to love concretely. The Trump administration’s strategy of flooding the zone has made me feel powerless and overwhelmed — which is, as Adam Russell Taylor recently described it, precisely the point. Even while wrestling with lament, I’ve wanted to move toward contributing to addressing injustice to counter the pervasive injustice that occupies so much of our news. But I’ve just not known how. I’ve felt that nothing in my sphere of direct influence is grand enough to move any kind of needle. But being a faithful follower of Christ is, in fact, less about giving a virtuoso solo performance and more often playing a small part in a great work we cannot fully comprehend, something I repeatedly fail to do even as I wring my hands over all the big issues that plague our country. Here’s how we can love our neighbors at this moment, not in isolation, but as members of a great collective, sharing in each other’s small acts of love. Read the full article Advertisement Our Latest Stories ‘The Monkey’ Critiques Faith Built on Safety and Certainty (by Joe George) Osgood Perkins’ latest horror film reminds us that hiding from violence won’t make it go away. Read more How Many Americans Are Christian Nationalists, Really? (by Mitchell Atencio) A new study of religious nationalism across the globe defines only 6% of Americans as Christian nationalist. Read more Faith Aid Groups Say Trump and Musk Have Permanently Damaged USAID (by Bekah McNeel) “I don’t think there’s any going back to the USAID we once knew ... God is a miracle worker, but the writing is on the wall.” Read more From the Magazine: You Don’t Have To Understand Everything About Trans People To Love Us (by Taj M. Smith) Will & Harper reminds viewers that trans rights are about real relationships, not simply a divisive political issue. Read more Advertisements Stop Comparing, Stop Competing — Redefine Success In a world consumed by achievement, the pressure to succeed can feel overwhelming. Stop Trying to Be Successful offers a refreshing perspective. Pete Portal invites readers to redefine success through faith — letting go of comparison and pressure to embrace a life where success isn’t measured by achievement, but by faithfulness to your calling “Courage to Preach: A Post-Master’s Certificate” at Boston College Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry is accepting applications for our second cohort of Courage to Preach. This post-master's certificate program teaches methods for preaching and teaching diverse audiences, with a focus on integrating faith resources with contemporary issues such as racial, economic, and environmental justice. Join Us for Faithful Witness Wednesdays Come together with Sojourners and partners from the Washington Interfaith Staff Community for a series of faithful witness events at the Capitol every Wednesday in March. These vigils will remain nonpartisan and interfaith while calling on Congress to act justly and exercise moral courage. Register at the link above. Donate Subscribe Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842