People say, well, why is there sin and death if there's a God and God is good?

I say because our work is not done.

We're making some progress. Absolutely. My message is not one of doom

and gloom because I believe this is the best time in human history to be alive. Does that mean

that there isn't still lots more to do? There is tons to do. Feels like an infinite amount of

things to do. But the message of Jesus, and I think the prophets in the Old and New Testament, is to

keep pushing forward, to redeem, to save, to heal as many people as possible, and not to

find ways to excuse ourselves for not healing them. Ho, ho, ho, and happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Welcome to the Commune podcast,

where each week we explore the ideas and practices that bring us together and help us live healthy and purpose-filled lives.

My name is Jeff Krasno. Okay, so before jumping into the episode,

I'd like to take a moment to extend a personal note of gratitude to all of the listeners who have

supported this podcast and help transform this modest endeavor into a thriving platform for ideas.

It's truly an honor to do this work.

So thank you.

Okay, so in celebration of the holiday season,

I am resurrecting an interview I did with Pastor Ron Buford,

who looks after the Congregational Church in Sunnyvale, California.

You might remember Ron as the founder of

Racists Anonymous, a group that leverages the 12-step program as a means to unpack implicit bias.

In today's episode, we talk about Jesus as a political figure. So we know that Jesus urged us to love thy neighbor

and that he performed miracles on behalf of the meek and the lame.

We know that by breaking bread with lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, sinners in the ill,

...