National Elections and Local Politics

And some good talk about biblical interpretation

Two new Love Your Neighbor podcasts have dropped, the latest just in time for election week.

National Elections and Local Politics

In a podcast released yesterday, I interview a longtime local reporter in Northern Virginia Michael Pope, who has a solid grasp of what national elections mean for local politics and congregational engagement in city life. His answer, in short, is that local politics usually impacts our lives much more than national politics, so it should be our first place of public engagement.

I found this conversation hopeful, because Michael shows very tangible ways that we can actively pursue love and justice in our towns and cities no matter what happens at the national level. I came away with a strong sense of agency in public life.

Old Testament Traditions of Loving Neighbors

Last month’s podcast was a remarkable conversation with my colleague at VTS, the Rev. Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams. This episode drills down a bit on the commandment “Love Your Neighbor” as Dr. Fentress-Williams examines the Hebrew word for neighbor, which means something like “associate”, comparing and contrasting it with the Greek word more focused on proximity.

This episode really digs into biblical interpretation, discussing the role of tradition, history, community, and culture in biblical interpretation. Being a pastor as well, at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Dr. Fentress-Williams has very practical applications for these conversations.

I hope you enjoy these! Finally, thank you to the congregations of St. Paul’s Memorial in Charlottesville and Old Presbyterian Meeting House for inviting me to discuss The Good News of Church Politics with them. If you have a study group in your congregation, I’d be happy to swing by virtually or in person.

Ross

https://rosskane.com/