The candidate listening session at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church featured a room full of people dedicated to the question of how to best marry public policy and Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.

It is gratifying to see close to 150 people spending their evening listening to each other, and the candidates for legislature grapple with these issues.

This gathering highlighted the contrast between two views of government. One sees Christian virtue in passing laws to meet needs. The other insists that virtue is individual, using government as a tool to force others to be generous is neither virtuous, nor helpful.

We live in a free country where such conversations are common, and we should thank God that we have these gatherings.

I am privileged to have been invited, and thank the hosts for putting on this valuable event.