It’s saddening how many loud Christian voices use their influence to peddle fear and bigotry through biblical sounding arguments. Today, just as it was in the first century, it remains commonplace for the pious police to pick on people that they perceive are easy targets. Picking on women continues to be popular, so does picking on immigrants and the poor. Sexual and gender minorities, people of different faiths, and brave prophetic voices from within are also frequently singled out. Rather than adding to the burdens of the oppressed, I pray that when our Lord returns, he finds us hard at work setting people free. May we be allies to the powerless, a voice for the exploited, and advocates of the poor.