As people who follow Jesus, what is our responsibility to the world around us and our immediate community? If we aren’t careful, our beliefs and attitudes about the future can move us to a place of apathy, self-focus, and waiting for this all to end.

But is that what Jesus had in mind? And is that how Jesus lived his life? By looking at God’s instructions to the people of Israel while in exile, we see that we also shouldn’t separate, subvert or surrender, but seek the wholeness and good of the communities where we live.