This week we celebrate Religious Freedom Week. Religious freedom allows us to live out our faith in public and to serve the good of all. Unfortunately, these freedoms, recognized in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, often come under attack.

We have witnessed violence against individuals and houses of worship, defacement of church property and buildings, and vitriol on social media directed at those who proclaim their firmly held beliefs rooted in the Gospel.

We must stand strong and be unafraid to bring our faith into the public. But we must do so respectful of others, with compassion and courage, without compromise.

May our world leaders and all of us embrace and protect religious freedom and give thanks to all those who sacrificed so that this special gift may be ours.