There are now 9 suspicious packages that have been sent to democratic leaders. The federal investigation is underway and justice will be served, but in the meantime, it is appropriate to consider rhetoric and what role divisive and inciteful language can potentially have on individuals.

Words, tone and inflection all matter in our daily conversations. We are called as ambassadors of Christ to live peaceably and engage – no matter the political environment – as fishers of men. How might we take advantage of John Kasich’s reference to the Damascus Road to bring Christ into our conversations today?

Dr. Jamie Aten, founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and author of the Disaster Ministry Handbook, talked about the importance of anticipation and preparation because disasters will come. The local church is positioned to serve in long-term recovery efforts after other organizations move on. Listen and find out how getting equipped builds adaptability and resilience.

As Christians called to live peaceably amongst those we are planted, we need to be of one mind and voice that sending bombs – or any other kind of threat of violence – through the mail to those we disagree with is never acceptable.

Witchcraft is growing. There are an estimated 1.5 million Wiccans in America, and many self-proclaimed Christians dabble in certain occult-driven practices such as dreamcatchers, tarot cards and crystals even though we have no reason to think God thinks any differently about these things which he calls abominable in Deuteronomy.

Speaker, worship leader, writer and mom of five, Jen Schmidt runs the site beautyandbedlam.com and has written a book called Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation. Jen has a heart for hospitality – and we are not talking about formal dinner, spotless home, magazine cover decor kind of hospitality. Jen gives us practical and helpful inspiration for on-the-go and spontaneous hospitality for wherever we find ourselves.

In honor of Eugene Peterson who died yesterday, listen to clips of an interview with him and hear about his pastoral ministry and the many books he wrote in long obedience in the same direction.

Rush Witt, Lead Pastor of Paramount Church in Columbus, Ohio and certified biblical counselor, had a conversation with Carmen about his book Diehard Sins. Russ’ book is a helpful, practical resource for entering our struggle with sin with joy and wisely fight against remaining sin in our life?

The swelling migrant caravan that is traveling on foot 2000 miles from Central America to the US southern border reminds us that it is time for immigration reform. Let’s be in prayer for how this caravan will likely put a strain on the resources of towns it passes through, and the desperation it evidences.

Carmen challenges us to #praythenews about Jayme Closs who is still missing, in addition to the thousands of other children and families that are also living a similar nightmare, and to read with discernment the headlines of our day. Even stories in major papers might be trying to construe the facts and meaning of what is happening in Washington D.C.

Aaron Wolf is a director, actor and writer based in Los Angeles. An honors graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Aaron also worked with the improv comedy troupe The Groundlings. He is the co-founder of Howling Wolf Productions. He shared the vision and story behind the film Restoring Tomorrow which walks us through his journey back to faith and community. The film can be seen in theaters on November 13. Find out more at fathomevents.com.

Carmen reads the last piece of Jamal Khashoggi in honor of his sacrifice in pursuit of the truth. Journalists are the eyewitnesses of today, going places we do not want to in order to shine light in dark places. They are essential to who we are as a free people. For conversations today, consider the words of Jesus who said blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed. Are the eyewitness accounts found in the Gospels sufficient for you to accept the sacrifice of Christ for all humanity?

Peter Burns, Government Relations and Policy Director at In Defense of Christians, spoke about the Nineveh Plain and the work of rebuilding going on post ISIS.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, discussed his latest book, The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to be a Light in the Darkness. How do we remain both compassionate and committed to the Gospel while facing the pressure of today’s culture?

Sudanese expert Faith McDonnell discussed persecution in Sudan and shared how we can pray and encourage our members of congress with regards to this country. She is the Director of Religious Liberty Programs and of the Church Alliance for a New Sudan. She writes and speaks on the subject of the persecuted for such publications as Breitbart, The Stream, The Philos Project, FrontPageMag, and PJMedia.

Gordon Robertson is the CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network. His new book Rise Up: Stories of Remarkable Faith and Relentless Courage exists to move us to faith and prayer that God is still showing up and doing incredible miracles.

The Gosnell movie, a piece by the BBC about abortion doulas, and a piece by Karen Swallow Prior in the Washington Post cause us to wonder if our society has lost sense of what is normal and and an inability to determine what is gruesome. Christians need to be in this conversation, particularly from the social justice angle.

Ligonier Ministry’s State of Theology report has been released. Despite many Americans saying they are Christian, the majority rejects teachings on the gravity of sin, the gathering of the Church and the work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s not forget that the standard against what we will be judged is the perfection of Jesus Christ.

Laila Risgallah Wahba, pediatrician, founder of Not Guilty, and author of What Happens After #MeToo, spoke with Carmen about her passion for abolishing sexual abuse and bullying. She gave us a picture of life for women in the Middle East and also helpful advice for making a difference in the lives of those who have been sexually abused.

In the first half, Carmen takes callers who are responding to the subject of Jonathan Merritt’s opinion piece in the New York Times, It’s Getting Harder to Talk About God. The overwhelming majority of respondents are not comfortable talking about faith and have only rarely had a spiritual conversation in the last year.

Dr. Edward Moody, author of First Aid for Emotional Hurts: Helping People Through Difficult Times, shared some helpful insights into how we – as ambassadors of Christ – might rush towards hurting people confidently with the kindness of Jesus. He is Associate Dean of the School of Education at North Carolina Central University and pastor at Tippett’s Chapel Church in Clayton, North Carolina.

Religious Liberty News:

* Under threat of steep fines and up to 90 days in jail, two filmmakers will be in court Tuesday seeking to stop Minnesota from forcing them to produce and create custom wedding films expressing messages that contradict their core beliefs. The filmmakers are Carl and Angel Larsen, owners of Telescope Media Group.

* A cement and marble memorial was erected in 1925 by the Snyder-Farmer Post of the American Legion of Hyattsville, Maryland, to remember the 49 men of Prince George’s County who died in World War I.  The American Humanist Association, a Washington-based group that represents atheists and others, filed suit against the memorial because it is in the shape of a cross. It argued that having a religious symbol on government property violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

* On Wednesday, Britain’s Supreme Court supported a Belfast bakery’s right to refuse to bake a cake with a message supporting same-sex marriage. The ruling overturned the rulings of two lower courts who were not able to state plainly that the issue was not the person requesting the cake (who happened to be gay) but the particular cake being requested – a cake expressly designed and created to participate and celebrate something contrary to the sincerely held religious beliefs of the cake artist.

Makoto Fujimura, Director the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and artist, writer, and speaker, joined Carmen to discuss the importance of cultivating beauty in our culture. He is the author of Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life, and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering. Listen to our previous interview with him here.

Carmen hears from Dr. Aykan Erdemir about American Pastor Andrew Brunson’s release from a Turkish prison.  She also talks with Sarah Williams about her book Perfectly Human.