The World and Everything in It: January 18, 2024

PREROLL: The World and Everything in It is made possible by listeners like you. I'm Tammy Pedigo from Springfield, Missouri. I work for Mercy Health Systems, and I hope you enjoy today's program.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Good morning! The government of Nicaragua jails and then releases its clergy who are now exiled in Rome.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: We’ll talk with an attorney on the case. Also, can artificial intelligence make art that has heart?

AUDIO: It is absolutely imitating other artwork. It's not really imitating real life or real experiences.

Also, migrants in New York City face dead ends after discovering that illegal entry into the country limits their options.

AUDIO: They want to get out of the welfare system. And the only way for them to do that is to get a job.

And WORLD Commentator Cal Thomas on what Washington elites should learn from Trump’s win in Iowa.

REICHARD: It’s Thursday, January 18th, 2024. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

BROWN: And I’m Myrna Brown. Good morning!

REICHARD: The news is next with Kent Covington.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Houthis » Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched another attack against a U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden

A bomb-carrying drone slammed into a cargo ship, sparking a fire. The crew was able to put it out. The captain reported no injuries.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY: These attacks are a clear example of terrorism, violation of international law, a major threat to innocent lives and to global commerce.

The Houthis had promised retaliation for last week’s joint U.S. and British airstrikes against the militant group.

The attack came as State Dept spokesman Matthew Miller made this announcement:

MILLER: Earlier today, the secretary of state announced the designation of the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist, effective February 16th, for threatening the security of the United States.

And that’s more than just a label. It allows the U.S. Treasury Department to disrupt the group's access to funds in the international banking system.

Ukraine/border bill talks » At the White House, President Biden sat down with House Speaker Mike Johnson and other top lawmakers Wednesday to resume talks about a package that would fund aid to Ukraine and help secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

Speaker Johnson has been clear that one will not happen without the other.

JOHNSON: Border, border, border. We have to take care of our own house. We have to take care of our own house. We have to secure our own border before we talk about doing anything else.

Some lawmakers expressed cautious optimism after the meeting. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he now believes there’s a better than 50 percent chance that the two sides will strike a deal.

Biden is seeking a $110 billion dollar package that would pay for aid to Ukraine and Israel, among other things.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also took part in the meeting. He told reporters—quote … “We have to get it done.”

SCHUMER: At stake is the security of our country, the survival of our friends in Ukraine, the safety of our friends in Israel.

The renewed talks come as current funding for US aid to Ukraine runs dry and as migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border continue in record-breaking numbers.

Blinken on Israel/Gaza » Secretary of State Tony Blinken is renewing a push to create a path for an Independent Palestinian state when Israel's war with Hamas ends.

The secretary told world leaders in Davos, Switzerland:

BLINKEN: If you pursue integration with security with a Palestinian state, all of a sudden, you have a region that's come together in ways that answer the most profound questions that Israel’s tried to answer for years.

He said Israel won’t achieve peace and security until it allows the existence of an Palestinian state. But critics of that plan say Iran-backed radical groups will remain committed to destroying Israel regardless.

Israel says it will remain in control of security in Gaza for an indefinite period after the war ends.

SCOTUS » The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case that aims to reel in the federal government’s regulatory powers.

Lawyers representing herring fishermen challenged a regulation that requires fisheries to allow government observers on their boats and to pay their salaries.

The monitors are tasked with making sure fishermen follow federal rules. Attorney Paul Clement argued the requirement is government overreach and a heavy burden.

CLEMENT: Commercial fishing is hard. Space on board the vessels is tight and margins are tighter still.

Lower courts in 2021 upheld the regulation using the so-called Chevron deference that requires courts to defer to government agencies to interpret unclear laws.

While attorneys for the fishermen have asked justices to overturn the doctrine, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar defended it.

PRELOGAR: Congress can expressly delegate to agencies the authority to define terms and fill gaps.

The court is expected to make a decision in the case this summer.

Manchin / politics » Another big name in Washington is weighing a possible White House bid with the potential to shake up the 2024 election.

MANCHIN: I’ve always been the independent voice. I try to represent my state of West Virginia.

Blue Dog Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin is openly thinking about running for president as an independent.

That has sparked fear among many Democrats that he could play the role of spoiler, peeling away critical votes from President Biden.

But Manchin says if he runs for president, he has no intention of playing the spoiler.

MANCHIN: I’m going to definitely want to win and I’m going to fight to win. I’m not going to go in there just trying to harm somebody or help somebody else. I want to make sure that we create a different option bringing people together.

That last major third-party candidate was Ross Perot in 1992. Many blamed or credited him with peeling enough votes away from President George H.W. Bush to send Bill Clinton to the White House.

New Hampshire campaigning » Meantime, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and second place Nikki Haley are stumping in the Granite State.

TRUMP: I’m thrilled to be back in the great state of New Hampshire with thousands of proud, hard-working American patriots, which is what you are.

Trump heard there in the southeastern town of Atkinson, about 30 miles north of Boston.

Nikki Haley, meantime, held a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire.

HALEY: I don’t want to just be campaigning in the live free or die state. I want this to be a live free or die country. That’s our goal!

Tuesday night’s primary vote could be a nail-biter. Trump leads Haley by about 15 points in the state. But New Hampshire holds open primaries, meaning independents and Democrats are free to vote which could sway the outcome.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is largely punting on New Hampshire where he has not fared well in state polls, campaigning instead in states that will vote next month.

Haley says she now considers this a two-person race between her and Trump, and that her next presidential debate will be against Trump or President Biden. She will not debate head to head again with DeSantis again as she did last week. 

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Religious liberty in Latin America. Plus, Artists with artificial souls.

This is The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: It’s Thursday the 18th of January, 2024. This is WORLD Radio. Thanks for listening! Good morning, I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

First up on The World and Everything in It: religious liberty in Latin America.

This week, authorities in the Central American nation of Nicaragua announced they’d released 19 members of the Catholic clergy from prison.

Bishop Rolando Álvarez spent more than 500 days in prison for criticizing the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The government arrested other members of the Catholic church shortly before Christmas. It accused the clergy of terrorism and attempting a coup.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Ortega released clergy members from jail on Monday and exiled them to Rome where they are now guests of the Vatican.

Joining us now to sort this out is Kristina Hjelkrem. She’s legal counsel for Latin America with the Alliance Defending Freedom International talking to us from Ecuador.

REICHARD: Kristina, good morning

KRISTINA HJELKREM: Good morning. Thank you very much for having me.

REICHARD: What can you tell us about the conflict between the church and the government of Nicaragua dating back to 2018?

HJELKREM: Civil society in Nicaragua became restless when the Nicaraguan parliament issued a law that changed social security in a way that made a lot of people uncomfortable. That prompted a crisis, a very strong crisis that ended up in having 300 citizens deceased from the governmental repression of the protest.

Then the Catholic Church was asked to be a witness of the national dialogue that was looking for peace. Then is when Bishop Alvarez comes into the scene. He was part of the ecclesiastical group that witnessed these negotiations. Once the negotiations failed, the state began to persecute the church and also the members of the Ecclesiastical group, which Bishop Alvarez, as I said before, was a part of.

REICHARD: From what I’ve read, Álvarez wasn’t arrested right away…the government tried to intimidate him at first and then put him under house arrest. How did he respond to those acts?

HJELKREM: Through it all, Bishop Alvarez remained firm in Christ and faithful. So, back in 2022, August 4th, Alvarez was supposed to leave his residence to go to the closest cathedral to give a Mass, and the police detained him in his residence for 15 days along with other seminarians and priests. After that, they went into the house on August 19, and arrested him without a warrant. And he was then subjected to house arrest without, again, a decision from a judge. His trial came months later when he was finally convicted in a sham trial, charged with undermining national integrity and propagation of false news. All of this only on the basis of sermons that he had delivered from the pulpit, um, as a result of what he considered a religious duty to preach about governmental human rights violations.

REICHARD: Álvarez was sentenced to over 26 years in prison…so what led to his release after less than a year?

HJELKREM: Yes, the delicate negotiations between the Holy See and the State of Nicaragua prompted his release. The State of Nicaragua communicated last Sunday that their release took place in the context of the fulfillment of agreements of good faith and goodwill between both institutions that seek to promote understanding and improve communication between the Holy See and Nicaragua.

Similar negotiations took place in October of last year when the Nicaraguan State released other 12 priests referring the clerics to the Holy See.

REICHARD: What’s next for Bishop Álvarez?

HJELKREM: There are no more legal avenues for Bishop Alvarez in Nicaragua. Those were exhausted. And what ADF International has done for him other than advocating for him and trying to bring the international community’s attention to his case to prompt his release, we submitted a petition on his behalf to the Inter American Commission of Human Rights that could issue a binding decision on Nicaragua, condemning Nicaragua for the persecution of the church and the violation of the bishop’s rights, all of them, including religious freedom, freedom of speech, but also right to life, right to physical integrity, et cetera.

So, I think that’s what today is. Like, the most remaining important effort, because that’s going to be the first decision that will condemn Nicaragua and sort of, like, call out Nicaragua in a, from a legal perspective for the violations of human rights they have committed. Because one of the biggest issues here is that a lot of people that have been exiled from Nicaragua, they were all terrified of pursuing justice at the international level because they knew, even though their safety would be okay, their family was still in Nicaragua, could still suffer the consequences. So, the Bishop’s case is the first and only that will be presented on behalf of someone of the clergy, the first decision that will be binding on Nicaragua because of their religious freedom violations.

REICHARD: Well given all that you’ve just said, are you discouraged or encouraged as far as the bigger picture of religious liberty in Latin America?

HJELKREM: It’s always discouraging seeing how states do not abide to their human rights obligations in which the protection of religious freedom is guaranteed. The biggest problem from the perspective of religious freedom is that populism and totalitarian ideologies such as Sandinismo in Nicaragua are always tempted to usurp the moral authority of the church.

This leads to the persecution of the church when its teachings do not coincide with the political ideology of the ruling party. And that’s what happened with Bishop Alvarez. He was preaching the gospel and preaching about God-given freedoms and justice, which also led him to denounce the human rights violations perpetrated by the government. And that’s why the government decided to put him in jail.

The biggest trend that we are seeing for the violations of religious freedoms in Latin America right now is the censorship of those who express their faith. This is always discouraging, but we always have, we’re always looking at this reality with hope and with faith that the work that we’re doing and the work of Catholics and Christians who are very strong in that truth and good is going to prevail.

REICHARD: Kristina Hjelkrem is an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom International in Latin America. Kristina, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

HJELKREM: Thank you very much for having me.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: Artificial intelligence in art.

As AI becomes better at imitating humans, artists are trying to figure out if AI is a helpful tool or a threat to genuine creativity.

WORLD Radio’s Mary Muncy has the story.

DEBORAH ANDERSON: These are some of the pieces here…

REPORTER, MARY MUNCY: Deborah Anderson’s art studio in Asheville, North Carolina is full of neon colors and vintage mannequins.

She decorates the mannequins with paint and other materials… Sometimes she also photographs them and alters the images.

ANDERSON: I’ll then occasionally run them through an AI generator to see what kind of strange and wonderful things will come out.

One of these pictures is a sepia-tone image with two women’s faces on top of each other. They have butterflies and flowers on them.

ANDERSON: She’s completely generated from AI. And this face came from a mannequin originally. So I just put two separate photos together and then I did a little extra stuff in the background, kind of superimposing more flowers and things like that.

Anderson also uses AI to help stimulate her creativity. She says it’s like scrolling through Pinterest for inspiration. But other artists aren’t so sure.

AARON FIELDS: I’m the brick wall, the red brick wall.

Across the street, Aaron Fields points out his painting in a booth with some other artists. It depicts a road going through a forest. It looks like the Blue Ridge Parkway in the summer.

Recently, Fields put a similar painting into an AI generator and told it to show him where the road goes. He said it fulfilled some of his childhood dreams of being a movie director, but he’s still skeptical.

AARON FIELDS: AI has the potential to do great things. And also not-so-great things.

Fields is concerned with giving a tool too much power, making it too human-like and then thinking we can control what it creates.

But what if humans aren’t creating at all. What if AI is driving the whole process from start to finish?

CONSTANT BRINKMAN: My name is Constant Brinkman, the co-founder of The Dead End Gallery in Amsterdam. And the Dead End Gallery is the world's first AI gallery.

That’s not a gallery where human artists create art using AI. Rather, Brinkman and his business partner ask AI to create art based on personalities the AI has created for itself.

BRINKMAN: We ask what art do they have in their homes? What art education they had, and they're all telling us this and at some point we have enough information so it's it's a real character for us.

With prompts from Brinkman and his business partner, the AI tells them about “experiences” like losing its parents or having a baby. Brinkman says those events tend to make the art better, just like a human artist having real experiences.

Brinkman wants his “artists” to be as close to human as possible because that’s how they create the best art. He says it might go too far to say he’s creating AI with souls…

BRINKMAN: But maybe in the end, we will have AI personalities that have a soul, and that ask us real questions based on their own experience, and they will learn from our answers.

That idea of AI souls raises red flags for some people, including Mississippi College graphic design and digital illustration professor Benjamin Ivey.

IVEY: We're not Gods ourselves. And so anything that we do create ultimately kind of becomes part of our own fall, it becomes something that can corrupt ourselves, because it itself is corrupted.

Ivey says the old adage that art imitates art is often true, and it’s especially true of AI. Just like a real person, it takes things it’s seen and puts them together in a new way. That has led to a lot of copyright questions that have yet to be resolved.

But it’s one thing to put images together in a new way, it’s another thing to create meaning out of something… and Ivey says he’s never seen AI do that.

IVEY: It is absolutely imitating other artwork. It's not really imitating real life or real experiences.

Ivey tells his students that AI can be a really useful tool, especially for some of those tedious tasks like cleaning up the background of a photo, but it’s not going to replace the people using those tools.

While AI can generate images on demand, only humans have God-given creativity. For Brinkman at the Dead End Gallery, that creativity is asking questions of AI. For Deborah Anderson and Aaron Fields, that creativity is using AI to try something they couldn’t do before.

But they are still the lower-case-c creators for better or worse.

FIELDS: As an artist, I appreciate it. And I respect it. and I don't want to abuse it and I don't want to take it for granted either.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Mary Muncy in Asheville, North Carolina.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Government agencies aren’t known for their humor. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the US Federal Highway Administration has put the kibosh on electronic road signs with a local flavor.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Like the one in Massachusetts that says “Use ya blinkah”

BROWN: Or this one: “Nice car, did it come with a turn signal?” Alas, it’s true. Agency officials say the humorous signs are distracting and reduce respect for the signs.

Some aren’t taking this lightly, like David Cook of Arizona. Sound from WABI-TV:

DAVID COOK: The humor part of it we kind of like. I think in Arizona the majority of us do, if not all of us.

Regardless, so long punny messages! States have two years to knock it off. 

It’s The World and Everything in It.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, January 18th, 2024. Thank you for listening to WORLD Radio to get your day started. Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: what happens to so-called sanctuary cities when migrants take them up on the welcome?

Last month, the border patrol encountered more than 300,000 migrants trying to enter the U-S. Many came with big cities in mind.

MIGRANTS: Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago, Chicago...

BROWN: But city leaders are finding it difficult to keep their promises as sanctuaries. New York City Mayor Eric Adams for example.

ADAMS: Our goal is to treat people with dignity and respect that people deserve. And this is unfair what's happening to migrants and asylum seekers and it's unfair what's happening to long term New Yorkers, we are out of room. We are accommodating as best we can.

The immigration court has a massive backlog. Asylum law is complicated. And it’s not easy living in one of the biggest, most expensive cities in the world.

REICHARD: WORLD Feature Reporter Grace Snell traveled to New York to find out how the city is getting along. And she found a story of one ministry in the city trying to solve one part of an enormous problem.

AUDIO: [Cars honking, sirens wailing]

GRACE SNELL, REPORTER: The Church of St. Francis of Assisi sits off a narrow side street in the heart of Manhattan. People bustle by without a glance, and sheer walls overshadow it on either side—but its green copper spire points resolutely heavenward.

AUDIO: [Door creaking open, quiet voices in waiting room]

Inside, a group of people huddle together in the church’s migrant center. People like Alec. He’s a migrant from Ecuador—one of over 160,000 who have come to the city since 2022.

ALEC: Mi nombre es Alec… [Speaking Spanish, explaining why he left Ecuador]

Alec says he left Ecuador to escape extortion from the cartels. He crossed the border into Arizona after trekking across Panama and Mexico. He’s been in New York City just 15 days.

ALEC: [Speaking Spanish, explaining what he wants to do in NYC]

Like many migrants pouring into the city, Alec says he’s come to work and wants to build a better life. But,  for those released into the country to seek asylum, that’s proving extremely difficult.

Julian Jagudilla is a Franciscan friar and the migrant center’s director. He explains that migrants can’t get approval to work without having legal status in the U.S.

JAGUDILLA: They want to get out of the welfare system. And the only way for them to do that is to get a job.

But, those jobs require work permits. And that’s exactly what many migrants they can’t get without at least a pending immigration application.

So, they come to St. Francis to apply for asylum. It’s a legal protection they can seek no matter how they entered the country.

AUDIO: [People talking, feet scuffing]

It’s their best hope to stay in the U.S. and find lawful work.

AUDIO: [Papers shuffling]

Every morning, Jagudilla gathers his team of volunteers in the center’s conference room for a briefing.

JAGUDILLA: We want them to own their process. We want them to be part of the solution of the situation. Okay, so we’re not going to do everything for them…

A dozen people sit around the polished wooden table, listening. Jagudilla gives them the bottom line up front.

JAGUDILLA: Our primary objective is for them to get the work permits. The approval or even denial of their application will take three to five years…

But, they can apply for a work permit once their asylum applications have been pending for five months. Still, that’s only a band-aid solution if they don’t win their asylum claims.

And for many, their chances of that aren’t good. Asylum has a particular legal definition. Migrants have to prove they’re at risk of targeted persecution for traits like race or religion to qualify. Simply fleeing poverty and gang violence isn’t a basis for asylum.

JAGUDILLA: Para asylum…How do you say that in French and Arabic?

VOLUNTEERS: [Translating into French and Arabic]

Around 10:30 a.m., Jagudilla heads through a glass door into the lobby. He starts calling names from a list and sorting people into different language groups.

JAGUDILLA: Susannah… Claudo…

Many of the applicants come here from countries like Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. But Jagudilla says they are also seeing more people from West African countries like Senegal and Mauritania.

JAGUDILLA: We are going to take the first twenty…

VOLUNTEERS: Speaking Spanish, French, Arabic…Translating…

Finding enough translators is a constant battle.

JAGUDILLA: You follow Marianne for Spanish…

Jagudilla ushers everyone downstairs to a wood-paneled room set up with folding tables.

AUDIO: [Footsteps on the stairs, directions, chairs scuffing]

The migrants take their seats. All eyes turn toward the front as a volunteer gives a short introduction.

VOLUNTEER: Good morning and welcome.

MIGRANTS: Good morning.

VOLUNTEER: We are glad you were here at St. Francis and we are here to assist you in your applications for asylum…

AUDIO: [Arabic translation]

Then, they hand out pencils and dive in.

AUDIO: [Pencils clattering, people talking]

Around the room, people bend dutifully over their papers.

AUDIO: [Background instructions and conversation]

Jagudilla knows many of their asylum claims aren’t very strong. And that worries him. Migrants can only stay in city shelters for 30 and 60 days before they have to move out and wait for another spot to open up.

As the second intake begins, Jagudilla asks the group how many of them are worried about losing their shelter beds.

Hands go up around the room. Jagudilla tells them there’s nothing he can do.

JAGUDILLA: The only solution that you have when you don’t have place to stay is to stay at Penn Station or Port Authority…

In the meantime, more and more migrants arrive in the city each day. And that means a new crowd of people waiting for help at St. Francis each morning.

AUDIO: [Voices, scuffing feet, creaking door]

Still, Jagudilla is determined to keep doing what he can for them. And he’s committed to treating them with dignity—no matter the outcome.

JAGUDILLA: The most important thing here is that when people come here, they feel welcome. They feel safe. We provide a welcome here in our church, you know, following Jesus’ command, you know, that whatever we do to the least of his sisters or brothers, we do it to him.

AUDIO: [Sirens, traffic]

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Grace Snell in New York.

REICHARD: For more information on the unfolding migrant crisis, you can keep an eye out for Grace’s print feature in the February 10th issue of WORLD Magazine.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Thursday, January 18th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Up next: what was on the minds of Iowans when they chose Donald Trump? Here’s WORLD Commentator Cal Thomas on what is driving Trump’s political wins so far.

CAL THOMAS: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News Monday night as Iowa voters delivered a decisive victory for former President Donald Trump–furthering his quest to win the Republican nomination and a second term as president. Gingrich joyfully predicted that Trump would not only win the nomination but would easily win the White House in November.

Gingrich may be right, but voter turnout in Iowa was down from four years ago and the lowest in more than a decade. Sub-zero temperatures were likely a contributing factor, as was the view by some that Trump had the race in the bag, so why go out in freezing conditions? It is also a caution to recall that not every GOP winner of the Iowa caucuses in recent years has won their respective party’s nomination.

In his victory remarks, Trump displayed a rarely seen quality–praise of his opponents Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. Setting aside his usual fiery rhetoric, Trump called for unity in a low-key victory speech.

Establishment pundits remain shocked over Trump’s continued appeal to a large swath of the country, including an uptick in support among black and hispanic voters. But four years isn’t that long ago when one considers gas prices and mortgage rates were lower during the Trump presidency, the U.S. was less involved in foreign wars, inflation was down, and migrants weren’t flooding over our border in record numbers.

Of course, when it comes to these issues, presidential actions aren’t all that matter. But it isn’t difficult to understand the reasons Trump continues to have a firm grip on his supporters, despite his divisive rhetoric and legal challenges. They include an establishment that has refused to acknowledge the anger felt by many Americans over a dysfunctional Congress, the $34 trillion debt, and the constant bickering among politicians. Trump supporters see unequal justice driven by political agendas, including the mishandling of Hunter Biden’s tax issues and prosecutors who target Trump.

Trump’s popularity also reflects the rejection of establishment politics by many voters. Consider that 19 states have approved a Convention of States to invoke Article 5 of the Constitution. Supporters hope to enact term limits and require a balanced federal budget. The Convention of States website shows that even more states either have passed the resolution in one legislative chamber or are considering it. Thirty-four states are needed. A Trump victory might encourage more states to sign on.

Instead of dwelling on Trump’s personality, Washington politicians and the media ought to be examining the reasons behind voter anger and desire to move the country in a different direction. That’s what Trump is promising. It is the reason he won big in Iowa and may run the table in every other primary state.

I’m Cal Thomas.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Tomorrow: John Stonestreet joins us for Culture Friday. You don’t want to miss that. And, two new documentaries that tell stories about life in Ukraine and North Korea. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Mary Reichard.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible records that “Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,”’ but you make it a den of robbers.” —Matthew 21:12, 13

Go now in grace and peace.

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