In the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees ask Jesus if it is lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar; yet, the Pharisees are not actually interested in His answer. Rather, their objective is to trap Jesus through their inquiry. They know a simple yes or no answer would violate either Roman or Jewish law and attempt to use this knowledge to their advantage.

As voters in many states prepare to return to the polls, we're reminded of last year's presidential race, which had a particularly appalling tone and was arguably one of the more divisive campaign seasons. It's no secret that the political climate has yet to improve, and many would argue that the division has even reached new heights.

Whether it be through our social media feeds, evening television news or talk radio pundits, we are all witnesses to a political and cultural climate that similarly asks questions, not to work towards mutual understanding, but to entrap and even destroy an individual or group. Political pursuits seem to be less about achieving the common good and more about winning an argument. We need only to read the comments section of any online posting to see that dialogue and debate has devolved to little more than insults, accusations, and dismissal.  Read More