It’s easy to get bogged down by all the negative news we see on our screens daily, especially in the U.S. right now. There’s a lot of evil in the world. When I start feeling hopeless about the world around me, I turn to Bible passages like Hebrews 13:1-19: a never-ending source of grace, hope, and love that God has for God’s people. In his closing message to the Hebrews, St. Paul encourages them to focus on the simple things they can do to live in Christ. He instructs them to love “one another as brothers and sisters,” “show hospitality to strangers,” and “be content with what you have.” Paul also warns against being “carried away by strange teachings.” There’s a lot of noise that can cloud our belief—lots of strange opinions and all sorts of headlines everywhere we turn. Focusing on loving and serving our neighbors and ourselves allows us to live simply in the way Jesus did. I’ve found that focusing on these simple things, while it doesn’t solve everything, helps keep me closer to Christ and live a more intentional and fulfilling life.

It is certainly harder to get bogged down by the news when we remember that this isn’t the end. Something greater is coming, and our work to live simply and love others is not in vain. In verses 13-14, Paul writes, “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace [Christ] bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Governments of this world may not be an “enduring city,” but Paul reminds us that we can have confidence living our Christ’s simple yet radical love because this is not the end. There is a glorious kingdom coming in which all will live in love, justice, and peace. What better confidence to have than that! Thus, while we focus on living simply in Christ’s love, we can also encourage each other about what is to come. Despite the headlines and the noise, we can live together in trust and hope, patiently awaiting the day Jesus comes.