On January 1st I saw a lot of friends bidding 2020 a hearty good riddance. By any measure, it was a tough year. And we all assumed 2021 would be different. Not perfect, of course. But not as difficult. Or weird.

Then this week happened. The images of rioters storming the Capitol was a strange and disturbing reminder of the volatile state of the country and the fragile nature of our democracy. I felt like 2020 was getting a second act.

One heartening thing for me was to see political leaders of both parties condemning the brazen attack. Christian leaders did too. In this article, prominent Christian leaders from around the country clearly denounced the mob’s actions and offered prayers for peace and safety.

I also saw several pastors who shelved the sermons they’d planned to preach to address the violence in our nation’s capital. Preaching in Moments of Crisis is a great resource on how to do that with sensitivity and effectiveness.