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Words to the Wise
Romans 13 (copy)
Mark Sage
In Romans 13, Paul reminds believers that human government has been ordained by God. Government exists to help society function, protect its citizens, and restrain evil. Because of that, the Christian’s responsibility is not to live in rebellion, but to live with respect, order, and integrity. When we resist rightful authority and disregard just laws, we are not merely resisting man-made systems; we are resisting the order God has permitted for the good of society.
This is why Paul speaks of paying what we owe. Taxes, respect, honor, and obedience all have their proper place. The believer should not be known for dishonesty, irresponsibility, or a rebellious spirit, but for faithfulness before God and fairness toward others. Our testimony is seen not only in what we say on Sunday, but also in how we live as citizens during the week.
Yet Paul moves from our duty to government to an even greater duty: love. He says we are to owe no man anything but love. Every bill may be paid, every tax may be settled, and every earthly debt may be cleared, but the debt of love remains. Love is the debt we can never fully pay off.
Love is also the motive behind the keeping of God’s law. When we truly love our neighbor, we will not want to wrong them, use them, deceive them, or hurt them. Love does not look for ways to get around righteousness; love desires what is good for another person. A heart filled with the love of God will seek to live in a way that honors God and blesses others.
Today, we should ask ourselves: Am I living with a spirit of honor toward the authority God has allowed in my life? Am I paying what I owe, not only in money, but in respect, integrity, and responsibility? Most of all, am I paying the continuing debt of love to the people around me?
If you are not a Christian here are the ABCs to becoming one:
Admit you are a sinner in need of a Savior.
Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead.
Confess your sins to God, ask Him to forgive you, and commit your life to follow Him.
VFIC launches Presidential Scholars Program to cultivate the next generation of values-based leaders (copy) (copy) (copy)
The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) announced the launch of the VFIC Presidential Scholars Program, a new statewide initiative designed to develop the next generation of values-based leaders across Virginia’s independent colleges and universities. In its inaugural year, the program recognizes one exceptional rising second-year student from each of the 17 VFIC member institutions. Selected by their college or university presidents, these scholars exemplify outstanding leadership, a commitment to service, and a passion for strengthening their communities.
“The VFIC Presidential Scholars Program reflects our belief that leadership grounded in ethics, service, and responsibility is essential to the future of the Commonwealth,” said Locke Ogens, VFIC president.
With funding provided by Bonnie and Wick Moorman, each Presidential Scholar will receive a comprehensive package of financial support and leadership opportunities, including a $10,000 annual scholarship for up to three years; mentorship provided by their college or university president; participation in leadership development seminars, including statewide networking opportunities with business, government, and non-profit leaders, including VFIC trustees; and a fully funded experiential learning opportunity, such as study abroad, an internship, or a research project.
Through this cohort-based experience, scholars will connect with peers from across Virginia, build leadership skills, and prepare to lead with integrity in their chosen professions and communities.
The VFIC plans to expand the Presidential Scholars Program annually, adding a new cohort each year until three cohorts are active at the same time. Over time, the program will create a robust statewide network of alumni — graduates equipped to make meaningful contributions across industries and communities throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
The inaugural cohort (2026–2029) is believed to reflect the diversity of talent across Virginia’s independent colleges and universities, with scholars pursuing a wide range of academic disciplines and representing communities from across the Commonwealth.
2026-2029 VFIC Presidential Scholars Cohort includes Batten University - Eleanor VanDuyne; Bridgewater College - Juli Ramos; Emory & Henry University - Rachel Sexton; Hampden-Sydney College - Kayne Wooten; Hampton University - Kernice Smith; Hollins University - Kelly O'Brien; Mary Baldwin University - Bibian Mejia; Marymount University - Isabel Fierro; Randolph College - Michelle Collins; Randolph-Macon College - Ashleigh Flores; Roanoke College - Shane Stevens; Shenandoah University - Dillon Mauzy; Sweet Briar College - Jocelyn Flannery; University of Lynchburg - Michael Pellican; University of Richmond - Luke Schroeder; Virginia Union University - Samirah Spates;and Washington and Lee University - Sophie Csatlos.
Light One Candle
Doing small things with great love (copy) (copy) (copy)
Tony Rossi
Columnist
Sharon Eubank spent nearly 30 years doing humanitarian work around the world, but it all started with socks. Yes, socks. A seemingly inconsequential item changed her perspective about the ways that we can serve others, and she has now shared what she learned in the informative and motivational Christopher Award-winning book “Doing Small Things with Great Love: How Everyday Humanitarians are Changing the World.”
During a “Christopher Closeup” interview, Sharon recalled a moment in the 1990s when she found her mother knitting bright red socks. When she asked her why she was doing that, her mother responded that there was an airlift taking donations to Sarajevo to help the people suffering there during the Yugoslavian War. Sharon thought to herself, “Is that the best we can do? Have women in middle America knitting socks for all the things that those people needed?”
“Then a couple of years later,” Sharon continued, “I read a story in The New York Times about a woman who was in Sarajevo. Her building had been bombed. She was living in the basement, and the pipes had broken so everything was freezing, frozen ice. She said a Red Cross truck pulled up into the yard, and they distributed brand new wool socks. She said she put her filthy feet into those socks and pulled them up, and she felt so grateful for whoever had provided them. Of course, the bigger issues still remained: the war was still going, the bombs were still falling. But for that moment, that woman, that was what she needed. It made a difference…I recognized that rather than just focusing on ‘I can only do the big things; the small things don’t matter,” it’s the right thing that comes at the right time for the right reason that makes humanitarian aid valuable.”
The simplicity of that idea guided Sharon’s humanitarian work and, decades later, led her to write “Doing Small Things with Great Love,” the title of which is derived from Saint Mother Teresa’s famous quote, “We can’t all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.”
Sharon explained, “The emphasis isn’t on the thing that you’re doing. It’s on the way that you do it…[Mother Teresa] worked with some of the hardest, lowest-caste people in India. As they were dying, she brought them into her place. She washed their feet. She removed the filth of the street. She tucked them into clean sheets. She held their hands while they were dying. And she looked in their eyes and said, ‘You are worthy of this. God loves you. I’m an instrument of His love.’…Even though they were small things, ordinary things, that made all the difference…So I wanted to highlight, you don’t have to worry that what you’re doing is small because if you do it with great compassion, it becomes something divine.”
The dignity of the human person is a recurring theme throughout the book, and Sharon commends faith leaders like Pope Leo, “who talks a lot about the dignity of each person, the respectful treatment, the humane solutions that must be part of how we tackle difficult things…In my experience over 30 years, people don’t change unless they completely feel like you respect them and you love them. Once they feel that, your partnership explodes. And it isn’t the thing that we’re giving them – it’s not the food; it’s not the medical care. It’s that respect that they crave in their difficult situations that we can give the most.”
For free copies of the Christopher News Note Bear One Another’s Burdens, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.
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