Bad stuff will continue to happen around the world in 2016. But there are good reasons to be optimistic.

Religions, particularly the Christian faith that animated so much of US history, typically tell their adherents to pray for peace. A consortium of faith groups, under the umbrella “Evangelicals for Peace” has launched a thoughtful new year prayer initiative that anyone can participate in.

“With history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.” -John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961

Perhaps like no other Republican presidential candidate, Senator Ted Cruz exemplifies the nation’s conflicted conscience over the direction of U.S. foreign policy in the age of terror. Should the United States promote democracy in the Middle East, or should we learn to live with Arab dictatorships, even as we seek to defeat and destroy the Islamic State?

Christians have been targeted for death, sexual slavery, displacement, cultural eradication and forced conversion by ISIS. The U.S. government’s response has been woefully inadequate — neither helping them defend themselves and stay, nor providing them asylum to leave. And now, to add insult to injury, they are casualties of the agencies contracted to resettle refugees in America.

According to the Obama Administration, this is not genocide.

From the Print Edition: a bold vision for moving toward peace

The U.S. must name Christians in a genocide declaration in order to protect the innocent, to undermine ISIS’ ability to project strength through terror, and to weaken its global recruiting efforts.

The current controversy over admitting Syrian refugees into the country raises some very challenging questions for Evangelical Christians.