Step into any recently renovated house, cafe or office and chances are you’ll see the same thing: gray walls, black trimmings, white surfaces. Perhaps a splash of beige here and there. “Modern,” “clean” or “minimalistic” are terms used to describe most places today. But at what point did the world exchange vibrant color for muted tones?

Our media is designed for distraction; as a result, you can’t have productive conversations because they want intellectual diversions. The result is a kind of intellectual echo chamber masquerading as informed discourse. We mistake familiarity for accuracy and repetition for truth, echoing headlines we have absorbed rather than arguments we have examined.

When I first discovered the inadequacy of my own Christian education, I was honestly a little angry that no pastor or teacher had ever preached the Bible from this perspective. How much meaning had I missed in my years of studying Scripture blindly? But that disappointment quickly turned to gratitude for the friend who opened my eyes, and I hope to do the same for others.

Wherever you stand politically, it’s clear that President Donald Trump’s tactics are far different from those of any other president regarding the Iran conflict. He doesn’t stop at ultimatums or negotiations; rather, he humiliates, profanes, libels and threatens. And Iran isn’t the only victim.

Intellectual humility involves the awareness and responsibility of one’s own intellectual limitations. This means recognizing the presence of your intelligence and your lapses in such. Through this awareness, individuals will be able to pursue deeper knowledge, truth and understanding.