Mary said “yes” despite apparent odds—and so should you, FPU’s newest graduates were told at commencement December 11.

Answer as Mary did in Luke 1:38: “Here am I, servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,’” urged speaker Sharon Stanley.

A young couple in town to be taxed stops at an inn, tired and footsore. Though he can plainly see the woman is about to give birth, the innkeeper forces them to the stables, earning a lasting place in the People You Love to Hate Hall of Fame. Had the innkeeper known who the child would grow up to be, might he have been a better host? Maybe. Or maybe the poor guy wasn't just a hard-hearted businessman, and maybe clearing his reputation is important at this time of peace on earth. That's Brian Schultz's point in this week's Scholars Speak.