At Gov.-elect Wes Moore’s last Baltimore church service before inauguration, hugs of encouragement, prayers of hope

Bishop Donte Hickman was building toward the climax of his sermon early Sunday, his deep voice climbing gradually in volume, energy and pace, as he brought an oft-quoted passage from the Book of Matthew to life. God has given us what Jesus called the keys to the kingdom — and the keys to our own dignity, sanctity and future — he said, as long as we remain strong in our faith. “If you have the keys, won’t you take them out?” Hickman cried. And in the front row at Southern Baptist Church, his most famous congregant stood and did exactly that.