Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Jesus, John 17:17
Perspective: My grandparents held views that embarrass me. Yours likely did as well. There is a lot of that going around. The views expressed on the editorial pages of the NYT seventy years ago – and in some cases seven years ago – are anathema to those writing editorials today. Have you thought about what this means? Unless the trends that have been operating for hundreds of years suddenly stop – and this cultural moment is recognized as the be-all and end-all always and forever, your views today will embarrass the you of five years from now. We desperately need a perspective from above and outside our culture. “Thy word is truth.”
Five Years Ago this Wednesday: Five years ago this Wednesday – on Good Friday 2014 – I suffered a Spontaneous Cerebral Arterial Dissection (SCAD) from a swimming injury. It led to a cerebellar and vestibular stroke that put me in nuero – ICU for a week and hospitals and rehab centers after that. I am very thankful for my recovery – giving credit to God, great medical care and a lot of selfless help from many, especially Sheri. I’m not ready to say that I am happy I had the stroke, but I do think I have profited from it. (BTW, if you are among those who say hi to me while I jog by, please know that though I have made a great recovery, my eyes do not focus very well when I am running. The result is, everyone’s face looks like the faces of humans painted by Thomas Kincaid. I do not mean to be rude, but I can seldom see you well enough to know who you are).
AI & 5G: Alert companies are preparing for the upcoming marriage of AI and 5G. To that end, Ronald McDonald recently bought an AI company and has started scanning license plates as they pull into his restaraunts. Soon he will triangulate the weather, time of day and your order history to adjust the menu board you see when you walk in – all with the goal of getting you to order more. Beware of red-haired clowns leveraging algorithms.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Alert students of Galatians 5 notice that Paul writes about the fruit (singular) of the Spirit, but then lists fruits (plural). It’s not a grammatical error. If our growth is Holy Spirit-fueled, it should be – to use Jonathan Edwards $64 dollar word – concavinated. That means, we are to grow in love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. It’s a package deal. If you lack one or two – say peace and self-control – Edwards would say your good behavior is not a result of the Spirit, just your efforts to behave.
The Re-Read List: Thanks to those of you who sent me your “I’ve read these more than once” books. Your lists reminded me of others on my list: Slaughter House Five, To Kill a Mockingbird, All Quiet on the Western Front, Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies.
Record Movie Ticket Sales: When tickets were made available for an upcoming movie,interest was so great that first day pre-orders not only eclipsed those of the previous record holder (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), they crashed web sites for both AMC Theaters and Fandango. And it wasn’t just first day, first week sales were five times higher than the previous record holder. What movie has generated this kind of interest? Avengers: Endgame. I have only seen a couple of the 21 movies in the Marvel series that lead up to this one, so I do not understand the appeal. But according to the culture-analysts I read, there is a huge longing for super heroes to save us.
Gen Z and Me: Speaking of cultural critiquers, one recently suggested that for Gen Z, “the most important thing is not the experience, it’s that other people know that you’ve had that experience.” “Yes, that is true of Gen Z,” says the old guy who sends out an email making sure everyone knows what he is thinking.
The Failure of Liberation: Though you seldom hear about it, studies show that married people are happier than single people, and that frequent church attenders are happier than people who rarely (or never) attend. Liberation from religion and marriage is not as advertised. The Sexual Revolution has some explaining to do.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- When a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor’s stead, the table will crack and Death itself will start working backwards. C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
- No life can surpass that of a man who quietly continues to serve God in the place where providence has placed him. Charles Spurgeon
- We should take a lesson from the weather, it pays no attention to criticism. Unknown
Closing Prayer: Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you all of my being. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen. Anselm (1033 – 1109)