By the way, I realize most people do not capitalize the H in Heaven, but ever since reading Peter Kreeft’s book, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven But Never Dreamed of Asking!, he notes that we need to think about Heaven “as if it were a real place like Boston” (which it is) “rather than a wispy abstraction like ‘wellness’.” He goes on to note that Heaven is just as real as Peoria and Timbuktu. More real, in fact. Because in a thousand years there will be no Peoria, but there will be Heaven.”
From Heaven to “Almost Heaven, West Virginia:” Last week’s positive response to pictures led me to offer them again. Here are some stunning pics of West Virginia. They make me want to flee the suburbs of the Midwest.
RC-SCOTUS: If ACB is confirmed to the Supreme Court – and as I write this, that seems likely –her addition will not only secure a conservative majority on the court, it will secure a Roman Catholic one. Given that the US has only had one RC President (JFK), this is a bit surprising. What is it about the Catholic Church that seemingly positions one for the bench but not the Oval Office? Here are a few other religious stats about our leaders:
- 54.9% of Members (233 in the House, 60 in the Senate) are Protestant.
- 30.5% of Members (141 in the House, 22 in the Senate) are Catholic.
- 6.4% of Members (26 in the House, 8 in the Senate) are Jewish.
- 1.9% of Members (6 in the House, 4 in the Senate) are Mormon.
- 2 Members (1 in the House, 1 in the Senate) are Buddhist.
- 3 Representatives are Muslim.
- 3 Representatives are Hindu.
Stop Demonizing | Start Praying: The left and right are not simply disagreeing, they are vilifying. Don’t go there. We are called to love our enemies, and I am pretty sure that includes not ascribing evil intentions to their political positions. We must hold their humanity in mind as we extend them the same grace we also require.
Two Disturbing Views: I have not taken the time to fully vet either film – which makes recommending them dangerous – but because I run behind on viewing, I am recommending both Social Dilemma (on Netflix) and Just Mercy (DVD). I may say more about them later.
2020 Humor: A new genre of humor is emerging: jokes about 2020. I first heard someone say they were not turning their clocks back “because no one wants an extra hour of this year.” I then saw a meme which read: “we’re officially in the fourth quarter of 2020, man I hope we are playing the Falcons” (sorry to my in-laws in Atlanta). And then there was this. I am not surprised that people want 2020 to be over. But, I do wonder why they expect 2021 to be better.
Without Comment: 1) NFL viewing is down 11%; 2) Ten million people have already voted, dwarfing all earlier elections; 3) The number of pastors who believe their churches will survive the pandemic is dropping. Early on, 70% were ‘very confident’ their church would emerge on the other side. That number is now 58%. Many now suggest 20% will close.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- “The end of the Book of Revelation should never be read as, ‘We win!’ Rather, ‘The Lamb has triumphed over all things, including us!’ He’s not on our team, we’re trophies of his grace.” Scotty Smith.
- “I’d rather hang out with a humble conservative than a self-righteous liberal. And I’d rather hang out with a humble liberal than a self-righteous conservative. Humility is life-giving. And self-righteousness is always toxic.” Shane Claiborne.