Happy Friday,
Next Wednesday begins Lent, a forty-day period leading up to the crucifixion. It was established (roughly 1,000 years ago) as a time for us to personalize things – i.e., it’s not just that Christ died for the sins the of the world. It is that Christ died for my pride, my greed, my lust, my anger, and my smallness. It is also a time in which we stare death in the face. In a culture that aggressively ignores death, we declare that we are dust and to dust we will return.
Valentines’ Day: No, the apostrophe is not in the wrong place. As this article explains, there are actually three different Saint Valentines associated with Valentine’s Day. BTW, consider this entry your reminder that Valentine’s Day is THIS Sunday.
Nuance: I have cited David French’s writings before (e.g., here where he discussed Critical Race Theory). I cite him again because I found his recent interview with Yonat Shimron (Religion News) helpful. Among other things, I appreciate the distinction he makes between opponents and enemies.
Helpful Example: I quoted MLK in last week’s Update. I do so again because of the thoughtful insights found in his Loving Your Enemies sermon, which he preached in Nov. of ’57. “Within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude toward individuals. The person who hates you the most has some good in him; even the nation that hates you the most has some good in it; even the race that hates you the most has some good in it. And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every man and see deep down within him ‘the image of God,’ you begin to love him no matter what he does.”
COVID Related: 1) This 30 minute update about COVID is illuminating and hopeful, especially the last five minutes. 2) Overlooked amidst discussions about First World vaccine delays is the horrific ways COVID is impacting those on the margins. After several decades of progress, the pandemic has sent 100M of the poorest of the poor back into abject poverty.
Making Others Better: By the time the announcers were debating Champa Bay versus Tampa Brady, other matters were settled. 1) With apologies to Favre, Manning, Brees, Montana, Rogers, Unitas, et al., Tom Brady is the GOAT. TB is to the NFL what Michael is to the NBA and Tiger to the PGA; 2) As far as who deserves primary credit for the Pats’ dynasty, Brady > Belicheck. I stopped liking TB after Deflate Gate, but he deserves credit for his leadership chops. He clearly knows how to elevate the performance of everyone around him.
Perspective: BTW, for some perspective on just how long Brady has been playing, consider this list of companies that advertised during his first Super Bowl win: AOL, Blockbuster, Radio Shack, Circuit City, Sears, HotJobs, Yahoo, VoiceStream Wireless and Gateway Computers.
Without Comment: 1) 31 million people follow anti-vaccine groups on Facebook; 2) the average number of calories consumed per person during last year’s Super Bowl was 10,821; 3) the Draft Kings is now valued at $25B, dwarfing Caesars and MGM; 4) of the projected $21.8 billion expected to be spent on V-Day purchases, $1.3 billion will be for pets; and 5) In 2001, Google’s revenue was $86M; in 2020 it was $86M every three hours.
Not as Advertised: This article by Eberstadt – which explores the daily activities of unemployed men – should give pause to those who think a Universal Basic Income will solve the problems of displaced workers. Work is not just the way we get money to buy things, it is a way we find meaning. As a pastor I know that those with too much free time are likely to grow listless and get in trouble.
Another Lent Observation: The question at Advent is: What do you want? The question at Lent is: What are you going to give up? Given this, most favor Advent. But the path to joy is more likely found by correctly answering the second question not the first.
Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, Today I thought of the words of Vincent van Gogh, “It is true there is an ebb and flow, but the sea remains the sea.” You are the sea. Although I experience many ups and downs in my emotions and often feel great shifts and changes in my inner life, you remain the same. Your sameness is not the sameness of a rock, but the sameness of a faithful lover. Out of your love I came to life; by your love I am sustained, and to your love I am always called back. There are days of sadness and days of joy; there are feelings of guilt and feelings of gratitude; there are moments of failure and moments of success; but all of them are embraced by your unwavering love. Amen. (Henri Nouwen – 1932 – 1996)