Happy Friday,
Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool. He is holy.
Psalm 99:5
The Lord is holy. To move in that direction, we must be wholly His. Many early Christians were, and their resulting honesty, generosity, chastity, and integrity prevailed over the Greco-Roman culture that surrounded them. Lord God, may we do likewise.
Post Easter: When Hamlet spoke of death as “the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns,” he was wrong. Jesus returned. May the hope and joy of Easter carry you forward this week.
Speaking of Easter: The LA Times chose Easter to run a piece by skeptic Bart Erhman. It promoted secularism and his tired arguments. Meanwhile, both the NYT and the WSJ ran thoughtful and hopeful pieces about the resurrection.
The Truth About Us: Last year I commended Brant Hanson as an author with a unique voice – one that was an odd combination of thoughtful and breezy. He’s struck again. This time with a book about our sinful nature that is laugh out loud funny. The Truth About Us is very good news about how very bad we are.
Remember the Pantyhose Experiment? A handful of classic social science experiments stand above the rest – e.g., the Stanford Prison Experiment, Asch Conformity, Bobo Doll, the Marshmallow test, etc. It’s past time to add the 70’s Pantyhose Experiment to the list. In it, people were asked to select the best pantyhose from among four samples. After they made their selection, they were told that the four samples were identical. Their response? Most doubled down on their selection and argued that the person conducting the experiment did not know what they were talking about. Once we take a position, we defend it to the end.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Do not despair; one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume; one of the thieves was damned.” Augustine; 2) “I never made a mistake in my life; at least, never one that I couldn’t explain away afterwards.” Rudyard Kipling
Post Pandemic: If there is anything of substance to “the fourth wave,” it may be too soon to talk Post Pandemic life. But I am praying (and believing) the end is near. To that end, it’s time to prepare. And among the things that should shape how we think about the future is this: Of those working from home, two-thirds thought the cons outweighed pros, and many now returning to the office are discovering how much they missed human interaction. For more on this, you can access Arthur Brook’s take here.
Perspective: In times of discouragement, we must remember that evil’s wins are temporary. God will prevail. His Kingdom will come. Play the long game.
Speaking of Perspective: This article from The Wall Street Journal is worth reading. It not only places our challenges in perspective, it also reminds us of our broader call.
Revival: I’ve been reading about how revivals start. Two things are clear. First, God’s timing is mysterious. Second, several things seem to pave the way: prayer, an awareness of God’s holiness, an awareness of our sin, and a focus on the all-sufficient nature of Christ’s death.
Closing Prayer: Lord, you say that no man may be drawn to you unless you draw him. Therefore, Lord, I pray that you will draw all people to you, regardless of how sinful they are. I never deserved to be drawn to you, Lord, and yet in your great mercy you drew me. If people around me knew my great wickedness as you do, they would marvel at the great goodness you have shown to me. If you can make such an unworthy creature as me worthy to be your servant, then you can turn the lowest sinner into the highest saint. I beg that you will turn all sinners into saints. Amen (Margery Kempe – 1373 – 1432)