Happy Friday:
Consider others more important than yourselves.
The Apostle Paul, Phil. 2:3
The pluralism, fracture and acceleration of this moment makes life confusing. Thankfully, some things are simple. We must love and serve others, especially the poor. To be clear, the Christian life cannot be reduced to this. Our first assignment is to love God, and our marching orders start with sharing His love with others. But it does not stop there. The love of God compels us to focus on others. Have you moved past your default self-absorption? Everyone wins when you do, starting with you.
Personal Density: I first heard about personal density from Baylor Professor Alan Jacobs, who picked it from Thomas Pynchon’s “famously difficult” novel, Gravity’s Rainbow. I’ve not read Pynchon’s work – who wants to read a novel described as “famously difficult?” – but I can commend Jacob’s latest book, Breaking Bread with the Dead. I can also commend the pursuit of “personal density.” What is it? You should read Jacob’s treatment for yourself. I will only say: 1) There are a lot of thin people out there – i.e., people who lack the “temporal bandwidth” that comes with understanding history; 2) Those who lack density are especially susceptible to conspiracy theories.
Who am I? If you’ve studied philosophy, you know that many of those prominent in the field have their own set of questions. Some years ago, I latched on to these six: 1) What – or who – is of ultimate importance? 2) Who am I? 3) Where did I come from? 4) What is expected of me? 5) What happens when I die? and, 6) Where do I go to get answers to these questions? In light of an upcoming sermon on Identity, I’ve been thinking about question number two. Psychologists suggest “I am who I think you think I am.” No doubt that’s partly right. Unfortunately, I also think it’s part of our problem. No offense, but my perception of your perception of me, is of little importance. I must ground my identity in what God says is true about me. BTW, once you start thinking about identity, you realize how many things are true about each of us. I am: a sixty-year-old male, a husband, a father, a pastor, a US citizen and an English-speaker. On top of this, the Bible refers to me as a sinner, a saint, an exile, a child of God and more. Here’s a two-part assignment: 1) Make a list of all the ways you might be described. 2) From this list, pick the three that are the most important.
Speaking of English-speakers: Since it’s been a rough week – COVID deaths surpassed 4M, YTD Chicago shootings are over 2,000 – I thought I should add some humor. Here goes: If you call someone who speaks two languages, “bi-lingual,” and someone who speaks three-languages, “trilingual.” What do you call someone who speaks one language? The answer… an American.
Catching Up: In addition to leading to 4M deaths, COVID is credited with accelerating some things (e.g., the transition to remote work) and delaying others (e.g., elective surgeries). This combination of acceleration and delay is now credited with other outcomes, such as the “Great Resignation.” Apparently, many people are choosing not to return to work, many are looking for new jobs and over 40 percent of US employees are thinking about making some sort of job adjustment.
Is Twenty the New Five: In seminary, I was told that if less than five percent of the congregation was mad at me, I wasn’t doing enough. However, if more than twenty percent were upset, I was in trouble. Since I long ago stopped paying attention to my polling numbers, I’m not sure where I stand. But I’m pretty sure it’s over twenty. Nor do I think I am alone among clergy. I am hoping someone is going to say, thirty is the new five.
Articles to Consider: Among the topics on which I’ve frequently reported (i.e., beat to death), here is another on the impact of declining birth rates; here is another on the decline of friendships; and here is one noting that more 18-34 year old males now live with their parents than live in any other arrangement.
Question of the Week: If someone from 1921 was teleported forward to today, what would they find most surprising? Since my guess is that your first round of answers would focus on technological advances – e.g., cars, TVs, the iPhone, surgical procedures, the internet, etc. – let me suggest you set those aside. The question is, what – other than advances in technology – would your great, great grandparents find most shocking about your life? Bottled water? The size of grocery stores? How much weight we’ve all gained? How many fewer babies there are versus how many more 60 plus-year- olds are up and about? Might it be the nature and number of commercials we are exposed to? Our discontent? Four-dollar cups of coffee? Racial progress? Racial setbacks? The number of people who get tattoos? The number who do yoga? Gender- fluidity? Yogurt? The number of us who are unable to fix our own car? By the way, asking and answering these questions will help you gain a bit of personal density.
Humility: Last year, Sheri and I listened to Armor Towles’ novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, which chronicles the transformation of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov – a young Russian aristocrat – after the communist revolution strips him of his privilege. We enjoyed the novel. I pass along this quote. “Like the Freemasons, the Confederacy of the Humbled is a close-knit brotherhood whose members travel with no outward markings, but who know each other at a glance. For having fallen suddenly from grace, those in the Confederacy share a certain perspective. Knowing beauty, influence, fame, and privilege to be borrowed rather than bestowed, they are not easily impressed. They are not quick to envy or take offense. They certainly do not scour the papers in search of their own names. They remain committed to living among their peers, but they greet adulation with caution, ambition with sympathy, and condescension with an inward smile.”
Closing Prayer: Open the eyes of our hearts to know you, who are the highest of the high, the holiest of the holy. You bring down the haughtiness of the proud, and thwart the schemes of the dishonest. You raise up the lowly and cast down the lofty. Riches and poverty, death and life, are in your hand. You alone can discern every spirit, looking into the depths of every soul. You protect those in danger, give hope to those in despair, and guide every creature on earth. By your power the nations of the earth can flourish and increase. Grant us, Lord, we beseech you, your grace. Pity the poor, encourage those who are sad, enlighten those whose spirits are in darkness, heal the sick, guide the confused, feed the hungry, release those who are unjustly imprisoned, support the weak, comfort the faint-hearted. Let all the nations of the world know that you are God, that Jesus Christ is your child, and that we are your people. Amen. (Clement of Rome – died in 96)