Happy Friday
“Our Father…”
Jesus, The Lord’s Prayer
During this moment when families, churches, colleges, civic groups, small groups, legislative bodies, countries and more are riddled with acrimony, it’s worth pondering the first word of the prayer Jesus taught us. It’s not “My Father” in heaven, but “Our Father.” For better or worse, we are in this together.
No Music: Afghanistan has fallen out of the news cycle, but I did catch a clip from someone who just got out. When asked how the country had changed the most during the last month, he replied, “You no longer hear any music.” I’m not sure if that statement is more jarring if taken literally or metaphorically.
Law of Farmer > Law of Student: It seems a good time to remind everyone that though it’s possible for students to blow off class all quarter and still pull out a good grade, farmers cannot. If you want to harvest in the Fall, you must plant in the Spring. No amount of cramming during finals week can grow corn in three days. This is probably also a good time to note that life operates more like a farm than it does like a college classroom.
The Chosen: A recent addition to my job consists of saying, “Actually, that’s not in the Bible. It’s in The Chosen, which is based on the Bible but takes a few liberties. Feel free to watch The Chosen if you’d like, but understand that it’s coloring outside the lines here and there.”
Evangelical: The term evangelical has become tarnished and toxic. Whether it can be salvaged is anyone’s guess. Whatever happens on that front, however, should not diminish our allegiance to its Greek root: euangelion. As noted in previous Friday Updates, I am a fan of The Bible Project’s animated videos. Their video on euangelion is no exception.
Word of the Week: I thought about burnout, but suspect you’re already burned out on articles about burnout. My next thought was inflation, but I think it will be around for a while, so I’ll save the word and use it later. I briefly considered Post Liberal – which is what illiberal liberals want to be called – but I’m not inclined to give them what they want. All of that to say, I landed on merchants of rage. This seems an ideal way to describe those who delight in amplifying problems rather than addressing them. BTW, it takes zero skill to be a merchant of rage. Any fool can do it. Look at me, I am doing it right now.
Curious: BTW, it’s too early to guess, but I am wondering if President Biden will repeat the standard applause line in his January ’22 State of the Union. I’m thinking of, “The state of our union is strong.”
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) No man knows how bad he is, until he tries very hard to be good. C.S. Lewis; 2) If knowledge “puffs up,” the solution is humility not ignorance. J. P. Moreland
The Tyranny of the Majority: Lewis’s insights about democracies are worth resurrecting these days. Years ago he wrote, “I am a democrat [proponent of democracy] because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that everyone deserved a share in the government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. . . . I find that they’re not true without looking further than myself. I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost, much less a nation. . . . The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.”
Speaking of Lewis: Readers of this update know I’m quite a fan of C.S. Lewis. Indeed, that has moved past reading his books to include: visiting his home and both universities where he taught, teaching a course on his works and seeing all of the Lewis dramas starring Max McLean. I mention the latter because on Nov. 3 there is a single day major release of The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis. I know nothing about any of this other than McLean is involved – which I take as a good sign – and that you get more information here.
Without Comment: 1) For the 12th straight year, women earned the majority of doctoral degrees in the US. They outnumber men in grad school 148 to 100; 2) According to two recent studies, as we emerge from the COVID lockdown, “There is marked polarization in desires related to marriage and childbearing. Those who hope for either have one or all of three ingredients: money, hope or a deep dedication to the family. In other words, those most likely to marry or have children are: “the rich, the religious, and the Republicans;” 3) According to the World Economic Forum, religions contribute $1.2 trillion dollars of socio-economic value to the US economy yearly. This is more than the global annual revenues of the world’s top ten tech companies—including Apple, Amazon, and Google—and more than 50 percent larger than the global annual revenues of America’s six largest oil and gas companies.
Closing Prayer: If only I possessed the grace, good Jesus, to be utterly at one with you! Amidst all the variety of worldly things around me, Lord, the only thing I crave is unity with you. You are all my soul needs. Unite, dear friend of my heart, this unique little soul of mine to your perfect goodness. You are all mine; when shall I be yours? Lord Jesus, my beloved, be the magnet of my heart; clasp, press, unite me forever to your sacred heart. You have made me for yourself; make me one with you. Absorb this tiny drop of life into the ocean of goodness whence it came. Amen. (Francis of Sales – 1567–1622)