The Path to Growth

We tend to be troubled by our troubles. That is, we allow our sadness to be multiplied because we do not expect it. It does not have to unfold that way. After all, Jesus told us to expect trials. In fact, He told us to be thankful for them. Trials are a path to growth.

Tech: Both the Left and the Right think Big Tech has too much power. I agree. However, while I am not thrilled by the way Zuckerburg (and his cohorts) capture data and manipulate us via algorithms, I am equally as concerned about the power we casually cede. Though some claim otherwise, technology is not neutral. It does not simply help us “do the same things only faster,” it leads us to do very different things. And beyond that, the pace at which it is reshaping our world – and consequently reshaping us – is beyond our ability to process. As I have noted before, the whole Amish option is looking better all the time.

Faith > Politics: Dr. Scott Dudley, a friend, and the pastor of a significant church on the West Coast, recently noted that although he knows many leaving their church because it doesn’t match their politics, he does not know of anyone changing their politics to line up with what their church is teaching. He often tells his congregation that, “If the Bible doesn’t challenge your politics at least occasionally, you’re not really paying attention.”

Speaking of politics: In a letter to a friend – dated January 8, 1776 – John Adams not only explained his preference for a republic over a monarchy, but he also expressed his doubts about whether Americans “possessed sufficient virtue for a republic to survive.” His concluding comments were bracing: “It is the Part of a great Politician to make the Character of his People; to extinguish among them, the Follies and Vices that he sees, and to create in them the Virtues and Abilities which he sees wanting. I wish I was sure that America has one such Politician, but I fear she has not.” I hope you are joining me in praying that such a leader emerges. We need Lincoln 2.0.

Word of the Week: Bari Weis and Jon Lovett get honorable mention for their contributions. She described Twitter as “political heroin” and he referred to this moment as “A Culture of Shut Up.” The other runner up is “endemic,” which refers to “medical maladies that are regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.” While I am heartened by our forward progress against COVID, I now suspect the pandemic is going to be “regularly found,” and thus turn into an endemic. So, what word won? This week’s Word of the Week is… courage. I may be engaging in some wishful thinking, but I think we need to see more courage from the 80 percent of people who live in the middle and hear less from the ten percent on either extreme.

Dads on Duty: This video went viral earlier this week, so many of you will have seen it. But if you haven’t, you will want to.

The 3/9 Burger: This one minute video says much about Americans – both our diet and our math skills.

Ironic: Two weeks ago, I referenced the Dunning-Kruger Effect. It’s the title given to the idea that people who know a little often have more confidence in their insights than those who know a bit more. Well, the term has become trendy and in the process been attacked. This article suggests that those who know a bit about D-K have more confidence in it than those who know more. This means that it’s not true. Oh wait…

Without Comment: 1) A recent poll by the University of Virginia indicates that 75 percent of Biden voters and 78 percent of Trump voters believe that their political opponents “have become a clear and present danger to the American way of life;” 2) Harvard University reported that the “epidemic of loneliness” continues to grow; 3) The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 31 percent of adults experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives; 4) The Census Bureau recently noted that college enrollment in the United States declined slightly from 2020 to 2021; 5) Two in five Americans say they believe in ghosts; 6) A new FTC report notes that cigarette sales rose in the US for the first time in 20 years; and 7) The Christian polling firm Barna Group found that 29 percent of pastors said they had given “real, serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year.” 

Robinson Crusoe. At my recommendation a friend recently reread Robinson Crusoe. He reports being “surprised by the theology.” If it’s been a while since you read it, you should note, Crusoe does not spend any time talking to volleyballs or much time trying to get off the island. Instead, he uses his time alone to cultivate a deep and life-giving relationship with his Lord and Savior.

Death: When people are asked how they want to die, most say, “quickly, painlessly and in my sleep.” There are reasons for this, but it’s worth noting that such a death was exactly what our great ancestors feared. They wanted time to get right with God, forgive their enemies and say their goodbyes.

Closing Prayer: Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself. Amen. (Martin Luther King Jr. – 1929 – 1968)