Happy Friday,
To live is Christ and to die is gain.
The Apostle Paul, Philippians 1
If offered a choice between Heaven or Hell, people favor the former. Offered a choice between Heaven and Earth, most choose the latter. Not Paul. He longed to leave this land of the dying and go to the land of the fully alive. Set your mind on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father.
For Every 100 Women…: Every year, economist Mark Perry publishes an enlightening comparison of men and women. His column begins, “For every 100 women,” and then lists the corresponding number of men. For instance, “For every 100 women who earn a Master’s degree, 61 men do,” or, “For every 100 women who abuse illicit alcohol or illicit drugs, 180 men do.” The full list is here. In case you are wondering, the women win. Big time. In almost every possible way. Alas, in a way that means no one wins. It’s hard for society – to say nothing of a family – to do well when men are faring so poorly.
Servant-LEADER or SERVANT-leader: A friend recently noted that we talk as if Jesus suggested we learn to lead with kindness – i.e., a soft edge. No. What Jesus taught – and modeled – was that we influence others by serving. My friend went on to suggest that we stop reading servant-leadership books and start studying serving. Count me as one of those who have been quite impressed with their own efforts on “servant LEADERSHIP.” Lord have mercy.
Faith > Fear: It’s worth rehearsing the litany of things we’ve been told to be scared of. In my life that includes things such as: the Soviets, acid rain, Y2K, radical Islam, killer bees, HIV/AIDS, secular humanism and fluoride in the drinking water. (And this list doesn’t even include things such as supermarket scanners and backmasking.) Meanwhile, the consistent refrain of the New Testament is, “Fear not.” We are called to faith.
Aging: In case you missed it, last Friday I was 60. This Friday I am 61. I do not share this to draw attention to my birthday, but to proclaim that aging is OK. Look, just because our culture obsesses over youth doesn’t mean you have to. Are there some advantages to being young? Certainly. As I mentioned a few weeks back, I’d like my 25-year-old knees back. But there are advantages to growing old as well. And sixty-year-olds trying to pass themselves off as forty-year-olds is not such a good look. I’m fine being 60 (uh, 61). And I’m planning on moving forward (towards Heaven!) and not backward (towards Middle School).
Word of the Week (WOTW): When I started the WOTW, I did not expect to have an entry every single Friday. But once I started looking, I realized I needed to create an honorable mention category so I could highlight more than one term. This week is no different. Honorable mention goes to “luxury beliefs” – a term coined by Rob Henderson and explained in this article. It describes what he identifies as destructive attitudes – e.g., “monogamy is outdated” or “defunding the police is a good idea” – that are verbally endorsed by One Percenters who are able to avoid their ill effects. The actual WOTW goes to “metaverse,” in honor of Zuckerberg’s decision to rebrand Facebook as Meta. What is the metaverse? According to this piece, it is, “the massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds which can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an unlimited number of users.” The article notes we’re likely a dozen years away from Meta in its prime. (Did I mention I’m OK being old?)
Free Speech? I grew up thinking it was Patrick Henry who said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” It turns out he might not have said it. Some claim it was Voltaire. Others point to an English author named Evelyn Beatrice Hall. I’ll let others solve this mystery, especially since it may not matter. It turns out todays’ collegians favor cancelling and shouting down anyone who tries to say something they do not like.
Question of the Week: Can you name a political position you once held that your Christian faith has led you to change?
Thanks: Thanks to all of the veterans (and active military) for your service. I hope you had a happy and safe Veterans Day.
Modesty: In apologetics classes, I was taught that modest claims were easier to defend. In a series of recent Tweets, Tim Keller offers a second reason to understate your position: you are less likely to illicit angry counter claims. By way of example, he notes that those advocating for anti-racism often suggest that virtually all social inequalities are due to structural, social injustice. “If you are poor or a criminal it is not your fault.” Meanwhile, those arguing in favor of anti-anti-racism often claim that no social inequalities are due to structural, social injustice. “If you are poor or a criminal, it is always your fault.” Keller notes that Christianity teaches both individual and corporate responsibility. The Bible does not promote a simplistic view. “It fully critiques both yet fulfills the best aspirations of each. It calls for biblical justice but acknowledges the deep complexity of the causes and the solutions without being reductionistic.”
Overheard: Teenagers today live with a perpetual Yearbook Day in their pockets. There is a constant barrage of pictures showing if you are included or excluded. There is a constant unveiling of the best-looking, the most-likely to succeed, etc. And the comments are not isolated to the back cover of a yearbook. They are for the world to see.
Schadenfreude: I felt – and enjoyed – reading this much discussed NYT piece. It’s about the way Gen Zers roll their eyes at their aging Millennial bosses.
Closing Prayer: O blessed Jesus, give me stillness of soul in you. Let your mighty calmness reign in me; Rule me, O King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, great power of self-control, Control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, lack of meekness, lack of gentleness, dear Lord, deliver me. By your own deep patience, give me patience. Make me in this and all things more and more like you. Amen. (St. John of the Cross – 1542 – 1591).