Happy Friday,
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
Ps 119:45
Philosophers, theologians and politicians have been writing about freedom for three thousand years. If you’ve read their reflections, you know the topic is quite layered. Consider just this point, it’s popular to believe that we should be free to live as we choose, so long as we do not harm others. Alas, it’s just not that simple. Set aside the fact that we disagree on what constitutes harm, the bigger issue is, in many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as it is finding the right ones. Consider a train. Though the tracks may seem restrictive, once a train is “liberated” from them it is unable to move at all. Or consider a musician. He or she is only free to play beautiful music after they submitted to thousands of hours of practice. These are inconvenient truths, but they are truths all the same. As Tim Keller has noted, “Boundaries that fit with the reality of our nature produce greater power and scope for our abilities, leading us to deeper joy and fulfillment.” As David declared 3,000 years ago, I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
Are We Smart Enough? Two things hit me after I read a CDC report stating that, “Individuals two weeks past their third vaccine are 90% less likely to be hospitalized than unvaccinated individuals; however, those more than 180 days past their second dose and not boosted are only 57% percent less likely to be hospitalized.” The first realization was, this sounds like science. But it does not sound like something those of us formed (or perhaps I should say malformed) by sound bites know how to process. The second was, it doesn’t matter because we now live in such a low-trust culture that many do not trust what they hear on the news. Please understand, I am not commenting on COVID responses here. Indeed, I could substitute three or four other issues in its place. I’m simply observing that we are not well positioned to navigate the complicated and complex realities of 21st century life.
Two Questions: Since I’ve whined about our predicament, let me suggest you ask yourself – and a friend – two questions: 1) What would it take for me to change my mind about something? 2) What sources do I trust and why?
Next Wednesday is Candlemas: The “12 days of Christmas” run from December 25 to January 6 (Epiphany). Candlemas occurs on February 2 – i.e., next Wednesday. “What,” you ask, “is Candlemas?” It is the day Mary and Joseph fulfilled the Jewish requirement to “present any first-born son in the Temple” in Jerusalem. You’re forgiven if you do not know much about Candlemas. In America, Mary and Joseph’s delivery of Jesus is generally pre-empted by updates on the status of Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow and Bill Murray’s role in Ground Hog Day.
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Two Things to Remember About the Fruit of the Spirit: Lately I’ve been reflecting on Paul’s Galatians 5 description of the Spirit-filled life. I commend it for frequent review – if only to keep us humble. In recent days, two things stand out: 1) Where the Fruits of the Spirit are present, groups (e.g., churches) can weather a lot of conflict. Where they are missing, you are likely to watch a Jerry Springer episode by another name; and 2) Truth is not included in the list. By the way, remember that the way to grow in the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Paul mentions is not by deciding to try harder at being loving, joyful, etc. The way to let the Spirit’s fruit ripen in your life is by yielding more fully to Christ.
Doubling Down on the Church: I understand those who vote thumbs up on Jesus but thumbs down on the church. I’ll even concede that such sentiments have merit. However: 1) The church is Jesus’s idea; 2) It is not an incidental part of his plan; 3) He calls the church “his bride,” implying they go together. You cannot reject her without rejecting him; 4) The reason it’s such a mess is because it allows selfish, misguided louts like you (and me) to join; 5) Though it’s made a mess of many things, no other institution has done as much good for as many people as the church; 6) As the bumper sticker notes, it’s outlasted oppressive governments for over 2,000 years; 7) It will prevail – indeed, it will kick open the gates of hell; and 8) If you think organized religion is bad, try the disorganized kind. By the way, besides being unbiblical, churchless Christianity doesn’t last. Young lovers may think their romance will preserve their marriage. Those celebrating golden anniversaries know it’s the other way around. Do yourself a favor and join, attend, serve, support and love a local church.
Without Comment: 1) The US Surgeon General released a 53 page report claiming that “youth anxiety and depression” doubled during the last two years; 2) More than 1,800 US colleges have dropped the SAT requirements (or made them optional) for Fall 2022 admissions; 3) According to this Christianity Today report and this WSJ article, church attendance has a greater long-term impact on a student’s overall well-being than does just about anything else; 4) 56% of Americans can’t name an objective news source.
Sociology: I’ve shared this before, but I think we all should be reminded about the law of group polarization. Put simply, this is the observation that when people of like mind gather, they tend to become more extreme in their views. If fact, in certain “cascading situations” every individual leaves the meeting more extreme than the most extreme person at the beginning of the meeting.
Bears and Packers: The Packers have made it hard on Bears’ fans for a long time. Indeed, between the back-to-back dynasties of Brett and Aaron, the Monsters of Midway have not looked very monstrous in a couple decades. This year, Aaron Rodgers – who just became a 4X league MVP – decided to highlight all of this by screaming “I own the Bears.” Yes. OK. Sure. I guess we deserve that. However, after Green Bay’s recent loss, those of us in Chicago want to note that Rex Grossman and Aaron Rodgers have started in an equal number of Super Bowls.
Quotes Worth Requoting: It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Word of the Week: Much to my surprise, the term secular – and its derivations secularization, secularism,etc. – were everywhere this week. I’m not sure what’s behind this spike, so I’ll push my commentary to a future week. Meanwhile, let me direct you to this article, which lists the specific year a word was coined. Some entries are not that surprising – e.g., parking meter first appeared in 1935, and fast food made its debut in 1951. But some are surprising, and I found the whole thing a bit of fun. Certainly more fun than reading about American politics or Russia’s play on Ukraine.
Closing Prayer: O God the Holy Spirit, most loving Comforter of the fainthearted, I pray that you will always turn what is evil in me into good and what is good into what is better; turn my mourning into joy, my wandering feet into the right path, my ignorance into knowledge of your truth, my lukewarmness into zeal, my fear into love, all my material good into a spiritual gift, all my earthly desires into heavenly desires, all that is transient into what lasts forever, everything human into what is divine, everything created and finite into that sovereign and immeasurable good, which you yourself are, O my God and Savior. Amen. (Thomas à Kempis – 1380 – 1471)