Happy Friday,
My imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith, speaking out fearlessly about the Messiah.
– Paul, writing from prison
Philippians 1:12f
Courage and cowardice are both habit-forming. They are also contagious. The church needs more people with Paul’s courage right now, and may need even more tomorrow. Of course, the goal is not courage. Unfocused bravado does more harm than good. What we need are people willing to risk and suffer for the Gospel and the well-being of others.
Two Classics: Among the helpful things C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer shared about prayer, I especially appreciate Lewis’s comments about “the prayer that precedes all prayer.” It is, “May the real me meet the real you.” From Bonhoeffer it’s the observation that, “The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our hearts.” If you want help with the second, learn to pray the Psalms. Either Tim Keller’s The Songs of Jesus or Trevin Wax’s 30 Days in the Psalms can help. They are quite different. Of the two, Keller’s is more accessible and Wax’s is more comprehensive.
Police Deaths: Four police officers died in two different line-of-fire events this week. In light of their sacrifice – and in honor of a childhood friend who fulfilled his dream of becoming a Dallas police officer, only to be shot and killed two years into the job (and only several months after being married) – I decided to learn more about one of those recently killed. New York City police officer Jason Rivera is eulogized by his wife here and by NYT’s columnist Maureen Dowd here.
Our Identity: In this corner, hailing from the heartland, reading National Review, shopping at Walmart, embracing the electoral college, advocating nuclear energy, dismissing Fauci, questioning climate change (or it’s proposed solutions), wearing red while backing the Blue (and the Military), driving a Ford F-150, asking about Hunter’s laptop, and now, listening to Joe Rogan on Spotify we have…. And in this corner, hailing from the coast, reading the “Paper of Record,” listening to NPR, shopping at Whole Foods, attending TED talks, asking about Trump’s tax returns, wearing blue while hugging trees (and windmills), driving a hybrid, backing Unions (and the UN), announcing pronouns and boycotting Spotify while listening to Neil Young on Appleplay, we have…. I could make my list angrier and longer, but as one of the few people who lands these issues flawlessly, I’m too busy correcting others. So, you’ll hear nothing from me about how fragile democracies are or how silly many people are acting. I will limit myself to this: When we locate our identity in the wrong place, we attach religious zeal to the wrong things.
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BTW: As my snarky comments above suggest, the Ambient Anger Index remains high. Be careful out there.
Word of the Week: Honorable mention goes to weird – which was used by several to describe an economy that chugs ahead in spite of the Great Resignation, supply chain issues, inflation and debt. I’m also giving a shout out to democracy, which popped up in a bevy of articles questioning its value. While I am with Churchill, who famously called democracy “the worst form of government possible, except for all the other forms of government,” I’m unsettled by those who question its value. For what it’s worth, I am not, however, worried about “an impending civil war.” I expect the years ahead to bring a lot more yelling, some civil unrest and a few attempts at succession, but Civil War? I can’t see it. For starters, we are too soft to actually fight. In terms of the actual WotW, I selected Anti-Semitism. For the record, I did so before hearing about the Whoopi Goldberg drama. I selected it because the term started populating my news feed (e.g., here, here and here) because of the Jan. 27th Holocaust Remembrance Day, and because of the synagogue siege in Colleyville, TX. Some see Jewish hatred where I do not, but Anti-Semitism is real and growing.
Without Comment: 1) US debt climbed from 20T in 2018 to 30T today. That is $90K / person; 2) A recent Monmouth Poll suggests that seven out of ten Americans think it’s time to accept that Covid is here to stay and want to get on with their lives; 3) During the 22 seasons he played in the NFL, Tom Brady was more likely to play in the Super Bowl than Steph Curry was to make a three-point shot; and 4) According to this Atlantic article, the average person’s picture is taken 75 times per day.
His Grace Not Our Effort: Instead of accepting God’s love, many Christ-followers spend their energy trying to love God better. This is backwards. The Gospel is about God’s love for us, not our love for him.
2.2.22: I am writing this on 2.2.22. In addition to being memorable, the date reminds me that 2.14.22 will be here soon. At the risk of sounding like a shill for Keller, I want to recommend a second book of his – The Meaning of Marriage. It’s different than most marriage books and well worth reading. I have handed out many copies.
Closing Prayer: May God the Father, and the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, build us up in faith and truth and love, and grant us our portion among the saints with all those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all believers, for kings and rulers, for the enemies of the cross of Christ, and for ourselves we pray that our fruit may abound and we be made perfect in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Polycarp – 69-155)