Happy Friday,
“My heart pounds, my strength fades; even the light has gone from my eyes.”
Psalm 38:10
The Psalms capture the unedited cries of the sick, scared, suffering, and lonely. They know nothing of “pain is an illusion” or “just don’t let life get you down.” If you are struggling, pray your way through the Psalms, finding in them the encouragement to lay your cares before a loving Father. We are not told to stoically muscle ahead with a “mind over matter” attitude. We are invited to ask for help and rest. Lean in today.
My Bad: Last week I solicited names for a hypocrisy award. About thirty of you responded. Most suggestions had a biblical theme, some were clever, and a few had a dash of humor to them. But… more than a few were mean. You also sent in the names of the people you’d like to be the first recipient of the prize. With the possible exception of Satan – who does have a singular claim to such an award – most of those nominated were politicians. And, though I can’t be certain, I am pretty sure those nominated all occupied the other side of the political aisle from those nominating them. While I am sure all those forwarded deserve such recognition (who doesn’t?), my overwhelming sense was, this is a bad idea. I should not be encouraging people to see the faults in others. We all need to see the log in our own eye not the speck in others. My apologies.
From the Archives. I’ve run this before, but it deserves a second round. It’s from George Herbert’s poem, Dialogue-Anthem.
CHRISTIAN: Alas, poor Death! Where is thy glory? Where is thy famous force, thy ancient sting?
DEATH: Alas, poor mortal, void of story! Go spell and read how I have killed thy King.
CHRISTIAN: Poor Death! And who was hurt thereby? Thy curse being laid on Him makes thee accurst.
DEATH: Let losers talk, yet thou shalt die; These arms shall crush thee.
CHRISTIAN: Spare not, do thy worst! I shall be one day better than before; Thou so much worse, that thou shalt be no more.
As we approach Lent, please remember, Jesus defeated death and one day He will destroy it. In Christ all is well.
Quote Worth Requoting: Former Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson – whose by-weekly letter was an early inspiration for The Friday Update – is known for several things, among them this quote, which cleverly suggests that the American Church has been too influenced by American business: “In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.”
A Lament for the Olympics: I’ve only watched a few minutes of the Olympics, in part because I do not want to undermine those protesting China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, but also because they’ve lost their appeal. Sadly, the natural drama of sports – to say nothing of the Olympic ideals themselves – seem an afterthought to politics, marketing-ploys, and controversies. And then there are the sports themselves. I can accept that the Olympic Committee needs to navigate change, and that this includes adding and dropping events (between 1912 and 1948 they awarded medals for architecture, literature, painting, music, and sculpture). But when wrestling is out, ice dancing is in, and when Russia is banned but Putin sits in the stands supporting ROC athletes – who apparently continue to dope – I am out. I feel sorry for the NBC exec who signed the 7.75B contract extension with the Olympic Committee. From where I sit, he would have been smarter to invest in curling rinks. That sport may be the only unqualified winner to emerge from Beijing 2022.
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Ambient Anger: Speaking of curling, the truckers’ protest in Canada is all we need to know about to understand that the Ambient Anger Index remains high. Indeed, it seems to be climbing. As a WSJ editorial recently noted, when normally unflappable Canadians take to the streets – and their PM invokes emergency measures – you know society is fraying.
Prayer Request: In light of said strains and cracks, please pray for those charged with leading us forward. You may disagree with the job they are doing, but: 1) This is a difficult moment to lead; and 2) We are commanded to pray for leaders. BTW, while I’m here, let me encourage you to also pray for (and otherwise encourage) medical professionals. A doc I spoke with this week said he’s never known hospital morale to be this low or to know of so many people to be resigning their post.
Question: What is COVID Masking? Forget COVID face masks, what is COVID masking? What societal changes are going unnoticed, underreported – and consequently unaddressed – because they are being overshadowed by the pandemic?
Want to Visit Israel? One of the casualties of COVID was a pilgrimage I was set to lead to the Holy Land. Forty-five people were signed up and ready to go when the world shut down. That trip – which was rescheduled and postponed two more times – has finally been green lighted. We are leaving on May 14th and return on May 24th. There are ten open spots, but you have to sign up by Tuesday. For more information, click here.
Lenten Devotions: Lent begins on March 2. If you would like to receive a five-minute, daily video devotion we will be sending out each morning, sign up here. BTW, now would be a good time to think about anything you want to give up, or an additional act of service you’d like to take on.
Merchants of Despair: In my lifetime, I’ve been told to worry about: overpopulation, nuclear war, acid rain, holes in the ozone, an impending food shortage, an impending water shortage, an upcoming ice age, nuclear waste, soil erosion, the death of bumble bees, the collapse of Social Security and a dozen other things. Given that I’m writing this – and you are reading it – it’s clear the sky has not yet fallen. To that end, I’d like to highlight three things: 1) We have fixed (or at least improved) many of the problems we faced in the past; 2) Fixes rarely make the news. (Did you hear the all-clear siren sounded about Acid Rain or know that the hole in the ozone is now quite small?) and 3) The angst generated by the reports of the problems often lives on long after the threat. Don’t get me wrong, there are real problems out there. But part of successfully navigating life involves accurately assessing risks.
Speaking of Good News: A few weeks ago, I mentioned how encouraged I was by the quality of people applying to lead ScholarLeaders International (a board I serve on). I was buoyed again this week by the quality of the 14 new PhD candidates we selected to help. (This brings the number of those currently supported to 53, with over 400 alumni serving around the world.) Among those in this year’s cohort are: 1) A young Brazilian woman working to stop child trafficking in Taiwan; 2) A Filipino professor training to mobilize churches to provide trauma counseling; 3) A rising Christian scholar pioneering ways Christians and Muslims might cooperate in microfinance; and 4) A young Colombian (whose father was murdered at the height of the drug wars) whose OT studies will explore how the Colombian Church might best care for the millions displaced by violence. Be encouraged, the Church in the Emerging World is preparing an army of women and men to thoughtfully, faithfully and courageously proclaim the Good News and engage in Good Works.
Without Comment: 1) As a percentage of GDP, the U.S. defense budget is near a 60-year low; 2) On average, a company’s data has been breached for six months before they realize it; 3) There are six state capitals west of Los Angeles; 4) Finland tracks cocaine use, Covid rates and opioid addiction by analyzing their sewer water; 5) The struggles of U.S. men continue to escalate: more males between the ages 18 and 34 are living with their parents than are living with a romantic partner; boys are twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD and five times more likely than girls to spend time in juvenile detention. Men account for more than three quarters of all suicides in the U.S. and 90 percent of prison inmates. There are seven million working age men who do not have a job, and fifty percent who apply to the Army do not pass basic training. Compared to girls, fewer boys graduate from high school and fewer men than women enroll in college, graduate from college or go to graduate school.
Beauty: Because there are things we can learn about the Creator by looking at the creation, some of today’s most influential theologians are artists. And given the response to last week’s astronomy photographs, I am including another set of award winning photographs. This week they are the winners of the 2021 Landscape Photographer of the Year Contest.
Best Commercial. Count me among The Lord of the Rings fans nervous about Amazon Prime’s upcoming release of Rings of Power, a prequel set before the rings were forged. This trailer – which aired for the first time during the Super Bowl – looks promising. But I doubt Bezos and those he are funding are even aware of the Christian back story of the series.
Closing Prayer: O Lord God, Never leave me nor forsake me, but have mercy upon me for your great name’s sake. And not for myself alone do I ask these blessings, but for all the poor and needy, all widows and fatherless children, and for the stranger in distress; and may they call upon you in such manner as to be convinced that you are a prayer-hearer and prayer-answering God; and yours shall be the praise, forever. Amen. (Maria W. Stewart – 1803 – 1879)