Happy Friday,
If it is possible, let this cup pass from me…. but not my will, but yours be done.
Jesus, Matthew 26
After using the Last Supper to turn the Passover Celebration into the sacrament of Holy Communion, Jesus retreated to an olive grove called Gethsemane. The term Gethsemane can be translated “olive grove,” but this time its alternate meaning – “the place of crushing” – came into play. And unthinkably, it was Jesus, not olives, that were crushed. We should ponderChrist’s request to bypass the cross, not only because it’s our sin that sent him there, but also because his anguish shows a human Jesus facing limited options… and choosing to obey.
Colonists > Tourists: In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states that our citizenship is in heaven. We should understand this as a prompt to “set our heart on things above,” but we must not claim it as justification for disengaging from our broken world. We are colonists of God’s kingdom, not tourists on earth.
Not an American Story: There is a great line in The Devil’s Own – a 1997 movie starring Brad Pitt as anIRA smuggler trying to secure a stinger missile. When his efforts are thwarted by Harrison Ford, a police officer Pitt has come to see as family, he utters the memorable line, “This isn’t an American story.” Where am I going with this? This weekend (Palm Sunday) we celebrate Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Next weekend (Easter) we celebrate an empty tomb. Those who bypass all of the suffering and conflict in between – including the crucifixion – turn Holy Week into an American story. Don’t be one of them.
Exegesis > Eisegesis: This WSJ piece reflects on ways jurists interpret our Constitution. I find it interesting in its own right, but more useful in illustrating different approaches to Bible Study. Let me be clear, when it comes to the Bible, be a textualist. Do not read your views into a passage (eisegesis). Spend your time figuring out what the original author intended the original reader to understand.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) If you want to know which direction your life is going, look at the things you do every day. Duncan Edward Pile; 2) For wise men of old, the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to reality, and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline, and virtue. C. S. Lewis
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Mea Culpa: In last week’s Update, I argued that there was nothing tactical about a nuclear bomb, i.e., they are strategic simply by being nuclear. The problem is, I switched the terms “tactical” and “strategic,” which means, little of what I wrote made any sense. Be assured that the proofreaders have been put on half rations and sent to the blackboard to write, “I will not confuse tactical and strategic ever again.” 100X.
Without Comment: 1) Gallup reports that only 17 percent of Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country, but 85 percent are satisfied with their own lives; 2) Americans believe that ten percent of the US population makes $1M per year or more, while the actual number is 0.1%. Meanwhile, Americans estimate that 35% make less than $25,000 per year, while the actual number is 18%; 3) In 2000, 814 million Christians lived in Europe and North America, compared to 660 million in Africa and Asia. Currently, the Global North holds 838 million Christians, while Africa and Asia have climbed to nearly 1.1 billion. (It is estimated that by 2050, Africa will be home to nearly 1.3 billion Christians.)
Slow Down and Unplug: It’s doubtful you need another prompt to unplug and reflect, but here is one anyway. This week I ran across a 2003 HBR article claiming that “All good ideas come in the shower.” Among the ways the author argued for his thesis, was to point to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (the mastermind behind the television show West Wing and films like Moneyball and The Social Network). He was so convinced that his best ideas came during the shower and not during times of fevered concentration that he not only had a shower installed in his corner office, he took six showers a day.
No 100+ Tomorrow: A quick note to the Two Percenters that I will not be releasing an episode of 100+ tomorrow. I expect to do so next week.
Reality Check: After racing ahead lately, my sense is that the Moral Revolutionaries are slowing down. Among the reasons I think so are reports from college campuses that illiberal speech codes are facing pushback – not just from conservatives, but increasingly from progressives. This is not surprising. No one likes living in fear that a language sheriff is going to try to cancel you. On a related note, I have been reflecting on the way reality eventually reasserts itself, and also on Lincoln’s genius. When asked, “If you call a dog’s tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?” He replied, “Four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it one.”
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy: In keeping with my desire to bring you a moment of inspiration or levity, here are the final six minutes of Rudy, the 1993 movie about Notre Dame football player, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.
Closing Prayer: O God of all power, you called from death the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus: comfort and defend the flock which he has redeemed through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Increase the number of true preachers; enlighten the hearts of the ignorant; relieve the pain of the afflicted, especially of those who suffer for the testimony of the truth; by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (John Knox – 1513 – 1572)