Happy Friday,
Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you.
The Apostle Paul
This passage washes over me in waves. Having just returned from Israel, I start with awe of the Temple. This was a structure that physically, culturally, emotionally and spiritually dominated Jerusalem in ways no building or institution dominates the United States. I then move into awe of Jesus, who made the stunning claim that he was the real Temple. (Remember, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it.”) I then marvel at Paul’s suggestion that the Spirit of God has come to live in me. But the real punch comes with this: I have only recently realized that the “you” found here (“you” are God’s temple) is plural not singular. I have long understood this statement with my American ears – i.e., God’s Spirit lives in me. In fact, Paul was writing about the church.
The Correct Answer is B: The mother of a college freshman at a state university forwarded me a screen shot of this question on his midterm exam. Which of the following is NOT true about gender? A) Gender is learned; B) Gender is a biological trait; C) Gender is ambiguous; D) Gender is self-identifying; or E) Gender influences our communication with others. The only answer that would receive credit was B.
Maverick: Count me among those contributing to the $175M opening take for Top Gun: Maverick. As you may know, the film – which rolls out 35 years after the initial one – features Tom Cruise as our nation’s top “stick jockey.” Given that Tom and I are essentially the same age – and given that I’m increasingly worried about keeping my driver’s license – I found the premise of a sixty-year-old fighter pilot a bit forced. That said, it won me over. Though predictable, the movie’s action-scenes, hint of patriotism and celebration of hard work made for a fun film. It also gave me hope. If the NFL doesn’t call me up in the next few years, I still have time to land a seat in an F-18. And if, after twenty years of trying that, I really do age out, I’ll still have time to run for U.S. President. BTW, “a friend” wants you to know that envy is the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins, because unlike the other six, it provides no upside. Also, just to be clear, after hearing that every TC frame was digitally “enhanced,” my “friend” is not envious of his looks. It’s his ability to sprint that I (uh, he) is after.
It Seems to Me That: 1) There is a lot of misdirected hype over Monkeypox; 2) Putin is starting to grind out a win; 3) I should be tracking levels of Ambient Weariness, not Ambient Anger; 4) The Supreme Court really needs to find the leaker; 5) Not much is being made of Disney’s 30% decline after their dust up with DeSantis; 6) Whenever someone says, “It’s past time for us to have an honest conversation” about XYZ, what they really mean is, it’s time for everyone to embrace their position on XYZ.
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Be a One: As the Book of Proverbs makes clear, there are three kinds of people in the world: 1) The Wise, who learn to conform to the Truth; 2) The Foolish, who do not; and 3) The Evil, who want to harm others. I do not think there are many “threes.” Unfortunately, I do not think there are many “ones” either.
Recent Learnings: In an effort to be a “one,” let me suggest you reflect on the last two years. What have you learned from: COVID, racial tension, the controversies surrounding masks, vaccines, the WHO, election results, work from home, global developments in Ukraine, North Korea and China, etc., etc. I’m collecting responses. So far I’ve heard: 1) I need less stuff than I think; 2) I need more community than I thought; 3) I control practically nothing; 4) I married him for better or worse, but not for lunch; 5) Time to reflect can be positively or negatively catastrophic; 6) Our trust in each other is very fragile; and 7) I need to be less offendable.
Failure to Act: Let me suggest another opportunity for reflection. Given that the unthinkable horror of Uvalde has been made worse by the police’s delay, ask yourself this: In what arenas am I failing others by not acting in a timely manner?
The Most Memorable Thing About Israel: I appreciated many predictable aspects of our recent pilgrimage to Israel – the city of Jerusalem, the insights from Nazareth Village, the Garden Tomb, the Via Dolorosa, the Wailing Wall, the baptisms in the Jordan River, the Holocaust Museum, conversations with fellow travelers, floating in the Dead Sea, etc., etc. The part of the trip that surprised me was the accomplishments of Herod the Great (HTG). Given what a bad guy HTG was – not only did he have his own wife and two of his sons killed, he is the one who ordered the Slaughter of the Innocents – admiring his building chops is a bit like admiring Hitler’s ability to mobilize a nation. That said, Herod’s building skills are stunning, and a tour of Israel brings that home. Not only is his talent on display with the Temple – where a reported 10,000 workers labored for over forty years – but also at Masada, Herodium and Caesarea.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) The Gospel is bad news before it is good news. It is the news that man is a sinner, to use the old word, that he is evil in the imagination of his heart, that when he looks in the mirror all in a lather what he sees is at least eight parts chicken, phony, slob. That is the tragedy. But it is also the news that he is loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, bleeding to be sure, but also bled for. Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth; 2) We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind. Charles Spurgeon.
Conspiracy Theories: Remember, small and simple conspiracies might be true, but big and complicated ones never are. The people accused of engineering them are not smart enough to pull them off, and not many people can keep a secret.
Our Fractured Republic: One of our national challenges is a lack of a common culture. In the late 50s, I Love Lucy had a 68% weekly share and a 91% monthly share. Other than a few one-offs (such as the Super Bowl) – the most watched TV show in the last twenty years was a three-week run of Sunday Night Football in 2014, and it was only watched by 12 percent of the public.
Closing Prayer: Look on us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls disappear before the beams of your brightness. Fill us with your holy love, and open to us the treasures of your wisdom. You know all our desires, so bring to perfection what you have started, and what your Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek your face, turn your face to us and show us your glory. Then our longing will be satisfied and our peace will be perfect. Amen (Augustine – 354-430).