Happy Friday,
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Saint Paul, Ephesians 2:8
One of the most counterintuitive aspects of the Christian faith is that God does not wait for us to clean up our act before he embraces us. Indeed, we are only reconciled to him when we realize we will never be able to clean up our act on our own. This should not stop us from trying to “be better” – i.e. to be more like Christ. But we do it from a platform of joy and acceptance, not a desperate need to prove and earn. Alas, many Christ-followers slip back into effort. We appear hopelessly religious.
Statements of Faith: Christians are not alone in getting the basics wrong. The belief that there are truths that we cannot prove but that we should trust – indeed that we should bet our life on – is anathema to most secular moderns, who believe their views are grounded in reason alone. And yet, their views start with faith. Carl Sagan’s famous claim that “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be,” is a great example. It sounds like a statement of science, but it is not. Indeed, you cannot prove this statement using science. Sagan’s famous statement – upon which he based his life – was a statement of faith.
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The RR Fantasy Face off: Rings of Power – the JRR Tolkien supplement fueled by a nearly $1B investment from Amazon – won the rating’s battle against George RR Martin’s HBO–hosted Game of Thrones prequel. But all is not well in the Shire. Amazon suspended online reviews after Rings collected too many one star ratings. There are lots of theories about Rings’ poor start. I was underwhelmed by the first two episodes but am suspending judgment a bit longer. I am planning a podcast on Tolkien and Lord of the Rings (LOTR) in which I will say more about Tolkien and the LOTR world. For now, let me suggest you turn off Rings and pick up the books. I plan to watch the series. If it proves worth your time I’ll tell you later. What I know is that the books are definitely worth your time. If you have kids over the age of five, create a memory by reading the books to them out loud. You can thank me later.
Twenty-Five Years Ago this Week: In 1982, Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft wrote Between Heaven and Hell, an imagined dialogue between President John F. Kennedy (a humanist), Aldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World (a mystic), and C.S. Lewis. Kreeft brought these men together because all three died on Nov. 22, 1963. For twenty-five years I’ve been waiting for someone to imagine a similar conversation taking place between two very prominent – and very different – women who both died on Sept. 5, 1997: Lady Diana Spencer (Princess Di) and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. If such a book exists, let me know. I missed it.
It Seems to Me: 1) We should pay more attention to what people do than what they say; 2) I should pay even more attention to what I do and say rather than worry about what others are doing and saying; 3) About 99% of the time, the right time is now; 4) When you lead, most of your job is creating more leaders; and 5) Cries against overpopulation are being replaced by attacks directed against elites with a big carbon footprint. (Readers of this Friday Update will be glad to know that though we have a corporate jet, I seldom take it out.)
RIP: Isaiah 6 came to mind when I heard of HM’s death. That passage opens, “In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.” The passing of Uzziah is mentioned by Isaiah because it was a destabilizing event. Her death is as well. I am praying for the new King and praying that we have more leaders that match her quiet grace and stabilizing influence.
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Perspective: This three minute video from Ratatouille – the wonderful 2007 Pixar animated film – makes a great point. Oh that we could all order a bit of perspective from a menu.
Without Comment: 1) This report claims that the percentage of Latinos who identify as Protestant will grow from 25% today to 50% by 2030; 2) life expectancy in the U.S. fell for the second year in a row, down from 78.8 in 2019 to 76.1; 3) persecution against Christians living in Nigeria – which was already bad – got 21% worse this year; 4) according to Gallup, only 32 percent of the US work force is “actively engaged.”
Social Media Policy: I doubt the Apostle Paul had your company’s social media policy in mind when he wrote 2 Timothy, but the second chapter has some helpful coaching to that end. I’m not suggesting you ask your VP of HR to incorporate it into the Employee Handbook, but you could do worse than to scribble it in the margin of your copy. I’m particularly thinking about the parts that say: “avoid godless chatter” and “don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments.”
Word of the Week: I have received some encouragement to select Civil War as this week’s WOTW. I am not doing so. I do see the term popping up quite a bit. And yes, polls now show a growing number of Americans think we are heading that way. But, I do not want to stoke those flames. We have problems, but I do not think they are Civil-War-level. Besides, while I know a few people full of bluster and bravado, I can’t imagine even they would fight. If you have a word that captures the trajectory of our polarization I am open to hear it. But I am not selecting Civil War. So, what is the WOTW? I thought about quiet quitting but what I am going with is epistemology. Our current knowledge crisis – which I will be talking a bit about in this week’s sermon – has brought this geeky philosophical term to light.
Closing Prayer: Most gracious Father, we most humbly beseech you for your holy church. Fill it with all truth; in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, direct it; where anything is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen and confirm it; where it is in need, furnish it; where it is divided and torn apart, make up its breaches, O holy One of Israel. Amen. (William Laud – 1573 – 1645)