Happy Friday,
I will be with you.
The Lord, Exodus 3:12
When Moses claimed he was incapable of leading the Jews out of Egypt, God replied, “I will be with you.” He said the same thing to Joshua after Moses passed away, and the responsibility of getting the Jews across the Jordan and into the Promised Land fell on him. What’s easy to overlook is that he says the same thing to you and me! Just prior to ascending into heaven, Jesus shares a leadership challenge with us: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” And he then ends it with the same promise he gave to Moses and Joshua, “And I will be with you always…”
Faithfulness is Always Possible: We would do well to remember that Christians have faithfully followed Jesus in every cultural and political setting — e.g., under good times and bad, under kings, queens, presidents, dictators, tyrants, and more. There are moments when it is easier to follow Jesus than others, but it is possible to faithfully follow in any setting.
IS2M: 1) People who are insulated from the consequences of their mistakes often keep making the same mistakes; 2) Dr. Jean Twenge — the author of Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future — is right in claiming that technology is currently changing the world more than ideas are. And I fear she is right in claiming that, “When you are born has a larger effect on your personality and attitudes than the family who raised you does.” 3) Large foundations are becoming so large (and significant) that they are assuming a place alongside the big seven — the family, the church, the state, the markets, the media, the military, and higher education — as the institutions shaping modern life; 4) The number of people who “talk left but live right” keeps growing; and 5) Though little reported, articles like this from the WSJ suggest that some in the medical community are rethinking their advocacy of puberty blockers.
WOTW: Honorable mention goes to cognitive infrastructure (which is being bandied about amidst claims that the government wants to police our thoughts), corporate goth (which is apparently a thing somewhere), patronage journalism (which is advocacy, not journalism), and blue zones (areas of the world where people live the longest). Honors go to lawfare, which is a necessary adjective to describe modern life. (Note: in last week’s Word of the Week (WOTW) section, spell check changed wonderlust to wanderlust when I was not paying attention. My apologies.)
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Where else shall we go, except to the Bride of Christ, the church. Though she is a harlot at times, she is our mother.” Dorothy Day; 2) “Here is a truth that is incredibly hard to put into practice: the more the world is in apparent crisis, the less benefit you get from the news. In fact, the more you live in a time of apparent crisis, the more you need deep reading — mostly books. Conversely, the more you live in a time of apparent calm, the more you need to be carefully paying attention to ‘the news.'” Andy Crouch
Generalities are the Refuge of…: Years ago, I interviewed John Stott. But as it turned out, he asked me four questions for every one that I asked him. Me: “Dr. Stott, what is the most significant change you’ve seen in college students over the forty years you’ve been speaking on college campuses?” Dr. Stott: “US campuses or Europe? State schools or private? Christian students or non-Christian students? Left-handed or right-handed?” OK, he didn’t ask the last question, but you get the idea. By the time he finished qualifying his answer, I was no longer interested in what he had to say. We both left that interview frustrated. A couple of weeks later, I added embarrassment to my frustration. Why? I heard him mention to someone that, “generalities are the refuge of a weak mind.” Ouch.
Yes and Yes: Given that it’s easier to see the speck in someone else’s eye than the log in our own, I want to applaud Nicholas Kristof of the NYT for highlighting a blind spot among the left (his tribe). In this article, he notes the inherent advantage that two-parent families provide children, which is something that has been ignored — and even denied — by liberals. FWIW, Kristof is not alone. Many — see here and here — are making note of Melissa Kearney’s book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind (Univ. of Chicago Press). I will likely share more after I get a chance to read it.
Without Comment: 1) A Univ. of Penn study suggests that among men and women with congestive heart failure, the state of the patient’s marriage is as good a predictor of their survival as the degree of impairment; 2) Francesco Dino at Harvard and Dan Ariely at Duke (articles here and here) — who both write and teach about ethics and honesty — have been charged with falsifying their data; 3) The US Surgeon General warns that loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and more dangerous than obesity; 4) The earlier a child receives a smartphone, the worse their mental health as an adult; 5) For the first time since the advent of television, TVs now account for less than half of American viewing time.
Resources: Click: 1) here for last week’s sermon on Exodus 3; 2) here to hear Robby Angle interview me on his Trueface podcast; 3) here to register for the Lakelight Live events in Nashville, TN (Oct. 3), Bellingham, WA (Oct. 18), Lake Forest, IL (Oct. 29), or Naples, FL (Nov. 2). (BTW, you can get information on the event and topic here.)
Closing Prayer: Almighty and merciful God, you are the strength of the weak, the refreshment of the weary, the comfort of the sad, the help of the tempted, the life of the dying, the God of patience and of all consolation; you know full well the inner weakness of our nature, how we tremble and quiver before pain, and cannot bear the cross without your divine help and support. Help me, then, O eternal and pitying God, help me to possess the soul of patience, to maintain unshaken hope in you, to keep the childlike trust which feels a Father’s heart hidden beneath the cross; so shall I be strengthened with power according to your glorious might, in all patience and long-suffering; I shall be enabled to endure pain and temptation, and, in the very depth of my suffering, to praise you with a joyful heart. Amen (Johann Habermann, 1516 –1590)