Happy Friday,
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
King David, Psalm 20
As the global and national stages become further unsettled, it’s of first importance to remember that our hope rests with God, not guns (i.e., chariots and horses). It’s also critical to remember that our future is secure. We may face “light and momentary struggles,” but this life is short, and eternity is not. Christ-followers have no reason to be daunted or obsessed by the magnitude of global issues. This ends well for those in Christ.
IS2M: 1) Toxic masculinity is a problem, but so is masculine passivity; 2) Those who can name more media celebrities than they can name neighbors are doing life wrong; and 3) One of the ills of our age is the eclipse of institutions by individuals.
Quote Worth Requoting: 1) “Stop getting your life together and start giving it away.” Craig Smith; 2) “The internet makes everything more visible but less legible.” Ross Douthat; 3) “The story of Christian reformation, revival, and renaissance underscores that the darkest hour is often just before the dawn, so we should always be people of hope and prayer, not gloom and defeatism. God can turn the situation around in five minutes.” Os Guinness; 4) “Everything is habit-forming, so make sure you do what you want to be doing.” Wilt Chamberlin
One More: In response to Karl Marx’s charge that religion is the “opiate of the masses,” Tim Keller wrote, “That may be true of religions that teach people that this material world is unimportant or illusory. Christianity, however, teaches that God hates the suffering and oppression of this material world so much, he was willing to get involved in it and to fight against it. Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts.”
I Was Duped: Last week, I said this was a trailer for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia film. It turns out it was a fake trailer cobbled together by a fan (or perhaps Putin). Be assured that this was the first and last time I’ll be misled. I’m vowing to more closely follow Abraham Lincoln’s advice about not trusting everything I find on the Internet.
Word of the Week: Honorable mention goes to sheconomy, which, according to a Morgan Stanley study, is booming, and wind industrial sites, which, according to this article, is the preferred term of those who find wind farms “big, intrusive, ugly and destructive.” Full honors go to EINO, which stands for Evangelicals In Name Only and refers to the close to fifty percent of self-identified evangelicals who attend church “once a year or less.”
Wrong About Rights: One of the more depressing things I’ve heard lately was a Politico writer mocking Christians for thinking their rights came from God, not the state. Please understand I’m used to Christians being mocked in the media — indeed, I often think it is warranted — the reason this piece bothered me was because the writer did not appear to know that the American project is based on the idea that our rights are inalienable (i.e., that the role of the government is not to grant rights but to defend them). You’d like to think that someone writing for a news outlet like Politico would know that!
Without Comment: 1) This article reports on India’s declining religious freedom; 2) This website notes that as of yesterday, the US debt had grown to $103K/citizen (or $267K/taxpayer); 3) In this article The Wall Street Journal editorial board states their belief that “the world is as dangerous as it’s been since the 1930s.”
Resources: Click here to listen to my podcast with Dr. Jerry Root, who has not only written several books on C.S. Lewis but has lectured on Lewis at more than 80 universities in 20 countries. This interview was background for my final lecture on Lewis for the Lakelight class I recently taught.
Closing Prayer: Lord, when I think that my heart is overflowing with love and realize in a moment’s honesty that it is only myself that I love in the loved one, Deliver me from myself. Lord, when I think that I have given all that I have to give and realize in a moment’s honesty that it is I who am the recipient, Deliver me from myself. Lord, when I have convinced myself that I am poor and realize in a moment’s honesty that I am rich in pride and envy, Deliver me from myself. And, Lord, when the Kingdom of Heaven merges deceptively with the kingdoms of this world, Let nothing satisfy me but God. Amen – Mother Teresa, 1910 – 1997.