Happy Friday,
Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:9
Like the prayer, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner,” the brevity and simplicity of the church’s first creed is part of its power. Count me among those who think we should rehearse it often. BTW, stating “Jesus is Lord” used to be a way of whispering that Caesar was not.
WOTW: Honorable mention goes to: cry bullies (a species fond of higher education), Tumblebreed(a dog whose shed hair morphs into tumbleweeds that collect in the corner of the room), photosapiens (which seems an appropriate designation to those who regularly take selfies), and Slacktivists (those who show their support for a cause via social media but do little else). Full honors go to streitsüchtig, a German word often translated “quarrelsome,” but which can mean dispute-addicted. I see more streitsüchtig than I see cry bullies, photosapiens, tumblebreeds, or slacktivists.
Without Comment: 1) Per this U of Arkansas study, students graduating from religious schools are more politically tolerant than those graduating from secular schools; 2) Per Timothy Carney, author of Family Unfriendly, “Religiosity makes adults more likely to have kids; and having kids makes adults more serious about religion;” 3) Per UVA sociologist Brad Wilcox, “boys from non-intact families are more likely to spend time in jail before age 30 than they are to graduate from college;” 4) Per this report, 2.5% of all US births in 2022 were the result of IVF; 5) Per this study, dumb phones are making a comeback; 6) Per this LA Times article, President Biden has a 33-point lead over Donald Trump among young women, but only a 6-point lead among young men; and 7) Per this article, one of the most frequently stolen items from the store is… a package of razors.
With Comment: 1) Per this report from Deezer — a European streaming service — our ability to adapt to new music peaks in our 20s and stagnates in our 30s. This is news to no pastor who has tried to hold together a multi-generational church; 2) Though most people claim they pay off their balance every month, according to the Government Accountability Office (there is a joke there) US credit card debt now stands well over $1 trillion; 3) An executive at a large foundation believes “the declension narrative is being overplayed.” Many institutions are dying, but “their departure is creating a rich compost in which many new things can grow.”; 4) As Ryan Burge notes in “Dropping out of Everything,” if Robert Putnam was writing Bowling Alone today, it would be called Netflixing Alone, and the statistical support for his thesis would be much stronger. “People are dropping out of everything.”; and 5) I still find it surprising that we never settled on what to call the first decade of the 2000s — the zips, the aughts, or the zeros.
Fear and the Future: I say little about politics these days because most people are exhausted by both the topic and those talking about it. And yet… we cannot do nothing. As Christ-followers we are citizens of the City of God AND the City of Man. Things must be said about the second. So, in the spirit of Richard John Neuhaus — whose journal First Things assumes that politics is downstream from culture, and culture is downstream from faith, so we need to promote faith in order to civilize politics — let me say this: we need to avoid arguments and appeals shaped by fear, greed or hate. And we must remain sober-minded about what government can do. Romans 13 (and other passages) remind us that the Kingdom of God is not going to arrive via Air Force One.
Worth Monitoring: 1) Comedian Russell Brand’s conversion to Christ; and 2) The US’s response to the Cass Report on the efficacy of transgender medical practices in the UK.
Urgent Not Ultimate: Xi’s comments about Taiwan may matter more than the cat videos your great aunt keeps sending you, but even thoughtful, well-written, “above-the-fold” stories published by major media outlets seldom merit the gravitas the news implies. Stories breathlessly reported today will be hard to remember in days. (Can you name three stories from three days ago?) I believe there is a narrow path forward for the US, but among other things, it will require the resilience and sacrifice of people shaped more by the Good News than by the daily news. To state this differently, I believe those best able to help others step back from the ledge will be those who see the world through the lens of the Gospel, not those who see the Gospel through the lens of the world.
Closing Prayer: Most loving Lord, Give me a steadfast heart, which no unworthy thought can drag downwards; An unconquered heart, which no hardship can wear out; An upright heart, which no worthless purpose can ensnare. Give me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, and a faithfulness that will finally embrace you; Through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)