Happy Friday,
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, David slung it and struck the Philistine. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
1 Samuel 17:49
Given that I’ve been the bug more than the windshield lately, I’m reminding myself that even when our enemies are 10’ tall, they will fall. God wins.
WOTW: Honorable mention goes to Brat (which is what Charli XCX called VP Harris, and also the name of her recent album. Alas, I’m too old to understand what it means, so we’ll keep moving); apocalypse bucket, a Costco emergency dinner kit that contains ingredients that will last 25 years; whimsical nihilism (a description of our focus on entertainment amidst grave challenges), BATANA (Best Alternative After Not Agreeing); and MEI (an anti-DEI acronym that stands for Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence). Full honors go to big history, Peggy Noonan’s term for the recent past, which includes “the worst pandemic in a century, mass riots in our streets, the most acrimonious presidential election in memory, the largest European conflict since World War II, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, and an attempted assassination of a former (and perhaps future) president.”
Vacation Reading: While Sheri and I vacationed in the mountains of British Columbia, I set aside Team of Rivals—DKG’s book about Lincoln’s insight, humility, resilience, moral courage, and ability to work with just about anyone—and picked up Project Hail Mary a Sci-Fi written by Andy Weir. I found it a fun summer read.
Speaking of Canada: Given our time in the Great White North, I’m resurrecting this SNL skit about the metric system. (FWIW, I do wish Jimmy had been successful in getting the US to go metric.)
Quote Worth Requoting: “We think that if we do not feel something there can be no authenticity in doing it. But the wisdom of God says something different, namely, that we can act our way into a new way of feeling much quicker than we can feel our way into a new way of acting. Worship is an act which develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God which is expressed in an act of worship.” Eugene Peterson
True or False: 1) There are now more grandparents in the world than children under the age of five; 2) After a bad 18 months, Bud Light is bouncing back; 3) MrBeast has nearly 100x more YouTube followers than the Trump and Harris campaigns combined; 4) Same Store Sales (SSS) at Mickey D’s Supper Club (aka McDonald’s) are up—a good sign for the economy; and 5) Though marijuana sales have been climbing, alcohol remains America’s favorite addiction.
Don’t be an Awful-izer: There are moments when we need a Paul Revere to sound the alarm, but not often. And even then, the goal isn’t to make people anxious, it’s to alert them so they make wise decisions. There are way too many alarmists out there right now—unwise, unserious, self-important Chicken Littles who delight in using ALL CAPS, exclamation marks!!!!, and bold fonts. A pox on them all. Work to keep small matters small.
What’s in a Name: I am making plans to restart my podcast this fall and expect to rename it. If you have ideas, let me know here. If we select your suggestion, Lakelight will send you some swag.
FWIW: 1) The insecure part of me that’s forever campaigning for homecoming king pays too much attention to criticism. At this moment, we all need to defend less and absorb some of the free-floating anger that is poisoning many things; 2) However the election plays out, I’m preparing to pastor to two groups of disappointed people: those who are disappointed on Nov. 6th and those disappointed when their candidate fails to deliver on their promises; 3) Some cultures are better than other cultures in some things. Every culture is prone to certain sins. Few cultures see their sins very clearly; 4) We often earn trust for being restrained—e.g., we do not trust an accountant because they’re good at math but because they won’t sign something they don’t know to be true.
Answers: 1) True. This is discussed in Extra Time, Camilla Cavendish’s book; 2) False. Bud Light’s star is still fading. Sales recently dropped below Modelo Especial and Michelob Ultra; 3) True. MrBeast’s 300M YouTube subscribers dwarf Trump’s (2.7M) and Harris’s (267K) combined. 4) False. Per this article, SSS at McD’s are down 12%; 5) Unclear. The journal Addiction claims that 17.7M Americans smoke pot every day, which is more than the 14.7M who drink every day, but others suggest the number who drink every day is higher than 14.7M.
Closing Prayer: God, let me put right before interest. Let me put others before self. Let me put the things of the spirit before the things of the body. Let me put the attainment of noble ends above the enjoyment of present pleasures. Let me put principle above reputation. Let me put you before all else. Amen (John Baillie, 1886-1960)