Happy Friday,
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:7f
I memorized this passage decades ago. I’ve also preached on it several times. But until recently, I focused on justice, kindness, and humility, not walking. Having recently learned that walking with God is the first spiritual practice (Genesis 3:8), I find myself looking at it through fresh eyes. BTW, it has been suggested that God walks at 3 mph; thus, those moving faster than that are running ahead of Him.
ThinQ: Last week, I attended ThinQ, a TED-talk-meets-Christianity confab held annually in Nashville. I’ve gone for years because it provides helpful glimpses into the future — e.g., I was alerted to the coming de-transitioning movement at a ThinQ event ten years ago. In the weeks ahead, I will share some of what I learned. Here are some quick takes: 1) Everyone is becoming a prepper these days; 2) Though 28.5% of Gen Z girls identify as LGBTQIA+, few have acted on this identity; 3) We do not have a Gen Z problem; we have a discipleship problem; 4) The rocks are on standby to worship God; 5) We need to replace FOMO with JOMO — i.e., move from the Fear of Missing Out to the Joy of Missing Out.
WOTW: Honorable mention goes to: Quarterbackanoia — which appeared in this WSJ piece. I am counting on Caleb to remove it from Chicago’s lexicon; Operation Menai Bridge — the code name for King Charles’ funeral plans (his Mother’s plans were London Bridge); faux profundity, which deserves mention as we head into commencement season, and tap gap, (which refers to the split second between when you tap on an app and the phone screen changes so you tap on the wrong thing. Full honors belong to ungovernable, which I’m trying to trademark. If I can collect a penny every time it’s used between now and November, I can retire before Christmas.
Speaking of Faux Profundity: I agree with this article, which says that this tweet — “A good law of history is that if you ever find yourself opposing a student movement while siding with the ruling class, you are wrong. Every single time. In every era. No matter the issue.”— sounds profound, but is not! I became a college pastor because I love students’ passion. But I never thought their insights were foolproof.
Without Comment: 1) According to this piece, of the 58,000 new books published last year, 90% sold less than 2,000 copies, and 50% sold less than a dozen copies; 2) According to this piece, one-fifth of Americans spend part of their vacation thinking about their next vacation; 3) According to this Substack, atheists are the most politically active demographic; 4) According to this piece, Norwegian middle school students who gave up their cell phones did better academically and experienced better mental health; and 5) At the moment there is little united about the United Methodist Church, which has been shedding members for decades, falling from 11M to 4M.
Depopulation: The last two weeks have been filled with articles about the US’s plummeting birthrate. I thought this meme was the most memorable contribution to the discussion. Also, in the funny-but-too-close-to-home category is this line from Colin Jost’s monologue at last week’s White House Correspondents Dinner: “I’m not saying both candidates are old, but you know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking, ‘I could maybe win this thing.’ He’s only 99.”
Sorry — We’re Not as Smart as the Algorithms: You’re aware that both your tree-hugging, leftie sister-in-law and your conspiracy-backing, far-right Uncle Buck have descended into an echo chamber. It’s time to realize that we’re all in one. And, alas, it’s one that makes us feel that we are not in one.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “You can have a democracy without the underpinnings of culture, but you will probably not have it very long. And even while you have it, it will be disappointing in its results.” Allen Guelzo; 2) “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring; and 3) “Above all else, trust the slow work of God.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
IS2M: 1) Some SNL skits write themselves; 2) Those counting on AI to solve the problem of human loneliness will find their pictures in Webster’s next to both irony and gullibility; 3) We need friends with whom we disagree, in part to keep us from thinking that those who disagree with us are not just wrong, they are evil.
Resources: Click here to hear my interview with Dr. John Inazu, Wash U professor of Law and Religion. It’s on his new book, How to Disagree. Click here to hear my sermon on the idolatry of sex.
Closing Prayer: My Lord God, my all in all, Life of my life, and Spirit of my spirit, look in mercy on me and so fill me with your Holy Spirit that my heart has no room for love of anything but you. I ask from you no other gift but yourself, for you are the giver of life and all its blessings. From you I ask not for the world or its treasures, neither do I beg for heaven. I desire and long for you alone, and where you are, there is heaven. Amen. Sadhu Sundar Singh, (1889 – 1929)