Happy Friday,

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Though the final outcome of the cosmic battle has long been decided, earthly conflicts continue with the lives and destinies of individuals hanging in the balance. What can we do today to aid our King’s advance? Many things, but nothing without prayer. As James notes, it can frustrate arrogant powers.

Question of the Week: Our news feeds are full of conflict: Ds versus Rs, The WSJ versus The WaPo, Russia versus NATO. One side despises the past and celebrates the future. The other side celebrates the past and fears the future. It’s the Green New Deal versus the pipeline. I could go on, but you’re swimming in this already. Here is my question: As a Christian, I blame Genesis 3. What (or who) do others point to? When Side A pauses from blaming Side B (or vice-versa), where do they think the problem ultimately lies? Who among the press is giving much thoughtful reflection on the human condition these days?

The Human Condition: While I’m here, let me remind you that in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the “educated elite” were giddy. “Finally!,” they claimed. “Now that we’re free from the shackles of religion, we will ride science and reason directly to Utopia.” H. G. Wells was among those voicing this belief. In his 1922 book, A Short History of the World, he wrote: “Can we doubt that presently our race will more than realize our boldest imaginations, that it will achieve unity and peace, and that our children will live in a world made more splendid and lovely than any palace or garden that we know, going on from strength to strength in an ever widening circle of achievement? What man has done, the little triumphs of his present state… form but the prelude to the things that man has yet to do.” Of course it didn’t play out that way. World War I, World War II and more rendered the 20^th century more bloody than all the preceding combined. Wells owned his mistake, later writing: “The cold-blooded massacres of the defenseless, the return of deliberate and organized torture, mental torment, and fear to a world from which such things had seemed well-nigh banished — has come near to breaking my spirit altogether…” The horrors of the past days have rightly led us to question the mind and heart of Putin. Will they lead us to face how broken we all are?

Reflections on War: I have read several accounts about how overwhelming a modern battlefield is. Apparently, nothing prepares you for the sites, sounds and smells. I’ve also noted recent references to C.S. Lewis’s 1939 address to Oxford students, Learning in Time of War. But what I find most illuminating is the fact that some of the 20th century’s most gifted writers – Aldous Huxley, C.S. Lewis, George Orwell, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut and William Golding – all of whom were injured in battle – were never able to write directly about it. Each wrote about it using fiction (Huxley –Brave New World, Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia, Orwell – Animal Farm, Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings, Vonnegut – Slaughter House Five, Golding – Lord of the Flies) but none was willing to try to describe it directly.

Corrections: Last week’s WotW – Calvinball – was a popular choice, but there were many corrections: 1) Hobbes – who was named after Thomas Hobbes – spells his name with an “e;” 2) I missed the opportunity to note how ironic it is that Calvin – who was named after John Calvin – developed a game with no rules; and 3) Technically, Calvinball has rules, they just keep changing. I will try to do better. Meanwhile, I’m left wondering what it says about me that my readers know more about Calvin and Hobbes than they do about the Bible.

Corrections Continued. Last week I ran a post about Lordle, Mark Charbonneau’s spoof on Wordle. In it I incorrectly implied that Mark used to be a youth pastor. He wrote to correct me, explaining that he still does youth ministry, only now it is for adults. He’s pretty sure few of his congregation have figured that out just yet.

Without Comment: 1) After the race was canceled in 2020 and limited in 2021, this year’s New York City Marathon will return to full capacity (50,000 runners); 2) Beijing Winter Olympics television audience dropped 42% from 2018; 3) Two million cars will be repossessed this year in the US; 4) One-third of adults still sleep with a comfort object; 5) The average American generates nearly 4.5 pounds of trash each day; 6) Over the past century, “Michael” has been the most popular male baby name 44 times; 7) One in seven Americans receives food from a food bank; 8) More than 36 million U.S. adults cannot read above a third grade level.

Why I Still Believe: Earlier this week I preached at Trinity Chapel on the topic, Why I Still Believe. You can listen here.

Profiles in Courage: I join those who appreciate Ukrainian President Zelensky’s leadership. When asked if he wanted transportation to safety, he replied, “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.” It’s too early to compare him to Churchill, but he has come a long way from doing stand-up comedy.

A Few Moments of Marvel: In addition to wishing I had some of the leadership chops of Zelensky, I wish I had just a fraction of Ja Morant’s basketball hops.

Prayer Request: In addition to praying for all the obvious matters related to Ukraine, I am: 1) Citing Psalm 141:10 in reference to Putin; 2) Praying for the Russians (those living here and in Russia) who have been unwillingly drug into this conflict; and 3) Praying for the poor, who almost always suffer the most.

Closing Prayer: We pray to you, O Lord, who are the supreme Truth, and all truth is from you. We beseech you, O Lord, who are the highest Wisdom, and all the wise depend on you for their wisdom. You are the supreme Joy, and all who are happy owe it to you. You are the highest Good, and all goodness comes from you. You are the Light of minds, and all receive their understanding from you. We love you—indeed we love you above all things. We seek you, and are prepared to serve you. We desire to dwell under your power, for you are the King of all. Amen. (King Alfred the Great of Wessex – 849 – 899)

Happy Friday,

Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.

Genesis 3:19

Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent – a forty-day journey towards the cross. This is not the time to reflect on how Jesus died for the sins of the world. This is a time we personalize things. It is to be a season in which we meditate upon the fact that our pride, greed, lust, anger and smallness nailed the Lamb of God to a bloody cross. It is also a time in which we stare our own death in the face. Easter Sunday is coming, but we should not move there now. Lent is set up for us to grapple with the magnitude of our rebellion.

Laughter: In Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West, I learned that 19^th century Navajos did not name their children until the child laughs. If that is true, I can think of some 50 year-olds who should forfeit their name. After all, they haven’t cracked a smile in years. FWIW, I understand that humor is risky, that its potential to offend has never been greater and that if you laugh at the wrong thing you might get cancelled. But it’s still safe to laugh at yourself. And BTW, do you want to live in a world in which cancel culture cancels laughter? I don’t want to get too spiritual here, but Christ’s followers should be people of joy and hope – I think that suggests a few smiles as well. When is the last time you had a good, hard laugh?

Carson City, NV: Some wrote to question my claim that there are six state capitals west of Los Angeles. Those who did all missed Carson City. They had Honolulu, HI, Juneau, AK, Olympia, WA, Sacramento, CA, and Salem, OR. What they missed was Carson City, NV. If you don’t believe it’s West of LA, click here.

Without Comment: 1) The number of parents living with their own children dropped to 40% in 2021, down from 44% in 2011 and 48% in 2000; 2) U.S. home prices grew at a record 18.8% in 2021; 3) Joe Rogan – who recently signed a $200M, three-year contract with Spotify – reportedly has five times the viewers as Fox’s primetime average and eleven times the listeners as CNN’s primetime average; 4) During the pandemic’s first year, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention saw decisions for Christ increase by 62% and baptisms climb by 81%; 5) The number of people who say they have no close friends has quadrupled in a generation, the number of people who died by suicide has risen by a third since 2000; and the number of people suffering from depression has gone up 57%; 6) Less than half of the American public is optimistic about the country’s future, with white Americans expressing far more pessimism about the country’s direction than members of other racial groups.

Wordle & Laughter: Since I’m now on record encouraging both laughter and Wordle, let me pass along this 60 second endorsement of Lordle. It’s the work of a pastor friend. BTW, you can always tell which Senior Pastors started out in youth ministry.

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Commitment: There is more evidence that choosing one’s future – which requires rejecting other options – is overwhelming many Gen Zers. There is also growing evidence that those who commit to a spouse early fair better than many who do not.

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Anne Lamott; 2) “We generally think that having more experience is better…. but what we find for relationships is just the opposite. Having more experience is related to having a less happy marriage later on.” University of Denver psychologist Galena Rhoades.

The Democracy of the Dead: Though tradition is currently dismissed by many, it’s worth noting the great value often found in the paths laid down by our predecessors. Well-worn jungle trails became well-worn because they led somewhere good. This is not to say that bivouacking is always bad. It is just to note we tend to trust the novel, but while many new paths will be tried, few will become well-worn. It’s worth pondering Chesterton’s endorsement of looking backwards. He is the one who wrote, “Tradition is the democracy of the dead. It means giving a vote to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors.”

Word of the Week: Among the unsolicited nominations I received for this week’s WotW were: invasion, endemic and class warfare. I was all set to go with Calvinball instead. After all, it fit with both the theme of laughter and the chaos of the moment. If you are not familiar with Bill Watterson’s wonderful – and somewhat sophisticated – strip about Calvin (a mischievous boy) and Hobbs (his sometimes animated stuffed tiger) you’ve been missing out. Order any of his collections, you can thank me later. For now, all you need to know is that Calvinball is a game without rules. Alas, events intervened and opting for Calvinball seems irresponsible. This week’s WotW is Cold War.

Closing Prayer: O, crucified Jesus! in whom I live, and without whom I die; mortify in me all sensual desires; inflame my heart with your holy love, that I may no longer esteem the vanities of this world, but place my affections entirely in you. Let my last breath, when my soul shall leave my body, breathe forth love to you, my God; I entered into life without acknowledging you, let me therefore finish it in loving you; O let the last act of life be love, remembering that God is love. Amen.  (Richard Allen – 1760 – 1831)

Happy Friday,

“My heart pounds, my strength fades; even the light has gone from my eyes.”

Psalm 38:10

The Psalms capture the unedited cries of the sick, scared, suffering, and lonely. They know nothing of “pain is an illusion” or “just don’t let life get you down.” If you are struggling, pray your way through the Psalms, finding in them the encouragement to lay your cares before a loving Father. We are not told to stoically muscle ahead with a “mind over matter” attitude. We are invited to ask for help and rest. Lean in today.

My Bad: Last week I solicited names for a hypocrisy award. About thirty of you responded. Most suggestions had a biblical theme, some were clever, and a few had a dash of humor to them. But… more than a few were mean. You also sent in the names of the people you’d like to be the first recipient of the prize. With the possible exception of Satan – who does have a singular claim to such an award – most of those nominated were politicians. And, though I can’t be certain, I am pretty sure those nominated all occupied the other side of the political aisle from those nominating them. While I am sure all those forwarded deserve such recognition (who doesn’t?), my overwhelming sense was, this is a bad idea. I should not be encouraging people to see the faults in others. We all need to see the log in our own eye not the speck in others. My apologies.

From the Archives. I’ve run this before, but it deserves a second round. It’s from George Herbert’s poem, Dialogue-Anthem.
CHRISTIAN: Alas, poor Death! Where is thy glory? Where is thy famous force, thy ancient sting?
DEATH: Alas, poor mortal, void of story! Go spell and read how I have killed thy King.
CHRISTIAN: Poor Death! And who was hurt thereby? Thy curse being laid on Him makes thee accurst.
DEATH: Let losers talk, yet thou shalt die; These arms shall crush thee.
CHRISTIAN: Spare not, do thy worst! I shall be one day better than before; Thou so much worse, that thou shalt be no more.
As we approach Lent, please remember, Jesus defeated death and one day He will destroy it. In Christ all is well.

Quote Worth Requoting: Former Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson – whose by-weekly letter was an early inspiration for The Friday Update – is known for several things, among them this quote, which cleverly suggests that the American Church has been too influenced by American business: “In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centered on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America, where it became an enterprise.”

A Lament for the Olympics: I’ve only watched a few minutes of the Olympics, in part because I do not want to undermine those protesting China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, but also because they’ve lost their appeal. Sadly, the natural drama of sports – to say nothing of the Olympic ideals themselves – seem an afterthought to politics, marketing-ploys, and controversies. And then there are the sports themselves. I can accept that the Olympic Committee needs to navigate change, and that this includes adding and dropping events (between 1912 and 1948 they awarded medals for architecture, literature, painting, music, and sculpture). But when wrestling is out, ice dancing is in, and when Russia is banned but Putin sits in the stands supporting ROC athletes – who apparently continue to dope – I am out. I feel sorry for the NBC exec who signed the 7.75B contract extension with the Olympic Committee. From where I sit, he would have been smarter to invest in curling rinks. That sport may be the only unqualified winner to emerge from Beijing 2022.

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Ambient Anger: Speaking of curling, the truckers’ protest in Canada is all we need to know about to understand that the Ambient Anger Index remains high. Indeed, it seems to be climbing. As a WSJ editorial recently noted, when normally unflappable Canadians take to the streets – and their PM invokes emergency measures – you know society is fraying.

Prayer Request: In light of said strains and cracks, please pray for those charged with leading us forward. You may disagree with the job they are doing, but: 1) This is a difficult moment to lead; and 2) We are commanded to pray for leaders. BTW, while I’m here, let me encourage you to also pray for (and otherwise encourage) medical professionals. A doc I spoke with this week said he’s never known hospital morale to be this low or to know of so many people to be resigning their post.

Question: What is COVID Masking? Forget COVID face masks, what is COVID masking? What societal changes are going unnoticed, underreported – and consequently unaddressed – because they are being overshadowed by the pandemic?

Want to Visit Israel? One of the casualties of COVID was a pilgrimage I was set to lead to the Holy Land. Forty-five people were signed up and ready to go when the world shut down. That trip – which was rescheduled and postponed two more times – has finally been green lighted. We are leaving on May 14^th and return on May 24^th. There are ten open spots, but you have to sign up by Tuesday. For more information, click here.

Lenten Devotions: Lent begins on March 2. If you would like to receive a five-minute, daily video devotion we will be sending out each morning, sign up here. BTW, now would be a good time to think about anything you want to give up, or an additional act of service you’d like to take on.

Merchants of Despair: In my lifetime, I’ve been told to worry about: overpopulation, nuclear war, acid rain, holes in the ozone, an impending food shortage, an impending water shortage, an upcoming ice age, nuclear waste, soil erosion, the death of bumble bees, the collapse of Social Security and a dozen other things. Given that I’m writing this – and you are reading it – it’s clear the sky has not yet fallen. To that end, I’d like to highlight three things: 1) We have fixed (or at least improved) many of the problems we faced in the past; 2) Fixes rarely make the news. (Did you hear the all-clear siren sounded about Acid Rain or know that the hole in the ozone is now quite small?) and 3) The angst generated by the reports of the problems often lives on long after the threat. Don’t get me wrong, there are real problems out there. But part of successfully navigating life involves accurately assessing risks.

Speaking of Good News: A few weeks ago, I mentioned how encouraged I was by the quality of people applying to lead ScholarLeaders International (a board I serve on). I was buoyed again this week by the quality of the 14 new PhD candidates we selected to help. (This brings the number of those currently supported to 53, with over 400 alumni serving around the world.) Among those in this year’s cohort are: 1) A young Brazilian woman working to stop child trafficking in Taiwan; 2) A Filipino professor training to mobilize churches to provide trauma counseling; 3) A rising Christian scholar pioneering ways Christians and Muslims might cooperate in microfinance; and 4) A young Colombian (whose father was murdered at the height of the drug wars) whose OT studies will explore how the Colombian Church might best care for the millions displaced by violence. Be encouraged, the Church in the Emerging World is preparing an army of women and men to thoughtfully, faithfully and courageously proclaim the Good News and engage in Good Works.

Without Comment: 1) As a percentage of GDP, the U.S. defense budget is near a 60-year low; 2) On average, a company’s data has been breached for six months before they realize it; 3) There are six state capitals west of Los Angeles; 4) Finland tracks cocaine use, Covid rates and opioid addiction by analyzing their sewer water; 5) The struggles of U.S. men continue to escalate: more males between the ages 18 and 34 are living with their parents than are living with a romantic partner; boys are twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD and five times more likely than girls to spend time in juvenile detention. Men account for more than three quarters of all suicides in the U.S. and 90 percent of prison inmates. There are seven million working age men who do not have a job, and fifty percent who apply to the Army do not pass basic training. Compared to girls, fewer boys graduate from high school and fewer men than women enroll in college, graduate from college or go to graduate school.

Beauty: Because there are things we can learn about the Creator by looking at the creation, some of today’s most influential theologians are artists. And given the response to last week’s astronomy photographs, I am including another set of award winning photographs. This week they are the winners of the 2021 Landscape Photographer of the Year Contest.

Best Commercial. Count me among The Lord of the Rings fans nervous about Amazon Prime’s upcoming release of Rings of Power, a prequel set before the rings were forged. This trailer – which aired for the first time during the Super Bowl – looks promising. But I doubt Bezos and those he are funding are even aware of the Christian back story of the series.

Closing Prayer: O Lord God, Never leave me nor forsake me, but have mercy upon me for your great name’s sake. And not for myself alone do I ask these blessings, but for all the poor and needy, all widows and fatherless children, and for the stranger in distress; and may they call upon you in such manner as to be convinced that you are a prayer-hearer and prayer-answering God; and yours shall be the praise, forever. Amen. (Maria W. Stewart – 1803 – 1879)

Happy Friday,

Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Moses, Psalm 39:4

If we believe that what we see is all we get, we should “eat, drink and be merry” (hedonism), resign ourselves to a life without meaning (nihilism), or feel free to make up our own meaning (existentialism). But if we believe we are going to live forever – and that what we do now will echo for eternity – then to do anything other than live today in light of forever is to be a fool. This isn’t just what Moses said in Psalm 39, it’s what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. His message was clear, store up your treasure in Heaven. Men and women, we must not forget: Life is short. Eternity is not. And the opportunity to make a difference is now.

Word of the Week: Speaking of existentialism, I was tempted to make it this week’s WotW. After all, in the last few days: a NASA administrator called climate change “the existential threat of our time,” Scientific American said wildfires were posing “an existential threat” to giant sequoias, Barron’s announced that Bitcoin was facing “an existential crisis,” and Bloomberg reported that some Wall Street brass were filled with “existential angst.” But I am going in a different direction this week. The word I am choosing is ratchet. I am nominating it in advance, because I expect it to be used quite a bit in the weeks ahead. In various ways, we have “ratcheted” up different responses to COVID. I expect a lot of debates about ratcheting down.

Banned: While we are here, please allow me this brief rant about words. Builders have hammers and surgeons have scalpels, but those of us who write and speak are limited to whatever we can conjure up from 26 letters. Imagine our frustration then, when our precious words are misused. Take “banned.” This week it popped up several times. In one case, Group A was furious because Group B wanted to ban Book C. In another setting, Group D – which, btw, was the ideological opposite of Group A – was furious because Group E was banning Book F. FWIW, banned is not the right word. There are governments that hold bonfires to burn certain works – or place you in jail if you possess a copy – but with very limited exceptions (e.g., child pornography, recipes for dirty bombs, plagiarized works) the First Amendment assures that the U.S. is not one of those places. What is most often happening today is that groups are trying to remove certain titles from a children’s library or an assigned reading list. In no case is the book banned. You can still buy and read it. In most situations, those using the word banned are trying to make someone else look foolish. I will not go so far as to ban the word banned, but you might want to.

One Final Comment on Words: I regret being introduced to Wordle. (If future Friday Updates arrive on Saturday, you’ll know why.)

The good news: As a pastor, I talk about the Good News. As the curator of this newsletter, I reflect on bad news. I’ve decided I need to work harder to pass along good news. Please note two things: 1) I am making a distinction between the Good News and good news; and 2) This does not mean I will avoid the bad news. I am simply noting that because most news sources give so much more attention to bad news – even spinning good news in bad ways – I want to shine light on things that are going well. Here are a few items from this week: 1) COVID cases have fallen 60% since last month’s highs; 2) The 9^th circuit court recently voted 9 – 0 in defense of religious liberty; 3) The U.S. economy added 467,000 jobs in January. In addition to that, I saw neighbors caring for each other, parents sacrificing for children and the amazing handiwork of God every time I opened my eyes. Anyone can talk about spikes in inflation, drug overdoses and crime – and occasionally we should. Let’s be sure we see the good in the world as well.

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Speaking of Hedonism: After our basic needs are met, we spend a lot of time pursuing things we think will make us happy – e.g., money, power, love, sex, fame, etc. As I write about here, most of what we think we want, we only want because we think it will make us happy. We do not want the thing per se, and would not want it at all if we thought it would make us unhappy. As it turns out, the Bible is full of insights about what leads to happiness and what does not. (Hedonism, famously, does not.) There are other books that do a good job as well, and I already have an order in for  HBS professor Arthur Brooks’ upcoming book on happiness, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. But we do not have to wait. The Bible is full of insight about joy if we’d only take it. Or we can look to those who summarize it well, such as C.S. Lewis, who wrote: “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn – or the food our spirits were designed to feed on… God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.”

Psalm 19 in Picture Form: As I did last year, I am including a link to the best astronomy photos of 2021. Consider it show and tell for King David’s majestic words in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” BTW, if you want help marveling at the wonders of God, in this article Philip Yancey talks about how the universe leads him to worship. And be encouraged, the recently launched Webb telescope should provide us with some entries next year.

Without Comment: 1) This WSJ article challenges the idea that young couples should postpone marriage until they are thirty; 2) According to Ryan Burge, roughly forty percent of the people who called themselves an evangelical in the 2020 election attended church once a year or less; 3) 43.4M Americans have federal student loan debt.

Hypocrisy Award: Those of us who can no longer claim to be middled-aged – unless we actually expect to live well past 100 – may remember William Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Award. Proxmire, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, routinely “honored” groups egregiously wasting tax payers’ money. (As you can imagine, no one who won a Golden Fleece Award put it on their resume.) I am toying with channeling Proxmire by starting a hypocrisy award. The problem is, I need a name. (Please note: I do not intend to name it after myself, even though I often qualify.) If you have a suggestion that is clever, not mean, send it along. Also, I am accepting nominations.

Two Corrections: In last week’s report about the death of NYPD Officer, Jason Rivera, I mentioned that he died in the “line-of-fire.” I meant “line-of-duty.” Also, in my reflections on courage, I conflated courage and recklessness. My bad. (And yes, I am aware that I just complained about others misusing the word banned. Perhaps next week I will start an Irony Award.)

The $ Value of Churches: I cited some earlier studies about the economic value of a local church, but in my prep for this week’s sermon, I revisited this one. Those who appreciate the church will find it worth skimming.

Closing Prayer: Father, make us more like Jesus. Help us to bear difficulty, pain, disappointment and sorrows, knowing that in your perfect working and design you can use such bitter experiences to shape our characters and make us more like our Lord. We look with hope for that day when we shall be wholly like Christ, because we shall see him as he is. Amen. (Ignatius of Antioch – c.107)

Happy Friday,

My imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith, speaking out fearlessly about the Messiah.

– Paul, writing from prison

Philippians 1:12f

Courage and cowardice are both habit-forming. They are also contagious. The church needs more people with Paul’s courage right now, and may need even more tomorrow. Of course, the goal is not courage. Unfocused bravado does more harm than good. What we need are people willing to risk and suffer for the Gospel and the well-being of others.

Two Classics: Among the helpful things C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer shared about prayer, I especially appreciate Lewis’s comments about “the prayer that precedes all prayer.” It is, “May the real me meet the real you.” From Bonhoeffer it’s the observation that, “The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our hearts.” If you want help with the second, learn to pray the Psalms. Either Tim Keller’s The Songs of Jesus or Trevin Wax’s 30 Days in the Psalms can help. They are quite different. Of the two, Keller’s is more accessible and Wax’s is more comprehensive.

Police Deaths: Four police officers died in two different line-of-fire events this week. In light of their sacrifice – and in honor of a childhood friend who fulfilled his dream of becoming a Dallas police officer, only to be shot and killed two years into the job (and only several months after being married) – I decided to learn more about one of those recently killed. New York City police officer Jason Rivera is eulogized by his wife here and by NYT’s columnist Maureen Dowd here.

Our Identity: In this corner, hailing from the heartland, reading National Review, shopping at Walmart, embracing the electoral college, advocating nuclear energy, dismissing Fauci, questioning climate change (or it’s proposed solutions), wearing red while backing the Blue (and the Military), driving a Ford F-150, asking about Hunter’s laptop, and now, listening to Joe Rogan on Spotify we have…. And in this corner, hailing from the coast, reading the “Paper of Record,” listening to NPR, shopping at Whole Foods, attending TED talks, asking about Trump’s tax returns, wearing blue while hugging trees (and windmills), driving a hybrid, backing Unions (and the UN), announcing pronouns and boycotting Spotify while listening to Neil Young on Appleplay, we have…. I could make my list angrier and longer, but as one of the few people who lands these issues flawlessly, I’m too busy correcting others. So, you’ll hear nothing from me about how fragile democracies are or how silly many people are acting. I will limit myself to this: When we locate our identity in the wrong place, we attach religious zeal to the wrong things.

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BTW: As my snarky comments above suggest, the Ambient Anger Index remains high. Be careful out there.

Word of the Week: Honorable mention goes to weird – which was used by several to describe an economy that chugs ahead in spite of the Great Resignation, supply chain issues, inflation and debt. I’m  also giving a shout out to democracy, which popped up in a bevy of articles questioning its value. While I am with Churchill, who famously called democracy “the worst form of government possible, except for all the other forms of government,” I’m unsettled by those who question its value. For what it’s worth, I am not, however, worried about “an impending civil war.” I expect the years ahead to bring a lot more yelling, some civil unrest and a few attempts at succession, but Civil War? I can’t see it. For starters, we are too soft to actually fight. In terms of the actual WotW, I selected Anti-Semitism. For the record, I did so before hearing about the Whoopi Goldberg drama. I selected it because the term started populating my news feed (e.g., here, here and here) because of the Jan. 27^th Holocaust Remembrance Day, and because of the synagogue siege in Colleyville, TX. Some see Jewish hatred where I do not, but Anti-Semitism is real and growing.

Without Comment: 1) US debt climbed from 20T in 2018 to 30T today. That is $90K / person; 2) A recent Monmouth Poll suggests that seven out of ten Americans think it’s time to accept that Covid is here to stay and want to get on with their lives; 3) During the 22 seasons he played in the NFL, Tom Brady was more likely to play in the Super Bowl than Steph Curry was to make a three-point shot; and 4) According to this Atlantic article, the average person’s picture is taken 75 times per day.

His Grace Not Our Effort: Instead of accepting God’s love, many Christ-followers spend their energy trying to love God better. This is backwards. The Gospel is about God’s love for us, not our love for him.
2.2.22: I am writing this on 2.2.22. In addition to being memorable, the date reminds me that 2.14.22 will be here soon. At the risk of sounding like a shill for Keller, I want to recommend a second book of his – The Meaning of Marriage. It’s different than most marriage books and well worth reading. I have handed out many copies.

Closing Prayer: May God the Father, and the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ, build us up in faith and truth and love, and grant us our portion among the saints with all those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all believers, for kings and rulers, for the enemies of the cross of Christ, and for ourselves we pray that our fruit may abound and we be made perfect in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Polycarp – 69-155)

Happy Friday,

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Ps 119:45

Philosophers, theologians and politicians have been writing about freedom for three thousand years. If you’ve read their reflections, you know the topic is quite layered. Consider just this point, it’s popular to believe that we should be free to live as we choose, so long as we do not harm others. Alas, it’s just not that simple. Set aside the fact that we disagree on what constitutes harm, the bigger issue is, in many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as it is finding the right ones. Consider a train. Though the tracks may seem restrictive, once a train is “liberated” from them it is unable to move at all. Or consider a musician. He or she is only free to play beautiful music after they submitted to thousands of hours of practice. These are inconvenient truths, but they are truths all the same. As Tim Keller has noted, “Boundaries that fit with the reality of our nature produce greater power and scope for our abilities, leading us to deeper joy and fulfillment.” As David declared 3,000 years ago, I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Are We Smart Enough? Two things hit me after I read a CDC report stating that, “Individuals two weeks past their third vaccine are 90% less likely to be hospitalized than unvaccinated individuals; however, those more than 180 days past their second dose and not boosted are only 57% percent less likely to be hospitalized.” The first realization was, this sounds like science. But it does not sound like something those of us formed (or perhaps I should say malformed) by sound bites know how to process. The second was, it doesn’t matter because we now live in such a low-trust culture that many do not trust what they hear on the news. Please understand, I am not commenting on COVID responses here. Indeed, I could substitute three or four other issues in its place. I’m simply observing that we are not well positioned to navigate the complicated and complex realities of 21^st century life.

Two Questions: Since I’ve whined about our predicament, let me suggest you ask yourself – and a friend – two questions: 1) What would it take for me to change my mind about something? 2) What sources do I trust and why?

Next Wednesday is Candlemas: The “12 days of Christmas” run from December 25 to January 6 (Epiphany). Candlemas occurs on February 2 – i.e., next Wednesday. “What,” you ask, “is Candlemas?” It is the day Mary and Joseph fulfilled the Jewish requirement to “present any first-born son in the Temple” in Jerusalem. You’re forgiven if you do not know much about Candlemas. In America, Mary and Joseph’s delivery of Jesus is generally pre-empted by updates on the status of Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow and Bill Murray’s role in Ground Hog Day.

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Two Things to Remember About the Fruit of the Spirit: Lately I’ve been reflecting on Paul’s Galatians 5 description of the Spirit-filled life. I commend it for frequent review – if only to keep us humble. In recent days, two things stand out: 1) Where the Fruits of the Spirit are present, groups (e.g., churches) can weather a lot of conflict. Where they are missing, you are likely to watch a Jerry Springer episode by another name; and 2) Truth is not included in the list. By the way, remember that the way to grow in the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Paul mentions is not by deciding to try harder at being loving, joyful, etc. The way to let the Spirit’s fruit ripen in your life is by yielding more fully to Christ.

Doubling Down on the Church: I understand those who vote thumbs up on Jesus but thumbs down on the church. I’ll even concede that such sentiments have merit. However: 1) The church is Jesus’s idea; 2) It is not an incidental part of his plan; 3) He calls the church “his bride,” implying they go together. You cannot reject her without rejecting him; 4) The reason it’s such a mess is because it allows selfish, misguided louts like you (and me) to join; 5) Though it’s made a mess of many things, no other institution has done as much good for as many people as the church; 6) As the bumper sticker notes, it’s outlasted oppressive governments for over 2,000 years; 7) It will prevail – indeed, it will kick open the gates of hell; and 8) If you think organized religion is bad, try the disorganized kind. By the way, besides being unbiblical, churchless Christianity doesn’t last. Young lovers may think their romance will preserve their marriage. Those celebrating golden anniversaries know it’s the other way around. Do yourself a favor and join, attend, serve, support and love a local church.

Without Comment: 1) The US Surgeon General released a 53 page report claiming that “youth anxiety and depression” doubled during the last two years; 2) More than 1,800 US colleges have dropped the SAT requirements (or made them optional) for Fall 2022 admissions; 3) According to this Christianity Today report and this WSJ article, church attendance has a greater long-term impact on a student’s overall well-being than does just about anything else; 4) 56% of Americans can’t name an objective news source.

Sociology: I’ve shared this before, but I think we all should be reminded about the law of group polarization. Put simply, this is the observation that when people of like mind gather, they tend to become more extreme in their views. If fact, in certain “cascading situations” every individual leaves the meeting more extreme than the most extreme person at the beginning of the meeting.

Bears and Packers: The Packers have made it hard on Bears’ fans for a long time. Indeed, between the back-to-back dynasties of Brett and Aaron, the Monsters of Midway have not looked very monstrous in a couple decades. This year, Aaron Rodgers – who just became a 4X league MVP  – decided to highlight all of this by screaming “I own the Bears.” Yes. OK. Sure. I guess we deserve that. However, after Green Bay’s recent loss, those of us in Chicago want to note that Rex Grossman and Aaron Rodgers have started in an equal number of Super Bowls.

Quotes Worth Requoting: It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Word of the Week: Much to my surprise, the term secular – and its derivations secularization, secularism,etc. – were everywhere this week. I’m not sure what’s behind this spike, so I’ll push my commentary to a future week. Meanwhile, let me direct you to this article, which lists the specific year a word was coined. Some entries are not that surprising – e.g., parking meter first appeared in 1935, and fast food made its debut in 1951. But some are surprising, and I found the whole thing a bit of fun. Certainly more fun than reading about American politics or Russia’s play on Ukraine.

Closing Prayer: O God the Holy Spirit, most loving Comforter of the fainthearted, I pray that you will always turn what is evil in me into good and what is good into what is better; turn my mourning into joy, my wandering feet into the right path, my ignorance into knowledge of your truth, my lukewarmness into zeal, my fear into love, all my material good into a spiritual gift, all my earthly desires into heavenly desires, all that is transient into what lasts forever, everything human into what is divine, everything created and finite into that sovereign and immeasurable good, which you yourself are, O my God and Savior. Amen. (Thomas à Kempis – 1380 – 1471)

Happy Friday:

It is written… it is written… it is written…

Jesus, Matthew 4

It’s hard to know who to trust and what to believe. The Left screams, “XYZ.” The Right sneers, “You’re  crazy, and so is your Mom.” So it goes, all day long, seven days a week. Thankfully, Jesus models a way forward. When tempted in the wilderness, he met each attack with the same word, gegraptai – “it is written.” In other words, when the enemy sought to confuse and discourage, Jesus trusted the Word of God. The Bible was his first line of defense and the path down which he directed his heart. Gegraptai

Two Clarifications: I recently heard that the world is no longer complicated – i.e., we no longer face linear challenges. Instead, it is now complex – i.e., we face inter-related challenges that cascade off each other with exponential acceleration. Similarly, I recently heard that we not only need to stop waiting for things to “get back to normal,” we need to stop waiting for “a new normal” to emerge. Instead, we must accept that the last sixty years were abnormal and that “pandemics, geopolitical hijinks and empty store shelves” are what we always should have expected. The claim is, “America has just been on a sixty-year vacation from reality” but now reality is going to return. Perhaps there is some truth in all of this. And I do recognize the value of sane expectations. But that all seems a bit dark. I will remind you again, many things are going quite well, much better than in the past.

Sociology is MIA: Of course, we do have some problems so it’s worth noting that this polarized moment would be a great time for sociology to step forward with some insights about how to address them. It’s also worth noting that no one expects any such thing to happen. Sociology has become so politicized that it is not just dismissed, it is forgotten.

Without Comment: 1) According to Open Doors annual World Watch List, Afghanistan has now replaced North Korea as the country where it is the most dangerous and difficult to be a Christian. Somalia is third, Libya is fourth and Yemen is fifth; 2) Last month, Bruce Springsteen sold the rights to his songs to Sony Music for $500 million; and 3) Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its Republican counterpart raised record amounts of money last year.

Confused: I’m not surprised that USA Today published an article defending pedophilia. I am, however, confused. Where will the sexual revolution go next? It doesn’t feel over, but I have long thought this would be the last taboo.

Two Charts: I realize not everyone loves charts, but a good chart can say a lot with very little. I often enjoy Mark Perry’s charts, so here is a link to one of his more famous ones. And while I am geeking out on charts, you need to see Charles Joseph Minard’s famous chart on Napoleon’s attempt to seize Moscow. May we all learn to say so much so succinctly.

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MLK on Nonviolence: I should have included my annual link to Dr. King’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail last week. To make up for my miss, I am adding this 1964 interview in which he discusses his philosophy of nonviolence.

The Church: Several responded to last week’s mention of Charles Malik’s seven intuitions with suggestions to expand his list. As you may remember, I noted that in his 1982 book, A Christian Critique of the University, Malik argued that seven institutions make up society – the family, the church, the state, business, education, the professions and the arts. I then noted that since the book’s publication, the state and business had gained influence, but the family and church had lost it. All told, four new institutions were nominated for addition to Malik’s list: medical/healthcare; labor & trade unions; charitable & non-profit sector and sports franchises. There is food for thought there. All I will add is my standard line that if the church doesn’t do her job, the other seven (or eleven) institutions do not have a fighting chance – especially the family and state.

Christianity in the Public Square: In this First Things piece, Aaron Renn argues that secularization in America entered a third phase in 2014: 1) During Phase One – which he labels the Positive World and says runs up to 1994 – the church was viewed as a force for good; 2) During Phase Two – The Neutral World, which ran from 1994-2014 – Renn says American society was largely ambivalent about Christianity; finally, in Phase Three – which began in 2014, Renn says the church has become understood to be a threat to the public good.

Closing Prayer: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you, bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer)

Happy Friday,

“Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”

Jesus, Luke 4

Some mistakenly believe that God demands our worship because He needs it. The creation accounts of other religions suggest as much. In those, humans were created to serve the gods. But the God of Genesis needs no servants. Indeed, He is perfectly perfect, lacking nothing. But if this is true, why is the command to worship God repeated so often in the Bible? The answer is simple: it is there to protect us. As you may have noticed, people worship. It is what we do. We fawn over beauty, cheer our teams and celebrate heroism. Consequently, we are never commanded to worship, what we are instructed to do is to make sure our worship is directed towards God. Why? Because if we do not rightly order our loves, we are diminished. St. Augustine was spot on when he prayed: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Speaking of Worship: I had dinner last week with a high school classmate of David Foster Wallace, whose brilliant 2005 Kenyon commencement speech focused on worship. I have shared Wallace’s speech before, but it deserves repeating. You can find the whole thing here.  The part I want to underline is: “In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship — be it J.C. or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths or some infrangible set of ethical principles — is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. On one level, we all know this stuff already — it’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, bromides, epigrams, parables: the skeleton of every great story. The trick is keeping the truth up-front in daily consciousness.”

The View from 30,000: In Dr. Charles Malik’s 1982 book, A Christian Critique of the University, he argued that there are seven institutions in society – the family, the church, the state, business, education, the professions and the arts. He then claimed that the university was the most important of the seven because it shaped the leaders of the other six. I was not fully persuaded by Malik’s argument forty years ago – nor was I convinced that “the professions” was its own category – but I do think his book is worth revisiting if only to make this observation. During the last forty years, the state and business have gained influence, but the family and church have lost it. And on the whole, I think that’s a bad thing.

No: I heard this week that children need to be taught to hate. I think that’s crazy talk. In fact, in the words of Dr. Peter Kreeft – long-time philosophy professor at Boston College – it’s one of those ideas so stupid that “only a PhD would believe it.” (And in this case I would add, only a PhD who has not spent much time around children.)

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FWIW: In the past few weeks, I’ve participated on several search committees. After a couple years of ugly revelations concerning high profile Christian leaders, be encouraged. There are a number of impressive, thoughtful, competent, humble and high-capacity young evangelicals out there. In fact, I’m glad I’m not looking for a job right now.

TikTok: This WSJ article notes the growing number of TikTok stars who are earning more than America’s top CEOs. It’s persuaded me to pick up a new side hustle. As soon as I find where Sheri hid my skinny jeans, I will start posting dance videos.

Quotes Worth Requoting: “Create a throw-away consumeristic civilization, break families into ever smaller units, add a tech revolution, online addiction, economic precariousness, breakneck social change, endless work, and the collapse of religion and meaning, and yes, people will go a bit nuts. They’ll become depressed; they’ll seek out escapes through opiates or meth; they’ll disappear down rabbit holes of online fanaticism; they’ll seek meaning through work or fame; they’ll tear each other down with glee; they’ll lose the skills for family, friendship, constancy, discipline, and love.” Andrew Sullivan

Word of the Week: “Attention,” is this week’s winner, having popped up in this Christianity Today piece – which notes that there is no such thing as time management, only attention management. It also appears in this John Mark Comer quotation –  “In the end, your life is no more than the sum of what you gave your attention to.” Allow me two quick attention related comments: 1) Thanks for sharing a bit of your attention with me on Fridays; and 2) Now would be a good time to ask yourself, to what – or to whom – should I direct my attention today?

Without Comment: 1) 80% of New Year’s Resolutions have already been broken; 2) In 2021, the percentage of Americans who self-designated as atheist, agnostic or of no particular faith rose to 29% of all U.S. adults; 3) Year-over-year inflation hit 7 percent in December, the largest annual price increase since June 1982: 4) This Gallup report notes that the average number of books read per person, per year is down from 15.6 in 2016 to 12.6 today, with the steepest decline coming from college graduates.

Closing Prayer: Lord, while cynicism and apathy attempt to drag down the public discourse, we may be tempted to be discouraged regarding the moral and political foundations of our country. Yet, regardless of our societal challenges, You still rule and reign from the throne room of heaven. You represent true justice coupled with mercy. Help us to lift up our eyes to where our help comes from. Our help comes from You. Today we invoke Your name, Your presence, and Your guidance. As we gather today, may our diversity spur unity, may our collective humanity invite compassion, and may our experiences produce creativity for the many challenges we face.” (Indiana Statehouse Chaplain, Matt Barnes)

Happy First Friday of 2022,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus, John 15:12

When initially asked about God’s commands, Jesus summarized the Law by instructing us to: love God and to love our neighbor. In his Farewell Discourse, He mentions only the call to love one another. What happened to the call to love God? Nothing. A careful reading of the Old Testament makes it clear that we love God by loving our neighbor. Indeed, whenever God’s people tried to worship the Lord while mistreating their neighbors (e.g., orphans, widows, immigrants, the poor, et. al.) He brought swift judgment upon them. Love God by loving those He created in His image.

Lists, Resolutions, Lists and More Lists: Many used the end of December to share their “Best Of ’21” rankings. I’m referring to: best books, best movies, best podcasts, best blog posts, etc. I’m tempted to publish a list of “The Best Lists,” but I’m not sure everyone would get the joke. I’m also going to pass offering advice about resolutions. I will, however, note the following: 1) I have made it six straight days with Trevin Wax’s Psalms in 30 Days, a reading plan that assumes devotional moments in the AM, at noon and before bed – and I like it; 2) As a pastor, one of my cool super powers is the ability to absolve you of guilt for failed resolutions. So… boom, you are absolved; 3) It’s worth pondering our attraction to resolutions. Clearly we want to raise our game; and 4) I like the meme that suggests we should resolve to be more like Jesus – i.e., hang out with sinners; upset religious people; tell stories that make people think; choose unpopular friends; be kind, loving and merciful; take naps on boats.

The Eight Still Hold: Back in mid 2020, I scribbled a list of things I needed to keep front and center. I pass them along (again) because I think they still have some value. They appear in no particular order: 1) Many things are going right; 2) Many things are more fragile than I understood; 3) Things are not going back to the way they were; 4) In addition to expecting change, I should expect hard; 5) I need to be more like Christ; 6) The church needs to be more fully conformed to the Gospel; 7) God remains in control; and 8) I cannot do everything, but I can do the right thing.

Two Additions: At some point during 2021, I added two items to my list: 9) Stop listening to the fringe. There are angry and scared people out there invested in selling the apocalypse. You cannot allow them to make you angry and scared; and 10) Stop listening to so much news. A few weeks back, I interrupted my history podcast to share my concerns about news journalism. If you care, you can find that episode here. All I add today is the recent news that John Huey – the former editor-in-chief of Time  – recently published his New Year’s resolution. It is – to consume less news. In a Washington Post piece he writes, “Having spent more than 40 years reporting, writing and editing the news, I am surprised to conclude that overconsumption of news, at least in the forms I’ve been gorging on since 2016, is neither good for my emotional well-being nor essential to the health of the republic.” He goes on to argue that there isn’t enough going on to “fill the 24/7 maw” of cable, talk radio, and social media. “I don’t intend to stop fretting about my country. Nor will I give up reading the newspapers and magazines I deem essential to understanding the world around me. But I am planning a crash news diet. … If the news is big enough, it will find me.”

All Things William Shatner: After reading Mission at Nuremberg – a book about the chaplains who provided spiritual care to the highest-ranking Nazi POWs –  I tracked down Judgement at Nuremberg, a 1961 film starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland. Much to my surprise, the film also featured a very young William Shatner. I was never much of a Trekkie, but I am impressed by Captain Kirk. In 1961, a 30-year-old Shatner had roles alongsideHollywood’s elites. In 2021 – at the age of 90 – he actually went into space with Jeff Bezos. (BTW,  I am not sure what is more curious. The fact that at 90, Shatner looks only slightly older than Bezos, or at how little space travel has advanced since Star Trek debuted. Trekkies were expecting much more than Blue Origin delivers.)

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John Adams Updated: In Why We are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment, Drs. Benjamin and Jenna Storey argue that “Today’s US political institutions were designed for people who were already strongly committed to churches, localities, professions and families. But when private lives have broken down – families dissolved, localities less important, religious life absent – liberalism’s framework institutions no longer make sense.” This sounds like an updated version of what John Adams said over 200 years ago, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Without Comment: 1) The average person gains eight pounds between T-day and New Year’s Eve; 2) China’s aging population will soon join Japan in buying more diapers for seniors than for infants; 3) Apple has become the first US company to surpass $3T in market value; 4) According to the most recent Gallup poll: 94% of Americans favor interracial marriage, 70% favor same-sex marriage, 68% favor legalizing marijuana, 62% are hoping that a third political party is formed, and only 36% trust the media; 5) According to the most recent Pew survey: 44% of non-parents ages 18 to 49 say “it is not too or not at all likely” that they will have children someday (an increase from the 37% who said the same in 2018), eight in ten Asians say that violence against them is increasing in the US, only 17% of Americans think the US is a good model for other countries; and most democrats in the US see voting as a fundamental right while most Republicans view it as a privilege that comes with responsibilities.

Quotes Worth Requoting: “In virtually every church there is a smaller or larger body of Christians who have been radicalized to the Left or to the Right by extremely effective and completely immersive internet and social media loops, newsfeeds, and communities. People are bombarded 12 hours a day with pieces that present a particular political point of view, and the main way it seeks to persuade is not through argument but through outrage. People are being formed by this immersive form of public discourse—far more than they are being formed by the Church. This is creating a crisis.” Tim Keller
Closing Prayer: I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me in any place of service, rank me with any type of people. Put me to work, put me to suffering. Let me be useful for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low by you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and for your use. John Wesley

Happy Christmas Eve,

He made himself nothing by taking the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

The Apostle Paul, Phil. 2:7

The incarnation tends to be overshadowed by the crucifixion and resurrection. That’s unfortunate. As miracles go, it’s just as stunning. In some ways, more so. I’m not talking about God’s ability to restrict Himself. Nor am I referencing the mysterious nature of Christ (who became fully God and fully man, without confusion, without change, without division and without separation). Those are awe-inspiring, but what I am marveling at is His scandalous humility. I’m not sure we can begin to process it. Buechner is clearly on to something when he says: The incarnation is a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers. Until we too have taken the idea of the God-man seriously enough to be scandalized by it, we have not taken it as seriously as it demands to be taken.

I Wish Them Well: When we get education wrong, the downstream effects are severe, and at the moment, many once fine institutions are getting it wrong. Among those looking to chart a new path, the University of Austin (UATX) is garnering the most press, principally because of those signing on to help – e.g., Jonathan Haidt, Lawrence Summers, Arthur Brooks, Steven Pinker, Leon Kass, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bari Weiss, Pano Kanelos, et al. I do not have an educated opinion about this new venture, but I’m intrigued by their requirement that faculty and students: 1) Model intellectual humility; 2) Affirm the absolute and equal dignity of all human beings; and 3) Passionately pursue truth. Universities generally start with high minded ideals and then drift. (Harvard was founded to train pastors for Christ’s glory.) But the fact that 3,500 faculty from other institutions have asked how they can apply suggests there is a market for a university that understands that you cannot have an illiberal liberal arts college.

Yes, but…:  In the last month, there have been more reports detailing how lonely Americans are, and how frayed our society has become. Many of these reports make note that people who attend church have more friends, better mental health, and greater social capital. The implication is everyone should go to church. Well, I’m all for it, but…we need to keep things in order. Christianity is not true because it works – i.e., we should not follow Jesus because doing so leads to better mental health. Christianity works because it’s true. More to the point, the reason to go to church is not because it might lower your anxiety. The reason to go to church is because Jesus is God.

Apologies: BTW, I am pretty sure I’m not supposed to make observations like this, but the American Enterprise Institute Survey Center’s data makes it clear that the loneliness divide is not just a religious divide. It is also a class divide, a friendship divide, and a fellowship divide. We are splitting apart in more than one way.

God-Shaped Vacuum: In this French Press piece, David French mentions the loneliness epidemic before noting that some are turning to politics for hope and meaning. Yes. For some time, I’ve suspected the State is the biggest idol around. People expect it to do for them things only God can do. This is part of the reason people are bringing religious zeal to political matters. GKC was right when he noted, “When a person ceases to worship God, he does not worship nothing. He worships everything.”

The News on the News: I took a break from my history podcast last week to whine – first about how broken the news is, and second about how profoundly the broken news is breaking us. You can listen here. Or you can get the five second version, which is – unless you are actively guarding against it, you are being discipled by the news.

Reindeer Tribe! A few weeks ago, I noted that Brad Coleman (a pastor at Christ Church) was huddling with old friends to make a new Christmas album. This group – which calls themselves “Reindeer Tribe” – occasionally garners national attention. You can find this year’s album here.

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Omicron: Last week’s Update had a line about me “cheering on Omicron” that I pulled at the last moment. It looked like this new strain was just the right blend of “mild yet contagious” to vaccinate the whole world. But I just wasn’t sure, so I stopped short of cheering. As I write this, there are more reasons to think Omicron may do us a big favor, but there are still questions, so I will leave the medical news to others. Instead, I will restate two things: 1) God > COVID; and 2) We will get through this. Indeed, we are getting through this. (Thanks again to all of you who’ve sacrificed to keep things going, especially medical providers.) And be encouraged, we’re better off today than we were 21 months ago.

Crime’s Spike: The FBI’s recently released 2020 crime data shows property crime down but violent crime way up – e.g., murder spiked an unprecedented 29.4 percent. Here’s the bad news: these are the numbers comparing 2019 to 2020, not the numbers comparing 2020 with 2021 – which are expected to be much worse. Commenting about this spike, one politician admitted, “There is an attitude of lawlessness in our country that springs from I don’t know where.” Hmm, I know where. The human heart, it is “deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” (Jeremiah 17:9) There are still people who think we are good and getting better, and that with just a bit more time and education, we will all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. Apparently, they cannot be dissuaded by inconvenient things such as crime statistics.

Without Comment: 1) TikTok – the app known for its silly dancing videos – was the world’s most visited internet site in ‘21, with over one billion users every month; 2) In the ‘70s, more than forty percent of American households consisted of a married couple and children under the age of 18, today it is 18.7%. On a related note, the average age at which a US woman marries for the first time is now 28.6; 3) Also related, the Census Bureau reported that the U.S. population grew just 0.1 percent in 2021, the lowest rate in the country’s history; 4) Spiderman’s No Way Home managed to squeeze the third biggest movie opening of all time between the Delta and Omicron variants. Sales were over 600M for the weekend.

No Update Next Week: There will be no 100+ Podcast released on Christmas or New Year’s Day, and no Friday Update next week. Lord willing, everything will be back up and running on January 7, 2022. Merry Christmas.

Closing Prayer: Let the just rejoice, for their Justifier is born. Let the sick and infirm rejoice, for their Savior is born. Let the captives rejoice, for their Redeemer is born. Let slaves rejoice, for their Master is born. Let free people rejoice, for their Liberator is born. Let all Christians rejoice, for Jesus Christ is born. Amen. (Augustine of Hippo – 345 – 430)