By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Genesis 3:19

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, 
my soul and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 103

The meditation Scripture advocates is less about relaxation and more about instruction. We are commanded to lead our heart – i.e., to soak it in Biblical truth and steer it down virtuous paths – not to follow it wherever it leads.

MLK on Truth: “We have accepted the attitude that right and wrong are merely relative… But I’m here to say to you this morning that some things are right and some things are wrong. Eternally so, absolutely so. It’s wrong to hate. It always has been wrong and it always will be wrong. It’s wrong in America, it’s wrong in Germany, it’s wrong in Russia, it’s wrong in China. It was wrong in 2000 B.C., and it’s wrong in 1954 A.D. It always has been wrong, and it always will be wrong. It’s wrong to throw our lives away in riotous living. No matter if everybody in Detroit is doing it, it’s wrong. It always will be wrong, and it always has been wrong. It’s wrong in every age and it’s wrong in every nation. Some things in this universe are absolute. The God of the universe has made it so. And so long as we adopt this relative attitude toward right and wrong, we’re revolting against the very laws of God Himself” (from the sermon “Rediscovering Lost Values” delivered February 28, 1954).

Without Comment: 1) In 2011, 70 percent of evangelicals said a public official’s character mattered. In 2016, just 28 percent said it did; 2) Women reported a 41% increase in “heavy drinking days” in 2020 over 2019; 3) According to Pew, Americans are more likely than those in other advanced economies to say the pandemic has strengthened their faith; 4) In a recent poll, 16 percent of Republicans view President Biden favorably – which is 6% higher than the number of Democrats who viewed Trump favorably at the start of his presidency; 5) George Orwell’s 1984 was the top-selling adult fiction book last week.

Surprised: When Christ Church opened a branch of The Justice Center – a ministry which provides free legal and financial counseling, along with prayer support for no-income, low-income, and even middle-income individuals in need – we expected that most of the help we offered would be in contract disputes. It is not. Most of the work relates to family matters (custody enforcement, child support and divorce).

Silencing Dissent: After The Daily Citizen (a small conservative magazine) tweeted that President Biden’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of Health is “a transgender woman – that is, a man who believes he is a woman” – Twitter locked their account for “hateful conduct and violence.” The magazine appealed, noting that it would never promote violence and that it was simply explaining that transgender women are – “those born male who believe they are a woman, regardless of whether they have had opposite-sex hormones or surgeries.” The social media platform has said its ban will not be overturned. Twitter is a private company, so this is not technically censorship. However, as Princeton professor Robert P. George notes, social media restrictions have “now gone way beyond the bounds of the reasonable. People need to be able to criticize and forcefully challenge ideas. What we do NOT need is the silencing of dissent.” Indeed.

Two Related Thoughts: 1) Comments about the need for a free press prompt me to highlight our need for Religious Freedom. Much depends on it. However, these days I feel the need to add: The First Amendment is not a cure all. Some reporting is bad, and so is some religion! 2) Ironically, the place with the least freedom of speech these days is the college campus.

The More Things Change: Justin Martyr – one of the early church’s first apologists – identified four challenges to discipleship: 1) sexual immorality; 2) wealth; 3) magic; and 4) ethnic hatred. Andy Crouch notes that if we change magic to technology, the list still works 2,000 years later.

Champions: As we head into the Super Bowl, let’s note there are three kinds of champions: 1) those who triumph after an epic contest and celebrate the win; 2) Those who sacrifice their lives for a victorious battle; and 3) Jesus, who is the only one to do both.

Mortality Salience: In the UK, those who’ve attended on-line church at least once last year is up from 5% to 25%. The Brits are crediting mortality salience with the spike. As a pastor I can tell you that mortality salience – which is the awareness that you “might die one day, so you start asking the big questions” – is in short supply on this side of the pond as well. It’s not just that few embrace Paul’s claim that, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” It’s that many live in such denial of death that its approach shocks them. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Jake Revisited: I heard from a few of you about Jake – the bare-chested, fur-draped, and horn-wearing renegade made (in)famous on January 6^th.  One said he claimed to be a Christian. More suggested he appeared to be one of the more thoughtful residents of DC.

Closing Prayer: I pray, O God, to know you, to love you, that I may rejoice in you. And if I cannot attain to full joy in this life, may I at least advance from day to day, until that joy shall come to the full. Let the knowledge of you advance in me here, and there be made full. Let the love of you increase…Meanwhile, let my mind meditate upon it [truth]; let my tongue speak of it. Let my heart love it; let my mouth talk of it. Let my soul hunger for it; let my flesh thirst for it; let my whole being desire it, until I enter into your joy, O Lord, who are the Three and the One God, blessed for ever and ever. Amen. (Anselm, Proslogion26)

Psalm 112:1

The world is full of people seeking meaning, satisfaction, connection, and freedom. This shouldn’t surprise us; these needs reflect the image of God that resonates in us. They also highlight our desperate need for deep communion with Him. However, the needs can be vexing. Take freedom – Scripture teaches that it is found in humility and obedience, which is not where most people are looking.

Lessons of History: Over fifty years ago, Will and Ariel Durant completed The Story of Civilization – an eleven-volume history of the world which took them forty years to write. I’ve seen The Story on bookshelves and at garage sales, but I’ve never taken it on. I have, however, read what they wrote next – a 102 page set of reflections called The Lessons of History. And my recent efforts to host a church history podcast not only has me thinking about the Durant’s take-aways, it has me making some of my own. This week’s unnerving “Lesson” – completed after giving a lecture on the Crusades – is that large groups of people can be quite wrong for decades on end. Truth ultimately prevails. But it is possible for cultures to be wrong for decades.

Write Things Down: Peter Drucker encouraged business leaders to write down their expectations – i.e., to keep track of what they expect will happen as a result of their decisions. He claimed writing things down so we could later compare our expectations with reality is the only way to learn. Given the different scenarios I am hearing from the Left and Right, I am writing down their expectations and my own. BTW, long-time journalists (and politicians) already have track records. I wish we paid more attention to them.

I Apologize: I apologize for whining about journalism, but one of the ironies of this moment is that while we’ve never had more reporters filing updates – indeed, while we’ve never had access to so much information – we’ve seldom had more difficulty knowing who / what to trust.

Question of the Week: Are the people around me becoming more like Christ because of my influence?

Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Prayer may or may not get you what you want. But it will teach you to want what you need.” Vance Havner; 2) “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Darth Vader; 3) “Pharisees repent of their wrong-doing. But they do not repent of the reasons of their right-doing, which is just as bad.” Tim Keller; 4) “A life of self-denying kindness to others is the true secret of greatness in the Kingdom of God.” Bishop J.C. Ryle

Pagan: Pagan is a word I’ve been hesitant to use because few know its true meaning. Enter Jake Angeli. Jake – the face-painted capitol rioter who paraded around in fur and animal horns – is a pagan. I’m horrified by what Mr. Angeli did, but thankful as well. I now have a picture I can use when describing a pagan. (Pagan /ˈpāɡən/ noun. one who, for the most part, has no religion and indulges in worldly delights and material possessions; someone who revels in sensual pleasures; a hedonistic or self-indulgent individual. Another, more modern term is neo-paganism, which refers to some of the contemporary forms of paganism such as Wica, Druidry, and Gwyddon.)

Io Triumphe!: While reading Robert Harris’s fictional trilogy about ancient Rome – told through the eyes of Cicero’s scribe, Tiro – I learned that Roman generals returning victorious from battle waited outside the gates of Rome for the Senate to decide what level of parade to grant them. There were three levels. All hoped for – but few were granted – the highest honor: A Triumphal Entry.

Closing Prayer: Lord, I rejoice in forgiveness of sin, but I still limp along, half crippled by fears, self-pity, anger, self-consciousness, and discouragement. All could be healed so much further if I took the truths of the Gospel more to heart. Bring your Word in deep – let it dwell in me richly – that I can be more freed from the effects of sin. Amen. Tim Keller

Psalm 106:20

After the LORD delivered the Jews from slavery, they “forgot the God who saved them” and began to worship other gods. We are much more sophisticated than the ancient Jews, consequently our idols are more complicated and shinier. But let’s not kid ourselves, our idols are still idols, and they are no more able to save than the image of a bull. Lord God, forgive our faithlessness and help us see both our idols and You more clearly.

Speaking of Idols: A friend that was beholden to comfort and prosperity recently lamented. “I find time to read the newspaper but not the Bible. I make space to watch football but not to pray. I look forward to golf but not Heaven!”

The Question: Larry King – whose bout with COVID has him back in the news – said that if he could interview anyone ever it would be Mary. And he would focus on the Virgin birth (technically, the Virgin conception), because, he noted, “that would settle it.” Yes, that would. But according to Paul everything ultimately pivots around the resurrection. If Jesus rose from the dead – as He said He would – then we must follow. And if He did not, why would we?

What Should We Admire Most About Jesus? In his classic, Humility and Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray argues that the most amazing thing about Jesus – and what we should be zealous to embody – is His humility. Had you asked me what I thought was “the most amazing aspect of Jesus,” I am not sure what I would have said, but it would not have been His humility. But Murray is winning me over. In the second of his book’s thirteen meditations, Murray argues that all of life comes down to the struggle between pride and humility. Note: This work, written over a century ago, is a slow read. I am taking it a few paragraphs per day. That said, I am very proud of my progress. Indeed, I am also proud of how quickly I am aware of the irony of my pride in reading a book about humility. Apparently, I need to keep reading. (And let me suggest you likely do as well, given that you live in a culture that idolizes self-esteem).

On a Related Note: I found this quote a perfect addition to the Mason jars of muddy water I hand out. “Solitude does its work whether we have any cognitive understanding of it or not. Just as the physical law of gravity ensures that sediment swirling in a jar of muddy river water will eventually settle and the water will become clear, so the spiritual law of gravity ensures that the chaos of the human soul will settle if it sits still long enough.” (Do you sit still long enough to let things settle?)

Without Comment:

Evil: In this article, David Lapp notes that “Scared Straight” programs – i.e. exposing children to the horrors of prison, etc. – appear to make things worse. Like a moth to the flame, we seem drawn to evil. What is about evil that makes it so attractive? What is it about us that we are bent in that direction?

Corrections, Additions and Updates: 1) In last week’s Update, I claimed that 61% of the US POWs held in the Hanoi Hilton later viewed their trials as “beneficial.” An alert reader noted that I should have said, “61% of those who survived their stay later described it as beneficial.” 2) I received several comments on Washington’s farewell speech which I had linked. One person sent this link to an updated (i.e., modern vernacular – and a bit course) version, which she found more understandable.

Shocked: One of the ways I know that people have started reading their Bible, is their need to tell me that Jesus is so much less tame than they expected.

Quote of the Week: “Jesus is not a figure in a book but a living presence. It is not enough to study the story of Jesus like the life of any other great historical figure. We might begin that way, but we must end by meeting Him. Jesus is not a memory but a presence… Jesus is not someone to discuss so much as someone to meet. The Christian life is not the life of a man who knows about Jesus, but the life of a man who knows Jesus.” William Barclay.

Closing Prayer: I am communing with fire. Of myself, I am but straw but, O miracle, I feel myself suddenly blazing like Moses’ burning bush of old. You have given me Your flesh as food. You who are a fire which consumes the unworthy, do not burn me, O my Creator, but rather slip into my members, into all my joints, into my loins and into my heart. Consume the thorns of all my sins, purify my soul, sanctify my heart, strengthen the tendons of my knees and my bones, illumine my five senses, and establish me wholly in Your love. Amen. (Symeon Metaphrastes – 900 – 987)

Happy Friday,

Psalm 106:3

David’s words in Psalm 106 celebrate grace. But verse three reminds us that God’s kindness should never give license to sin. We must continually strive to do the right thing. Indeed, the fact that He showers us with grace should fuel holiness not foster complacency.

Lessons from 2020: I am reading my journal from last year. It turns out 2020 is just as odd the second time through. But that isn’t the big take-away. What jumps off the page is how often I’m stressed by things that do not matter. Or, to put the best spin on it possible, it turns out that I spend too much time on Monday concerned about things that will be forgotten by Tuesday. Consider the lilies of the field…

Better and Worse: Last week’s Capitol melee has been described as unthinkable, tragic, horrific and absurd. It was surely that and worse. I am still processing so I will limit my comments. But it seems important to note two things. First, this was not “the worst thing that has happened,” “the beginning of the end,” or anything close. Only those who have never read a history book would make such a statement. Second, those who wrote, “This is not America” are wrong. It is. The people are divided, entrenched, angry and not very self-aware. More to the point, this is you and me. We are broken, sinful and desperately in need of a Savior.

Better Titles Later: The tough moments in life are often renamed – that is, what is initially thought a “horrible season,” becomes a “time of real growth.”  I am not suggesting you will later say that “the worst day of your life” was actually “the best.” But I’ve heard, “getting let go from that job was a blessing in disguise,” several dozen times. And three different times I’ve heard people say, “I would not trade getting cancer for anything. It has been such a gift.” As an aside, sixty-one percent of the American servicemen who were held in the “Hanoi Hilton” now label their stay as “beneficial.”

The Last Battle: It may be time to reread the last book in Lewis’s Chronicles series. In Narnia, the end of the world is set in motion with a con, some cascading lies and a bit of “fake news.” Chaos ensues, the land is overrun by Calormene soldiers and everyone starts turning on everyone else.

The Irony: I’m not sure if you have noticed, but the media carried two kinds of stories during the first two weeks of 2021. The first discussed the seemingly intractable problems related to racial tension, COVID spikes, vaccine delays, societal polarization, cascading debt, etc. The second were puff pieces claiming you overcome anything if you: “seize the day,” “adopt a winning attitude,” “embrace grit,” and “leverage your resolutions.”  #whiplash

Speaking of 2021: One of the things I appreciated about 2020 were the memes. 2021 is off to a decent start. On a very different note, this is an old song – and the musicians singing it channel an 80s religious vibe – but I found some energy in this arrangement about the Church triumphant.

Without Comment: 1) So many Muslims report seeing a vision of Jesus in a white robe – telling them that He loves them, died for them, and wants them to follow Him – that Christian groups in Egypt have taken out newspaper ads saying, “If you have seen a man in a white robe in your dreams, He has a message for you. Call this number.” 2) Fatherless children are five times more likely to live in poverty, nine times more likely to drop out of school and twenty times more likely to go to prison.

Two Great Weekend Reads: If you are looking for a break from today’s political news and commentary, why not glean some wisdom from two classics. The first is George Washington’s Farewell Address, which was the single most read document between 1790 and the Civil War. The second is Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which I recommend every year.

Closing Prayer: Lord, we pray this day mindful of the sorry confusion of our world. Look with mercy upon this generation of your children so steeped in misery of their own contriving, so far strayed from your ways and so blinded by passions. We pray for the victims of tyranny, that they may resist oppression with courage. We pray for wicked and cruel men, whose arrogance reveals to us what the sin of our own hearts is like when it has conceived and brought forth its final fruit. We pray for ourselves who live in peace and quietness, that we may not regard our good fortune as proof of our virtue, or rest content to have our ease at the price of others’ sorrow and tribulation. We pray for all who have some vision of your will, despite the confusions and betrayals of human sin, that they may humbly and resolutely plan for and fashion the foundations of a just peace, even while they seek to preserve what is fair and just among us against the threat of malignant powers. Amen. (Reinhold Niebuhr – 1892 – 1971)

Happy Friday,

Jesus

We are wise to note how often Christ suggests that many who listen do not hear, and many who know do not do. It is also worth noting that those not listening nor doing tend to think they are good listeners and faithful doers. It’s been quite a week. We all have reasons to be embarrassed. Lord, help us listen to you, hear and obey.

 

Our Faustian Bargain: The Friday Update is not designed to offer real-time comments. Indeed, by design I hold back in order to reflect, leaving reporting to others. The violence of this week has already been appropriately condemned. All I will add at this moment is the observation that in dismissing the Ten Commandments we have not gained true freedom. Quite the opposite. And last time I looked we replaced the Ten with ten thousand and counting.

 

Resolutions 1.0:  Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks – whose work on happiness I have cited before – has a thoughtful article in The Atlantic titled, “New Year’s Resolutions That Will Actually Lead to Happiness.” After surveying what others are saying, Brooks notes growing evidence that happiness follows forgiveness and gratitude.

 

Resolutions 2.0:  Apparently COVID changed resolutions. Far fewer are focussing on losing weight. Instead: 71% of us have resolved to acquire new life skills, 66% to spend more time with family, 62% to save money and 58% to work on having a more positive outlook.

 

It’s That Time Again: It’s been six months since I whined about demographic trends in the US, so here I go. In this piece in Plough Quarterly, Ross Douthat adds his voice to the “we need more children” crowd.

 

Quotes Worth Requoting:  “The most highly educated society in Western Europe elected Hitler, and the highest density of universities per acre and per person is to be found in California. Need I say more?” Malcomb Muggeridge, 1978. “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who believe themselves sinners; the rest, sinners, who believe themselves righteous.”  Blaise Paschal. “Politics is the preoccupation of the quarter-educated.” William F. Buckley

 

Without Comment:  1) According to a recent survey, 81 percent of Republicans say the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists, while 78 percent of Democrats say the Republican Party has been taken over by racists. 2) This frequently-cited study suggests that Netflix watchers spend 18 minutes a day (i.e., 100 plus hours per year) deciding which program to watch.

 

This Week’s Sign that the Apocalypse is at Hand: Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, an ordained minister, closed his opening prayer for the new Congress with “Amen and awoman.” For what it’s worth, “Amen” isn’t a gendered word. It’sHebrew for “so be it.”

 

Explaining 2020: One way to make sense of 2020 is to note that while “political community” is very unsatisfying, it is better than zero community. And “zero community” describes a growing segment of people today.

 

A Reminder:  Remember, if we hope to see the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we cannot focus on the fruit. We must focus on Jesus and His acceptance of us. It is only through a deeper sense of the Gospel that we move to the point where our heart changes and the fruit ripen.

 

Closing Prayer: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you, and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always. Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my peril alone. Amen. (Thomas Merton – 1915-1968)

Happy Friday and Happy New Year,

Psalm 96:8

We are repeatedly commanded to worship God, not because He needs the encouragement, but because we need to lift our gaze from lesser things and focus on Him. There are other reasons for “Ascribing to the Lord the glory due His name,” but as one year rolls into another, I am struck by how much 2021 will be shaped by our orientation. When we learn to see things as they truly are, we are reorienting in joyful ways that propels us to praise, serve and love.

A New Euphemism:  Back in the 80s, “mistakes were made” was the phrase some used to sound thoughtful (even humble) without actually accepting any blame.  The new go-to line is, “Walk that back,” as in, “I need to walk back that comment”. I am pretty sure you only “walk things back” if you are caught in a lie. But I am not positive. I might be wrong, err, “it is possible that mistakes are being made”.

Spiritual Narcissism: A Times of London article argues that the spiritual practices designed to shrink our ego likely inflate it. The specific claim is that those who seek harmony with the universe through meditation feel superior to those who do not. Perhaps. I am a fan of meditation, though only that guided by Scripture and focused primarily on Christ and the Gospel. Nevertheless, I take the study as a warning.  May we all be reminded that the closer we grow to God, the further away we will realize we actually are, and that no one – absolutely no one – wants to around someone who is spiritually proud. Self-righteous religious jerks are the worst jerks of all.

Quotes Worth Requoting: “If Americans can be divorced for ‘incompatibility of temper’ I cannot conceive why they are not all divorced. I have known many happy marriages, but never a compatible one. The whole aim of marriage is to fight through and survive the instant when incompatibility becomes unquestionable. For a man and a woman, as such, are incompatible.” GK Chesterton

Tozer on Entering a New Year: “I do not advise that we end the year on a somber note. The march, not the dirge, has ever been the music of Christianity. If we are good students in the school of life, there is much that the years have to teach us. But the Christian is more than a student, more than a philosopher. He is a believer, and the object of his faith makes the difference, the mighty difference. Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation.” A.W. Tozer

Focus Here:  “Happiness Studies” – which is one of the hottest academic disciplines of the last five years – has now confirmed what we find in the biblical wisdom books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes: Not everything matters, but four things do. The keys to happiness are: 1) a few deep friendships; 2) healthy family relationships; 3) meaningful work; and 4) a worldview that helps you understand death and suffering.  (NOTE: If you’d like to be happier next year than this one – and who doesn’t? – you might craft any resolution around one or all four of these key areas)

More Curious and Less Furious: Speaking of resolutions, the phrase “be more curious and less furious” seems like good counsel for the months ahead.

Sign of the Times: During 2021, a new version of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR to the initiated) will be released on TV. Early reports tell us to think Game of Thrones and to expect nudity. Nudity? Having not seen Game of Thrones I cannot comment on that reference, but nudity… in the LOTR? I assume we are not talking about naked Orcs or Balrogs, so let me note, nudity will require major changes. One of the criticisms of the LOTR is the almost total lack of female characters.

The Middle Ages: If most of what you know about the Middle Ages comes from Monty Python films, you might enjoy this classic sketch. If you want a more accurate understanding of what they were like, this site features images of churches built in Norway between 1150 and 1350. For what it’s worth, historians are deciding the Dark Ages were a lot less dark than previously imagined.  But, if you’d like to stay with humor, you may enjoy a few more 2020 memes.

Closing Prayer:  Eternal God, the refuge of all your children, in our weakness you are our strength, in our darkness our light, in our sorrow our comfort and peace. May we always live in your presence, and serve you in our daily lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Boniface (680 – 754)

P.S. My apologies for any typos, etc. The proof readers who make me look smart – or who at the least keep me from looking illiterate – are off this week.