Everything may not turn out perfectly in this life, but by God’s grace everything will be fine. History ends with the triumph of Jesus and the Kingdom of God and so we can take a more optimistic view of life: we are in a divine comedy that might will contain tragedy, but that sorrow will be swallowed up in a great marriage between God and humankind. The fact that much of broken, fallen life is a farce leads some of... Read more
Nothing is worse than when the rich oppress the poor except, perhaps, when the poor revolt and murder for justice. Oppression and revolution are both ugly. America has a ruling oligarchy too content in power, but also a rising underclass full of envy and ill considered anger. Nobody is right and everybody is wrong. We are in a dangerous moment. The poor are restrained by the state, eaten up by our wars, corrupted by the libertine morals of the upper... Read more
We have a Presidential candidate who says we are going to win so much as a nation that we will get tired of winning. On the other hand, he looks like a sure loser in the general election. Should winning (if he can fulfill his promises) or losing (if he can’t beat Hillary) determine if we vote for Donald J. Trump? For Christians the answer is generally “no.” Winning (whatever that means) is not a good enough reason to support... Read more
We are always looking for heroes. Often we find someone we admire, a political, religious, or cultural leader, only to be let down when we learn more about them. I have known some actual heroes and it gives me hope for the future. William Shakespeare helps us recognize a real hero by giving us an image of one in his Henry V. The Christian hero lives a sacrificial life for a community in service to a cause bigger than himself. Such... Read more
God exalts the humble and Satan tempts us with the kingdoms of this world. American self-help or business books may not like this truth, but true it is nonetheless. We are eternal beings and striving, coveting, lusting after place and position will destroy us. In this Presidential year, when we are apt to judge the candidates, perhaps we should turn the light of truth on ourselves. Shakespeare, the great Christian sage, can help us. He gives us a perfect image... Read more
Woe is not romantic, but art can make it feel that way. If a piece of literature, a movie, or a play is true to life, woe or sorrow or misery are good signs that you are in trouble. If nothing else, when romance hurts, physically or mentally, it is time to step back, get outside help, and consider whether a sickness had masqueraded as love. Shakespeare made the difference between true love and an overly violent, hasty affection plain... Read more
Love can make you stupid . . . or seemingly stupid. People in love believe all kinds of things and have hope that kingdoms can grow out of the wilderness. Shakespeare made kingdoms grow out of nearly nothing on the stage, surviving critics, censors, and plagues to achieve unmatched greatness . . . and yet he is dead. Doesn’t that prove something? It might if death is the end, but it is not. Shakespeare understood this and so could write... Read more
It should be a tragedy, because envy and revenge always end in tragedy. They are the work of devils and Satan always comes to steal and destroy. The Winter’s Tale does not end in death, but in marriages, the mark of a classical comedy, and so the author, William Shakespeare, reminds his audience that all tragedy in this life is (eventually) made whole in the Wedding of God and man. This is very practical, because very true. It is very easy... Read more
I love watching football . . . to the point that I once gave the Green Bay Packers money for “one share” of the team . . . but the movie Concussion and an examination of the facts has given me pause about the game. Can I enjoy a sport that is killing the men who play the game? Can this issue be solved without destroying the essence of the sport? I don’t know, but sadly I am glad that my children... Read more
Today your taxes are due. Yesterday in 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Last night in 1912 the good ship RMS Titanic sank with hundreds of souls. What do you do the day after a bad day? Most of us have them, but what comes next? The day after a very bad day is hard, but it can also be the start of better times. Generally, I have found that the greatest sorrow comes later, the mourning doesn’t hit that first... Read more
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