If a certain kind of book must be written and read, a warning should flash that is more authentic than any “blood moon prophecy.” The fact that it must be written is a bad sign. Jim Geraghty and Cam Edwards have a book full of the kind of advice my Uncle Roddy and my dad gave me for free. Yet I teach enough young adults a year to know the obvious is no longer obvious and that the dads and uncles have... Read more
See the next World Magazine for my review of the new biopic on Steve Jobs. Bottom line: wait for Netflix. Secondary lesson, read the authorized biography and then you can skip the movie. The real Steve Jobs was more interesting than either. Here are three lessons that one can learn from the life of Steve Jobs that go beyond the fact that eating certain foods will not leave you smelling good and not needing a shower. The biography tells enough... Read more
I keep a prayer journal ever since JP Moreland, philosopher and mentor, pointed out it was good to keep track of what you prayed in the past so you can see what God had done in the present. There is a pattern to life in Jesus Christ, but we can lose the flow of His actions in the day-to-day. Our God cares for even the sparrow, so He cares for us, but as a result of the care for the sparrow, the stars, and the sea, what... Read more
Today we went to see the movie about Steve Jobs . . . more on that at World Magazine . . . but whatever the merits of the film (and they were there) the movie and the trailers around the motion picture were grim, serious, and often unpleasant. The Christmas movies coming up look cynical and irreligious with humor mostly drawn from mockery. I am not saying all films must be pleasant, but it would be nice if some were. Of... Read more
Vince Lombardi inherited a losing team with losing players and made that team one of the best football teams that ever existed. He transformed “losers” into winners. However, when he left, the Packers confused his plans and his methods with his vision. They imitated Lombardi long after the methods and means were contrary to Lombardi’s vision: winning football games. The Packer sweep or wearing blazers and ties on the plane ride were means to getting there . . . not... Read more
Picking a fight is easy. Watch: The best quarterback in Packer history, perhaps in NFL history, was Bart Starr. Do you disagree? If you say, Favre, then I know you to be shallow, caring only for style over victories. If you say Rodgers, then you are overwhelmed with statistics over the true measure of a quarterback: championships. If you say Lynn Dickey, then you value the long ball over everything. If you say Randy Wright, then you are simply insane.... Read more
Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a conversation Patheos is hosting on the new film The Armor of Light. Find more perspectives here. Some ideas are clear from Sacred Scripture and the historic teachings of the Church. Some things are matters of judgment and prudence where good Christians can disagree. Lately, people who wish only the government to have the right to lethal force have been acting as if it is incompatible with the Faith to support a right... Read more
The Russians wanted to help fellow Christians long oppressed by Islamic rule, relegated to second class status, butchered for being Christians. They sent the best technology of the era and helped crush the forces arrayed against the ragtag Christians. Some things do not change. The Russians went to battle with British and French allies. Both nations shared the Russian concern for fellow Christians and a deep respect for the heritage of Greece. Leaders in Russia, France, and Britain understood and... Read more
The next time someone tells you war doesn’t solve any problems, point out that winning the Battle of Yorktown (this date in 1781) gave the United States independence. For those who say that without the War we would have become a bigger Canada, the nation that gave us William Shatner, point out that Canada got to be Canada because of the lessons the USA taught the British at Yorktown. It was up to Lord Cornwallis to be there at the... Read more
Today the Empire of the Tsars turned over possession of Alaska to the United States of America. An entire nation-size territory lost a heritage and gained another. This is bittersweet to me: I have never felt more at home than standing in America in a Tsarist Orthodox Church. At that moment, I felt I was part of the great republican heritage of my nation, the older and culturally richer heritage of Russia, and the deep truth of Christian Orthodoxy. This is... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In