When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” I think of absent family and disagree. There is a great sting, a certain victory for death. This Christmas Aunt Karen will not make me a laugh, Father Michael will not enact the mystery of Bethlehem, and Phil... Read more
When the City is in Trouble What to do when education has been corrupted and seeks profit over truth? How should a society respond when those who should love wisdom instead love trickery? What if those who should care about divine things instead love personal peace and affluence? Plato’s dialogue The Sophist is not an easy read, but is necessary when times are bad. Plato was in a society rapidly declining from a Golden Age. Within one generation from his death, city-state Athens would... Read more
For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.* When confronted with absolute goodness, truth, and beauty, Paul had no time for anything less. This first-rate intellect, product of an epochally excellent Jewish education with at least some Hellenistic reading, had no time for anything less than true wisdom. Paul understood that both Jewish and Greek thinkers of his time too often were content with less. They did not aspire for the divine, but... Read more
Proverbs 16:6 Guilt is wiped out by loyalty and faith, and the fear of the LORD makes mortals turn from evil. My dad surprised me once when I heard him asked what is rare in ministry. He paused and said: “Loyalty.” Loyalty, especially to the truth, is rare. Much more common is the person who works hard to convince themselves that what they wish to be true is true, avoiding anyone who might be able to “defeat” their convenient... Read more
A few years ago, I put together a play list of songs that reminded me of “us-” and I am listening just now. If you are married, at least for more than the few weeks or years, then you know what you hear when you listen to such a list. You hear time and the ages of love. The music of youth is good, causing me to recollect forgotten goods (“I LOVE LA!”) or just when our now mature love... Read more
In a word, accept one another as Christ accepted us, to the Glory of God.* So says the sage Paul and so I should do, but this is hard to do. How can I love my enemy when they are opposed to all I deem good? How can I even love my neighbor when he keeps doing petty evils that are more annoying due to their total lack of necessity. My neighbor gains nothing with his selfishness. I see who... Read more
There is breaking news. What do you think? What do I think? Let’s all say something, quickly, without a moment of reflection. Since heated language gets more attention, let’s make those opinions as hot and hateful as possible. The virtue of prudence suggests waiting, saying nothing, until we have something good to say. If we have nothing original, good, true, or beautiful, then we can proceed to say nothing. A colleague wrote a wonderful children’s song.* It contains some good advice... Read more
I was once asked to go to a country that had just shaken free from communism. The government was unsteady. I was told some interpreted “freedom” as moving from the tyrants with titles to the grandchildren of the tyrants without official titles. The looting would go from stealing from the state directly to stealing from the state through “companies.” This was not an improvement. The old tyrants and grifters at least felt the need to build grandiose monuments and dysfunctional... Read more
Watch enough television, and sadly I have watched enough television, and you observe a rule: speak three times, each time with greater intensity, and those around you will take you seriously. The simple minded writer can merely make his character speak louder. Try this at home and you will discover that people will pay attention, perhaps not good attention, but attention. “I am tired,” he said softly as he looked into the kitchen. “I am tired,” he said firmly as... Read more
Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Carol Denise McNair. Courage was required to go to 16th Street Baptist Church in the face of a summer of domestic terrorism. Your church was standing against the shadow of that hideous strength with light. The true light caused the vermin to scurry and become vicious. Members of a terrorist organization, the KKK, placed sticks of dynamite under a church, killed four children, and injured many. Why? The children had the courage of... Read more
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