Our Heavenly Help Psalm 124:1-8 Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8 Psalm 124 offers a stirring word of encouragement. It begins by asking a rhetorical question: “What if the LORD had not been on our side?” (124:1). The simple answer is: We’d be a complete mess, utterly without hope. But, because God is on our side, “the trap is broken, and we are free!” (124:7). The last verse of this psalm reminds... Read more
If you ever tagged along when your father went to work, if you ever think about how your work life has been impacted by your family, or if you are a parent who wonders how your own work might touch the lives of your children, I strongly urge you to read a thoughtful and moving piece in the New York Times. “For One More Day at the Office” by Christina Alger made me think and touched my heart. It will... Read more
A couple of days ago I blogged on the question: Is texting ruining our relationships? Following a New York Times article by Sherry Turkle, I answered this question with: “Quite possibly. At least sometimes.” Well, the Times is at it again. In “Talking with Your Fingers,” John McWhorter responds to the frequently heard charge that texting and e-mailing are destroying our ability to write decent English. McWhorter begins this way: The latest word on the street about English in America... Read more
If you use e-mail – and that still includes most of us – you know how helpful it can be. You also know how aggravating it can be. Even with a decent spam filter, you probably don’t need or want to read half of your email, maybe more. I have some friends who hit the “reply to all” button every time. And I have other friends who love forwarding the latest Internet rumors, jokes, etc. So my in box fills... Read more
Yes, according to Sherry Turkle, psychologist and professor at M.I.T. and the author several books, including Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other. In a recent column in the New York Times, Turkle documents what she calls a “flight from conversation.” Here’s how her column begins: WE live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. At home, families sit together, texting and... Read more
Last week, I put up a brief summary of some recent findings on “The State of the Bible 2012.” These findings are the result of an in-depth survey commissioned by the American Bible Society. (You can download a PDF of the study results here.) Today, I want to offer some reflections on this survey. First, I’ll put up my standard gripe about how surveys like this one ask questions in ways that are frustrating and potentially misleading. Consider, for example,... Read more
Part 3 of series: Would Jesus Have a Facebook Page? A couple of days ago, I raised the question: Would Jesus have a Facebook page? Yesterday, I answered in the affirmative, giving reasons why Jesus, if he lived today, would have a Facebook page. Today, I want to regroup and offer some thoughts on why Jesus would not have a Facebook page. Then, I’ll try to make some sense out of my contradictory arguments. Jesus Wouldn’t Use Facebook Because It... Read more
I just finished reading a great piece by my fellow Patheos blogger, David Kuo. It’s called “On Being an Absolute Ass.” If you’re a parent, you’ve got to read it. If you might one day be a parent, you’ve got to read it. If you’re looking for a refreshing bit of truthfulness, you’ve got to read it. And if you’ve ever done something you really wish you hadn’t done, you’ve got to read it. Read more
Part 2 of series: Would Jesus Have a Facebook Page? In one of yesterday’s posts, I asked the question: Would Jesus have a Facebook page? I was moved to ask this question by a statement in a USA Today article on technology in the church. In this article, Drew Goodmanson, the CEO of a company that helps Christian organizations use the Internet in their ministries, confidently said that Jesus would not have a Facebook page. This got me thinking. If... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
If Peas Can Talk, Should We Eat Them? Really! No Joke.
“If Peas Can Talk, Should We Eat Them?” No, that’s not a joke or a trick question. It’s a serious question, seriously asked in a recent article in the New York Times. And it’s being asked by a serious thinker: Michael Marder, the Ikerbasque Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz (Northern Spain). This article no doubt reflects some of his ideas in his forthcoming book: Plant-Thinking: A Philosophy of Vegetal Life. Here are some... Read more