You will die. Given a choice, I usually ask for the bad news first. I feel it makes the good news taste sweeter. But that is some pretty bad news. Or is it? It does present some interesting possibilities. Certainly, recognizing reality is not without value. Everyone dies. It was this recognition of the reality … Continue reading On Fear
Warfare comes in many different forms: Total, Unilateral, Asymmetric, Limited, Guerilla, Conventional, Cyber, Psychological, Idealogical... The list goes on and on. Each form describes the particular tools necessary to wage that particular war. Bombs can’t kill an idea. Computers can’t run up a hill. Cities can’t withstand a nuclear blast. In what kind of war, … Continue reading Armed With Love
Most people, one might imagine, would not have to entertain the thought of personal persecution to the level that you might see in some of the more gritty and gruesome movies. Torture scenes are hard to stomach, in part because of the barbarity, and also because of the thought that some other person somewhere in … Continue reading Preparing for Persecution
You know what people hate? Being lectured to. There are exceptions to this. People still go to TED talks, a modern update of the lyceum lecture halls popular in times past. You could possibly[1] be considered an exception at worship during the sermon. But you signed up for this, and so did they. Most people … Continue reading Questions with Answers
In recent years, the rise of artificial intelligence has led to many questions about its potential impact on various aspects of our lives, including our faith. While AI can be a valuable tool for many things, it cannot replace the value depth and richness of true human connection, community, and spiritual guidance that is integral … Continue reading A.I. – Artificial Instruction
Last week’s article showed us that the psychological man is more interested in performing his view of self in his culture than being formed and bettered by it. Let’s continue this thought. The 1800s were a wild time. Napoleon swept Europe in some of the last imperial conflicts on the continent. Cascading revolutions followed. Not … Continue reading Therapy and Me
Last week, we started exploring the idea of living in the future armed with ideas from the past. Specifically, understanding that something has caused our culture to leave us behind. We, Christians, need to start thinking of adaptations to deal with that. First, let’s start diagnosing. In the 1960s, sociologist Philip Rieff was dealing with … Continue reading The Psychological Man
Over the years, many of us have noticed a significant cultural shift. My travels all over the country have revealed Christian morale that has been shrinking at the same rate as congregational attendance. Older brothers and sisters recollect how they once attended a “gospel meeting” with several hundred, maybe even a thousand participants. “We would … Continue reading Better Days
Ibrahim Alğan was, in many respects, a normal man. He was 25 years old, working in Turkey as a school counselor, and enjoyed playing basketball and swimming. The only problem, at least in his mind, was that he was only 5ft, 2in tall. “If you're shorter, people don't take you as seriously as a tall … Continue reading Life is Too Short
Lately, I have been interested in the idea of our technology getting too far ahead of us and the ramifications this has, not only on the world but on Christians. In the last 70 years alone, both our common and cutting-edge tech has screamed past anything imaginable even 100 years ago. As an example, I … Continue reading Improved Means…
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