We finally emerged from COVID quarantine here, but we got so much snow this week that even my dog couldn't make her way to the top of the hill to survey her domain. Meanwhile, the kids had virtual school all week because someone attacked the school's digital systems with malware. I marvel when I realize words like quarantine, virtual, and malware have become mundane in just twelve months. As I think of all we've gone through since last February, I feel optimistic that we will emerge from this pandemic and political travail this year, changed for the better. We are a resilient people.
A spike in feedback about the podcast and articles heartened me. I feast on your encouragement, so keep it coming! If you have questions or thoughts about the podcast or articles, reply to this email or message me via Facebook. I always welcome dialog!
Why Colorblindness is Not the Standard
An old friend from my business days responded to the podcast with a question. "What's wrong with colorblindness?" We answer in detail during episode 17, but I only released episode 5 this week, so I wrote this brief response. I think we are strong enough to press toward our original vision, and must.
Civil War and the Liberation of the Enslaved
We launched our fifth episode this week as we continue to recall our shared history so that we can understand our current racial tensions well. This week we learn about the growth in Abraham Lincoln's thought on slavery and the rights of Blacks. We also learn about how Lincoln's colleagues thought about these things, and how liberated Blacks claimed their own freedom.
I appreciated this encouragement from a listener, who wrote that the podcast "conversations have touched me deeply and have made me look deeper into myself." Perhaps you know someone who might be similarly blessed? Please listen and help us by sharing generously with your circles.
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The Art of Praying
This essay on personal prayer was therapeutic for me. I began with an inspiration to talk about my father's prayer rail, but new insights about my Dad came as I wrote. Dad got a lot of things right, and I can only hope my kids will someday be able to say that about me. I remember a sister-in-law telling me decades ago that I think too hard about such things, and that faith is simple. As you will see, I think she was wise concerning the art of prayer. Dad was, too.
Notes Along the Way
This week, continuing a series called Dialogue with a Skeptic, I took on two common critiques that call for banishing faith from the public square. The first is concerned that politicians use faith to mask or justify their evil. The second claims that faith generates fanatics who have a narrow, inflexible, and unrealistic worldview, who have an absolute sense of right and wrong, and who are utterly unwilling to consider views that oppose their own, including their theology. Bottom line: I think the critiques are right! But they have their diagnoses wrong. Please share if you know someone who feels we should banish faith from the public square.
Lagniappe Love
After all the talk about our National Guard and the assault on the capitol, I was captivated by this soldier singing peacefully while resting from duty at the Library of Congress. Enjoy!
