It’s hard to imagine a more precise illustration of “the ends justify the means” – and a more ironic one – than a Christian reverting to very anti-Christian behavior in order to obtain or preserve political power for the church. How did we ever get here?
The Womb in the Wilderness
The wilderness can seem deeply uncomfortable – but it’s also a womb, a place of preparation and growth, bringing about what the Lord intends for us.
Fear and Accusation
Yes, it’s a spiritual battle we’re in right now. But it’s not against COVID, and it’s not against fear. And it’s absolutely not against each other.
Recent COVID news for October 2021
Here’s a short summary of COVID news and information that I found interesting, along with links for further reading. It covers local data as well as information about vaccinations and statistics.
A Rock of Ages
On Indigenous Peoples Day, I must wonder if it is true that “this land was made for you and me.”
Questions To Ask Vaccine-Hesitant Friends
Here are a few useful questions to ask friends who have avoided getting a COVID vaccination, along with source links for the information.
How I Learned Empathy
A number of evangelical personalities are now calling empathy a sin and advocating that sympathy is the only Scripturally-appropriate way to deal with other people’s difficulties. Over the last couple years, the Lord has been reworking my heart to restore an ability to empathize, so I share that testimony and challenge this unscriptural position.
Estimated Effects of Voter COVID Deaths on US Party Politics
A simple model of COVID death rates and voter demographics indicates that voter ratios will probably shift in favor of the Democrat party, due purely to more Republican deaths due to COVID.
A Collective Identity
I’ve been reading a book titled “Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World.” It has me thinking about the dynamics of people that think primarily in terms of groups versus individuals, and about the patterns in American culture and society of the use of […]
Party Affiliation and COVID Rates: The Effects of COVID Vaccination Refusal as a Function of Political Persuasion
Recently the New York Times, as mirrored by the Seattle Times and other websites, posted an article titled “Red COVID.” https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/red-covid-in-u-s-the-coronavirus-partisan-pattern-is-growing-more-extreme/ (I choose to share the Seattle Times version here, because the New York Times version is paywalled.) The article notes the deeply partisan divide in COVID statistics, and considers […]