I remember as a child shaking the Christmas gifts under the tree trying to imagine what might be inside. And now, as a father and more recently a grandfather, I enjoy watching the children take their turns guessing what is in the packages and then unwrapping their gifts with abandon.
Of course, not everyone shares such happy memories. Sometimes at a Christmas party, I’ll ask others to share their most memorable Christmas, whether happy or sad. I’ve heard delightful stories of unexpected reunions, idyllic settings, and generous gifts. I’ve also heard stories of deep hurt, …
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV).
What Entertains Us?
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune uncovered what I believe to be the most serious threat to the Christian Home. The headline read, “Media Options Swamp Nation.” The bottom line is that the average American spends 9.6 hours a day inhaling media: watching television, going to the movies and surfing the Internet. Two months of every year are spent just watching TV; we have 392 cable channels to choose from and 40,000 DVD titles.
Early this year (2007) I attended a conference in New York on the topic of Islam that included speakers from Africa, Europe, and Australia. The task before us was ominous: what should we do about radical Islam and its intention to destroy the church? Speakers from Africa gave statistics and described the burning of churches, the killing of families, and seizing of property. Representatives from Europe reported on intimidation and threats, and yes, killings too. Europe clearly remembers the “cartoon crisis” when innocent people were killed in the violence. Because the percentage of Muslims in …
So, what do we do when our candidate—the one we believe God wanted us to vote for—does not get elected to office? Worse, what if someone we believe will actually harm our country is elected in a landslide?
What now?
Actually, as believers we can take heart, for our hope lies beyond the political process. The real battle in this nation is not political, nor even moral. Back behind the so-called “culture wars” is a theological battle that rages, for the most part, undetected by the human eye. For example, the reason we have …
