Jozef Israëls, Peasant family at the table, 1882
In recent weeks I’ve intentionally avoided social media (Instagram, at least) and other online outlets where I usually come across articles to share. There’s too much craziness being peddled on the Internet right now, and I’m already crazy enough. With that said, if you’re trying to sort through the outlandish claims being made about the election, here are a few sites to check out.
- PolitiFact has informative summaries of many of the most prevalent claims making the rounds along with truth ratings ranging from “Pants on Fire” to “True.” Each article contains a list of sources used for the fact-check.
- FactCheck.org is another helpful fact-checker.
- Snopes is a veteran in this space.
- David French’s July article Coronavirus, Conspiracy Theories, and the Ninth Commandment is applicable to the current election controversies. As Christians, we’re called to place a high value on truth, which means we shouldn’t promulgate conspiracy theories.
A Poem
We Wear the Mask
By Paul Laurence Dunbar
(Note: this poem has nothing to do with coronavirus!)
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
⠀⠀⠀⠀We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
⠀⠀⠀⠀We wear the mask!
A Photo or Two
Palomar Christian Conference Center, 2017
Palomar Christian Conference Center, 2017
Listening To
An oldie but goodie: Arcade Fire’s 2007 album, Neon Bible.
Reading
- Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg
- Pastors and Their Critics: A Guide to Coping with Criticism in the Ministry by Joel R. Beeke and Nick Thompson
- Destroyer of the gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World by Larry Hurtado
Something to Watch
Watch the creation of a book using traditional printing methods.
In Case You Missed It
Check out last week’s newsletter.
A Closing Quote
Fear both the heat and the cold of your heart, and try to have patience, if you can.
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth