Thoughts and reflections about this journey called life
ARE YOU AN INTERVENTIONISTA?
I see this all the time, in very well-meaning individuals. It is very often found when people give advice to a friend. (And don't we humans love to give advice!!!!!)
Iatrogenics is also what I call "The Effect of the Pebble in the Pond." When you throw a pebble in the pond, your intention or goal is that first ripple. It's obvious. But there are second, third, and so on unintended consequences (potentially both positive and negative) that will occur. Every action we take will produce ripples and we must be willing to live with the last ripple. For example, is helping that person really helping in the long run? OR What negative effects may result from you giving your advice to a friend?
Instead, when someone asks you, "Hey, you got a minute? Can I get your opinion about something?" You respond with, "What's up?" They continue, "What do you think I should do ...?"
That is when I listen and then respond with, "That's a great question. What do you think you should do?" Or "What have you done that has worked? Great keep that up. What have you done that hasn't worked? What's the benefit of continuing? What might be your others options?" And then I lead them through the process of answering their own question or getting their own advice. I don't want them to be dependent on me, relying on my advice all the time. I do want to give them the tools, skills, and mindset to fix this problem and future problems. It builds confidence. And besides, if your advice is taken and they act on it (without really giving you all of the necessary information to make the decisions, which they fully know) and it backfires, you will get blamed for giving bad advice. My way, I'm helping you make decisions and live your own consequences.
(Read this article to take a deeper dive into this idea. I did consider the second and third ripples in this advice that I am giving, and I believe it is possible. However, I just don't know."
"Iatrogenics is when a treatment causes more harm than benefit. As iatros means healer in Greek, the word means “caused by the healer” or “brought by the healer.” Healer, in this sense, need not mean doctor, but anyone intervening to solve a problem. For example, it could be a thought leader, a CEO, a government, or a coalition of the willing. Nassim Taleb calls these people interventionistas. Often these people come armed with solutions to solve the first-order consequences of a decision but create worse second and subsequent order consequences. Luckily, for them at least, they’re never around to see the train wreck they created. (click on link below to read more from Shane Parrish).
https://fs.blog/iatrogenics/
LCU’s New BA+MDIV
I am really excited about Lincoln Christian University's fast-track BA+MDiv degree in five years. We are offering a 120-hour Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry AND 72 hours Masters of Divinity dual degree program (147 total hours) that provides motivated students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to enter vocational ministry ready to serve and lead in the kingdom. There are a lot of elective options and Mentored Field Experiences included. This will save students both time and money and will allow them to leave LCU with our high-caliber master’s degree with the credentials and training to serve in a ministry on day one.
I so wish this was an option when I was a student preparing to be a youth minister. I would have been on this track in a heartbeat. It will be rigorous, but it will be a phenomenal opportunity for you to be shaped and trained to lead in our world for the glory of God.
It's coming this fall. Stay tuned for details.
25 Questions to Deeper Intimacy
Valentine's Day is coming. Love is in the air. Here are some great questions I've compiled to foster deeper intimacy and stronger relationships. It's easy to get in ruts or take one another for granted which can often prevent us from more deeply exploring the uniquenesses of our partners. After all, as for me and Jennifer with 38 years of marriage under our belts, what else is there to know about each other? Give them a try. You might be surprised by what you may learn. Turn on some soft music. Take turns. Don’t rush. Happy exploration. Enjoy.
What is one of your favorite memories of us?
What do you think is our greatest strength as a couple?
What are two things that you appreciate about me?
What is your number one current stress or fear about the future and why?
What helps you feel confident and secure in our relationship?
What is one thing you would like to change about our relationship?
What is something you would like to experience together that we haven't yet?
What do you wish I would appreciate more about you?
What is something that you would like to learn or try together in the future?
What is something I do that makes you feel loved and appreciated?
What is something that you wish I knew about you?
What is one thing you would like to tell me about yourself that you haven't yet?
What do you think is our biggest struggle as a couple?
How do you see our lives together five years from now?
What is one of the best things I have ever said or done for you?
What do you need most from me when you’re upset?
What were some things we used to do before we were married that you miss now?
What are we doing when you feel closest to me?
What are you most excited about in our relationship during this next season of life?
What would you describe as a perfect day in our relationship?
What do you see as the biggest strength in our relationship?
What do you feel has been the key to our successful marriage?
What is something you would like to improve about our communication as a couple?
What is something you would like to improve about our communication as a couple?
How do you see our relationship continuing to grow and evolve in the future?
Animated Apologetic Videos (They’re pretty good) (Copy)
Asking questions is intertwined in the DNA of humanity.
There are so many things about our world to ask questions about.
As little kids, we sometimes look up in the sky and wonder. And there are a lot of deep and weighty issues to wonder about. The following short videos ask great questions about the nature of God, Jesus, and Christianity. They present logical arguments to some of the biggest questions that have been asked since the dawn of time. From one of the video’s notes: “Reasonable Faith features the work of philosopher and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig and aims to provide in the public arena an intelligent, articulate, and uncompromising yet gracious Christian perspective on the most important issues concerning the truth of the Christian faith today.”
The keyword is reasonable. We must go for humble, sensible, and wise discussions that seek understanding and build confidence. Too often Christians share their faith with a standard of certainty and it’s often communicated in demeaning arrogancy. Certainty is only a standard that God can attain to. We finite humans can only get to a standard of reasonableness with humility. We are always learning to make sense of our reality.
The current milieu or atmosphere in America is to cancel voices with which you disagree instead of to listen, engage, and dialogue. Christians often complain about cancel-culture but that has been in our history forever. Let’s listen, engage, and always love.
Check out my It Doesn’t Look Good On You blog entry that deals with how we engage others on these major questions.
These videos are to get you talking, thinking, and asking more questions. They are NOT proof of God or Christianity. They are logical propositions. They raise questions. They get us thinking. All information must be interpreted. And all humans are biased to their own interpretive filters. The videos can help us arrive at REASONABLE answers to some really hard questions. For others, these videos won’t be convincing. And that’s okay. Let’s keep talking.
By the way, winning intellectual arguments often doesn’t change lives. There are other dynamics at play. Changing minds usually only happens through changing hearts through love, listening, and allowing others to connect the dots.
To loosely paraphrase I Corinthians 13: And now these three remain: proof, arguments, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Kalam Cosmological Argument-Part 1: Scientific: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CulBuMCLg0 [4:12 min]
The Kalam Cosmological Argument-Part 2: Philosophical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybNvc6mxMo [5:32 min]
The Fine-tuning of the Universe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE76nwimuT0 [6:22 min]
Impossible Universe: The Reality of Cosmic Fine Tuning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk1pEHXnPsE [5:53 min] (Oct 2020)
God and Mathematics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJBOiZXkKu8 [5:03 min]
Leibniz’ Contingency Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCzEP0oD7I [5:14 min]
The Ontological Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmAKCvWl74 [4:40 min]
Suffering and Evil: The Logical Problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k64YJYBUFLM [4:47 min]
Suffering and Evil: The Probability Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxj8ag8Ntd4 [8:19 min]
The Moral Argument (Can you Be Good Without God): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU [5:01 min]
Is There Meaning to Life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKGnXgH_CzE [5:38 min]
How Can Jesus Be The Only Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRyq6RwzlEM [5:19 min]
Who Did Jesus Think He Was? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSQDov6NNp0 [6:35 min]
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? Part One: The Facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qhQRMhUK1o [6:42 min]
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? Part Two: The Explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SbJ4p6WiZE [6:46 min]
What Degree of Evolution Do You Allow For Given The Genesis Account (Dr. Craig answers a question) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raCC7PSrG4I [5:37 min]
How Do You Reconcile the Science Data and the Genesis Data? (Dr. Craig answers a question) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeBnS0jY3i8 [3:20 min]
What about Adam? What are the Predominant Views? (Dr. Craig offers the four current views on Adam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-v40m3TCSo [3:07 min]
Why Is the Traditional View of Adam Being Challenged? (Dr. Craig responds to the reasons behind the new ideas) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AYSM3_NZU [1:57 min]
If you are interested in learning more or asking other questions, check out Room For Doubt
Protect your iPhone
Major Life Hack! PLEASE READ! Protect your iPhone in case you lose it.
If someone steals your iPhone (or finds it and doesn’t want to give it back!!!), the first thing they’ll do is turn on Airplane Mode preventing you from using your FIND MY IPHONE. Even if your screen is locked, anyone can access the control panel by swiping down on the Home Screen. (I know, when I see people sitting in a church row ahead of me at church and leave their phone on the seats, and I know them, I pick up their locked phone and take a selfie of me with my craziest of faces and then replace it back on the seat. It’s a sure way to get a text next week from them!! Hahaha.)
Let’s stop those shenanigans. Go to SETTINGS, scroll down to FACE ID & PASSCODE. Scroll way down to “Allow Access When Locked.” Turn OFF CONTROL CENTER, WALLET, and ACCESSORIES. Then go back, under settings, to PRIVACY & SECURITY and make sure location services is turned ON. Finally, go back to settings and to the top to your name and APPLE ID and select FIND MY. Click on FIND MY IPHONE, and turn on: FIND MY IPHONE, FIND MY NETWORK, and SEND LAST LOCATION.
Now if you lose your phone, the bad guys can’t disable your ability to find your iPhone!!! You’re welcome!
Two funerals and an earthquake
Life is way too short and precious. With the recent passing of my father-in-law, Jim Bowers, and a family friend, Hugh Lee, (both men 80+ yrs old) as well as the catastrophic destruction and death toll from the unexpected Turkey/Syrian earthquake (shifting tectonic plates!), my birthday this year has forced me to reflect more deeply. I didn’t have a hard time with 29 as some do. Didn’t have a problem with 40 as others do. My hardest birthday to this point was 46. I doubled it and it really seemed that I was over the hill and going down the other side with my hands in the air and a great big, “WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
But 59 has stopped me in my tracks once again. The 2 funerals and the earthquake had a major influence on these feelings. And don’t get me wrong, I have loved my 50s as a human. I feel that I am really “getting life.” Empty nest is wonderful. Grandkids are the best thing besides Jesus.
My mom died when she was 69, of colon cancer. My dad, 10 years her elder, died when he was 87 (after a major stroke at 80 that he recovered from).
So I figure that 80 is a realistic target for my life. Of course, “a DC-10 could fall on my head, me laying on the ground all messy and dead Or a Mack truck could run over me or I suddenly die in my Sunday pew” (AA)
That’s 21 years, roughly 1100 Saturdays. As I said, Life is way too short. I’ve been at LCU for 22 years. Dang.
It sorta feels like I was served a great meal in 1964 and I have rushed through a lot of it. But as I get closer to that 80-ish number, I really want to chew my “food” longer and really savor every bite of life.
So reflecting on potentially the last 21 years (7600+ days) of my life (give or take 21 years), I started jotting down how I want to intentionally live the rest of my days on this big beautiful blue ball in the universe. (This is also what I would have liked to tell my younger self.)
Love more
Listen more (talk less)
Unlearn more so I can…
Learn more
Read more
Stop and smell the roses more
Reflect more
Embrace mystery more
Ask more questions
Pay more attention to the little details of this incredible journey called life
Be more grateful for those details
Be more curious about everything
Be more curious about the inner complexities of others
Appreciate the uniquenesses of others more
Be more fully present
Value others more
Honor others more
Build others more
Cheer and encourage more
Empower others more
Be more kind
Be more patient
Forgive more
Act in ways that I don’t need to seek forgiveness more
Bless others more with what they need
Thank others more
Open more doors for others
Smile more
Laugh more
Celebrate more
Play more
Surprise others more
Say yes more to the most important requests
Say no more to the unimportant stuff
Be more positive
Be creative more
Write more
Travel more
Walk more
Chew my food more (as a metaphor)
Eat less
Be more intentional about everything
Risk more
Pray more
Seek first the kingdom of God more
Live each day like it’s my last
…because it might just be.
All the People You’ll Impact
With a nod to Dr. Suess’ “Oh, the places you’ll go! I challenge you with these words so you can grow.
Oh, the people you will impact within your life. They will be young and old, some left handed, some right.
Some will have faces like an angel and others, oh, quite a sight. There will be Jr. High boys who will never pay attention and sophomore girls who will create quite a tension.
There will be some that to love will be quite easy, while others will cause the pit in your stomach to go queasy.
There will be redheads and blondes and short brunettes, and some will sadly have many regrets.
Some with heads that are completely bald, but it’s into this ministry that you were called.
May you love and serve whatever the case, as you seek always to be a conduit of God’s grace.
And so, go make disciples with great humility, teaching everyone with all wisdom, to the best of your ability.
And do so, all for the glory of God, for if you unconditionally love, you impact will surely be broad.
“With change, comes loss. With loss, comes grief.”
“With change, comes loss. With loss, comes grief.”
While I’m excited for the continued kingdom impact of LCU (I love this place) and hopeful for this new more sustainable direction, I am at the same time so very sad and I grieve the necessary changes that had to be made for LCU.
The fall was very hopeful with a large incoming freshman class. Gifts were up. But with the retention rate of the spring semester plummeting, it became a sad reality in January that something had to be done to save LCU. I didn’t foresee this being the reality. Actually, I was fearful of a worse outcome. I knew we couldn’t keep going with declining student enrollments: “we can’t teach when we don’t have students.” However, even this spring, I was hoping for another big fall class. The administration had been doing everything they could to make LCU affordable for students and competitive among other educational options: there haven't been department budgets or employee raises for over a decade. But less students means less dollars to pay for everything. That is the current unstainable model.
I love LCU, even though I did my undergrad somewhere else. When I first started in youth ministry, I sent a couple of students to my alma mater, but then I met LCU and fell in love with the way that this college wrestled with hard issues. I was impressed and started encouraging more and more to LCU. That is why I chose to become a prof here. I love the space to wrestle with hard issues, to say, “I don’t know what to do with that,” to live in the tension of the messy middle between the two unacceptable and unlivable alternatives of fundamentalism and liberalism (both want and claim certainty). However, when you live in that messy middle, you get attacked by both sides. And LCU has. But that is where real life exists, in my opinion.
This last year has been one of my favorite years teaching at LCU. I love my students, and I have so loved teaching Children, Youth, and Christian Ministry students in this wonderful community these past 21 years. Many of my former students, whom I adore, have reached out to me asking how I am. I tell them, “I am so sad.” I grieve for my current students whose school will look very much different next fall than it does now if they choose to stay and finish out their degree. We will teach out their classes. This will be hard. I am just so honored to be a part of so many incredible young people's journeys over the years. I have been so blessed. Each one of you holds a special place in my heart! I will cheer you on toward love and good deeds forever.
I grieve with many of my friends and colleagues, including my wife, Jennifer, who will be concluding their service with LCU at the end of May. I did find out that I will be a part of the revamped LCU to You and will help current Children’s, Youth, and Christian Ministry students be able to finish their degrees, if they so choose. I will be a part of carrying out the mission of LCU. I am deeply grateful to continue to do what I so love: creatively helping students discover the think on their own becoming interdependent servant leaders. That will continue. However, I deeply mourn the classes that I will no longer be able to teach and the students who I won’t have in my classes on the campus and in the community of LCU in Lincoln.
Change has come. It is a loss on so many levels, and I deeply grieve. In that grief, I am glad that LCU has not shut its doors completely, that the mission will more tightly focus on vocational ministry preparation and will partner even more with churches. Many other schools don’t offer Christian Ministry degrees. We can and must. As an eternal optimist, I know that change is a necessary part of life and that it can foster creativity and innovation. It all just hurts right now. However, I am hoping that that creativity, innovation, and Kingdom impact will be a part of the new reality. I love you all.
Here is the link to the press release, the full memo, an Alumni letter, and a FAQs page. https://lincolnchristian.edu/news/lcu-to-you/
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[PS: I am posting words from my friend and LCU grad, Adam Johnson: So good:]
“Time passes and things change.”
It’s a phrase that found its way into more than one Christmas in the Chapel over the years. I’ve had the honor of helping to write CITC for the past 15+ years. Usually, at a particularly emotional moment, a character or voice over would say these words to simply explain the complexity of whatever story arc was taking place in the stage in the chapel. I don’t know where the phrase originated from. Likely a brain child of the genius that is Jeff Colleen.
I’ve always liked the phrase. Perhaps it’s the simplicity. Perhaps it’s the inevitability. It was CITC’s version of “death and taxes.” In every single good story, these two elements, as simple as they are, exist.
Time passes.
Things change.
And there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
As I reflect on the recent press release from LCU, this is the phrase that came to mind. It’s simple, but in the simplicity there is deep emotion. Time passes whether we want to or not. Children keep growing and people keep aging. One tick at a time, the inevitability of time passing pushes directly into the cause, or the need, or the result of change.
Time passes, therefore things change.
Things change, therefore time passes.
I imagine people connected to LBI/LCC/LCS/LCU all process the announcement of a model change differently.
Some with shock.
Some with sadness.
Some with confusion.
Some with anticipation.
Some with understanding.
Some with many things in between.
I don’t know where I fall, perhaps a little bit of all of the above. But what I do know is that time passes and things change. They must. There’s no choice. Like gravity. Or death. Or taxes. Time keeps ticking and things keep changing.
And I’m reminded today, that’s the way it’s always been. That’s the way it will be. We find ourselves with the narrator again saying “time passes and things change.”
But often, directly following this phrase, the narrator would go on to explain that even in time and change, God is still God. And throughout all time, and throughout all change, He is enough, He is in control, and He is not impacted as we are. For He is timeless and unchanging.
For me, in this moment, I choose to remember times passed, lives changed, and wait in anticipation to see what the next time and next change will bring.
The James Webb Space Telescope
Merry Christmas to us, humans, as we see the launch of the James Webb telescope en route for its 1 million miles journey from earth and anticipation of seeing through the history of the universe. So exciting!!
Here is the link to follow the James Webb telescope’s development. Click on the link. Open in safari. Click on send and select Add to Home Screen. Now you can follow Webb. It’s currently 251K miles from earth and had 647K to go!!! Fun!!
Also, check out: How Does The James Webb Space Telescope Work? What an incredibly fantastic 27 minutes of learning here. Destin, from Smarter Every Day, interviews the senior project manager from the JWST project seeking answers to "How Does The James Webb Space Telescope Work?" This is the backwards bike dude. If you haven't seen that, go watch it!
In the next ten years…
Life goes by so fast. I’m 57, and it seems like yesterday that I was 22. Where has the time gone? But when I think about what I have accomplished over the last 57 years, it’s mind-boggling. We are at times paralyzed by today. We have so much to do. We often overestimate what we can accomplish in a day but we underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade. A decade is 3650 days. Can you imagine what could be accomplished in 3650 days?
Here’s a little riddle: How do you eat an elephant? (I know you have heard this.)
Answer: One bite at a time.
Think about it. Nearly any challenge, goal, or dream could be accomplished with 3650 bites. Oh sure, I’ll never get another chance to try out and make the Cincinnati Reds or dunk a basketball. But there are tons of other seemingly insurmountable dreams and goals that could be.
1 bite at a time.
You can grow a tree in a decade. So plant one today.
You can double your retirement investment in a decade at 7.2% interest. So invest today. (The average is more like 8-10%)
You can completely change professions and become an expert in a decade. Sign up for that class today.
You can master a new hobby in a decade. Order those supplies today.
You can become fully knowledgeable about almost every subject in a decade. Buy that book today.
So, make sure you don’t wrongly state that little saying, “we often underestimate what we can accomplish in a day but we overestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.” That just isn’t true.
Grab your pencil and a piece of paper. What is it that you want to accomplish, build, get done before you die? Jot it down. Brainstorm what all needs to be done? Figure out what your first steps are.
Now…one bite at a time.
Let’s get chewing.
Slow down and pay attention
Louie Schwartzberg, “an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life,” has been “shooting time-lapse flowers continuously, non-stop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for over 40 years.” And his work is incredible. Breathtaking. I stumbled on his 2011 Gratitude TEDtalk which led me on a rabbit trail that ended with watching his National Geographic Film, “Mysteries Of The Unseen World.” Take a moment (39 minutes actually) and watch this incredible video.
Louis asked in his TEDtalk video, “Did you know that 80% of the information we receive comes through our eyes? And if you compare light energy to musical scales it would only be one octave that the naked eye can see, which is right in the middle.
from “Mysteries Of The Unseen World | National Geographic”
And aren't we grateful for our brains that can take this electrical impulse that comes from light energy to create images in order for us to explore our world?”
In that video, Louis invites David Steindl-Rast to share his thoughts: You think this is just another day in your life? It's not just another day. it's the one day that is given to you today. It's given to you. It's a gift. It's the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness.
Gratefulness.
I know I am not always grateful. And isn’t it crazy that 80% of the information we receive comes through our eyes? Wow. I love the imagery that Louis offered concerning how much we see of the electromagnetic field that we only see 1 octave on the piano, but there is so much more going on.
One octave. There is so much that we are missing.
And it’s not just what we see. Our lives are so busy that we miss our kids growing up. Think of that little quote about how time flies: “The days are long but the years are short.” It’s so true.
How can I make time slow down?
How can I be more grateful, to appreciate the moments of life more?
I can do it by slowing down and paying attention. I could…
schedule time in my calendar for wonder and awe.
walk slowly down my street and pay attention to what is all around
meet my neighbors and listen to their stories
get a hammock, blanket, or comfy chair and sit outside and listen to all the birds I hear while watching all the clouds go by
drive slower than the speed limit on the back road instead of the interstate
sip on my favorite drink while looking out the window
put down my phone
build something
be fully present with someone, like a child or a friend, and get into their world
listen to one of my favorite songs several times, isolating the different instruments each time it plays
read a book just for the fun of it
look at nature or an old building and identity every color that I see: not just red, but dark red, light red, blueish red, etc.
“But I don’t have time to slow down!!!” It’s true, we don’t have time; we have to make time. We have to schedule the time to pay attention. It costs to pay attention. But it’s worth it. We have to plan well so that we can appreciate the wonders of God’s creation, other incredible humans, and especially our family.
Even though the days seem long and the years are short, maybe, just maybe I can slow down and pay attention a little better than I normally do.
——-
Here are two more of Louis’s TEDtalks, much of what comes from the NatGeo film, but are still wonderful.
Hidden Miracles of the Natural World - April 2014
Wonder and Awe - Jan 2017
Wow. Just Wow!
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1)
I saw this in Relevant this am. I was reminded of this picture when it was made public in January.
Isn’t it amazing that we are on one little blue marble in the vastness of the universe? It really leaves one speechless except for one little phrase: “Wow. Just Wow!.”
It was captured by NASA and the Hubble Telescope, and it shows the Andromeda galaxy. Actually, it’s not just one photo. It is a collection of 411 photos stitched together. It is the largest image (1.5 billion pixels). “It is the biggest Hubble image ever released and shows over 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters embedded in a section of the galaxy’s pancake-shaped disc stretching across over 40 000 light-years” (NASA). You have to use NASA’s zooming tool to really see it. (On whatever you look at this image, it will NOT do it justice. You would need 600 HD monitors just to take it all in.
There really isn’t any way to comprehend this reality. This image is just a snippet of the space in which we find ourselves. 40,000 light-years? That in and of itself tells us that we have to be open-minded about our cosmological conclusions as Christians.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb 11:3).
We know the WHO; We have no idea, really, of the HOW.
Here is another video clip of how small the earth is in comparison to the universe, or of what we think we know about it. (Again, thanks to Jesse Carey at Relevant for all of these links. Check out his full article and other cool universee-kind of things at Relevant.)
After looking at all of those images and videos, what questions come to your mind when thinking about this? Here are a few of mine?
When the Bible talks about heaven is that the same mental model that we have today? (The word for heaven in Hebrew and Greek also meant sky. There was no way they had a clue what heaven/sky meant.)
Just how vast is the universe? (What a silly question, really. I have no framework to be able to wrestle with the question. It’s like me asking one of our Chinese students, “Now, what part of China are you from?” Whatever they tell me doesn’t matter. I don’t really know where Bejing is located in relation to China.)
What does it really mean that the universe was created out of nothing? (It’s just words. I can’t even begin to entertain that thought!)
What can we learn from NASA and other cosmologists when considering the HOW question? (The Bible helps us with the WHO, but it seems pretty cool that we as humans get to figure out the HOW.)
What are your questions?
Now, look at it again at the image ….
“Wow. Just Wow!”
Uhm, it really doesn’t look good on you
Some of us don’t always see it.
We wake up late, throw on a pair of pants and grab a shirt and start walking out the door. If you have a roommate or a spouse who loves you, you want them (but not at the time) to say, “Wait. Are you going out like that? Uhm, it really doesn’t look good on you.” We then stop in our tracks, scan our outfit, and then act in one of two ways. We either realize our fashion faux pas and change OR we scoff, and walk on out the door to brave the criticism.
A similar scenario plays out every day, but it doesn’t have to do with clashing colors but caustic conversations.
Christians, of all people, should NEVER stoop so low in a defense of their faith (or engaging in the public dialogue on a hot issue) that they would verbally attack or assassinate the character of another human being for the sake of "winning" an argument. Full Stop.
Sarcastic cheap shots are also out of bounds. Throwing biased (often unaware) temper tantrums doesn’t look good for us. People, of all stripes, on all social media platforms and in person, do it all the time, but Christ-followers should NEVER do it. Full stop.
It's intellectually lazy to reach for an “ad hominem club" when all of one's simplistic and often brittle responses/arguments fail to stand up to another’s scrutiny, question, challenge, or point of view.
Christians often arrogantly seek and claim absolute certainty of all of their viewpoints as the standard for their positions. There is an absolute certainty, and God is the only one who absolutely knows what it is. He is omniscient. We are not. No, seriously. Read that again. He is omniscient. We are not. We have to interpret EVERYTHING. And we don’t always get it right. However, Christian who claim they are on the same plane as God and can know without a shadow of a doubt that every one of their theological positions of faith is 100% accurate would be the ones who would articulate, “The totality of all that I know equals the totality of all there is to know.” That is complete arrogance. It seems that their identity and worth as a human being is on the line. Many times it is.
If Christians take the above position instead of listening to others in order to fully understand and then humbly offering reasonable counterpoints (which can be done with confidence, just not certainty), it just may lead to Christians resorting to that back alley defense of their faith every time. When one gets backed into a corner, the fight or flight mechanism in our amygdala gets triggered, and we go on the attack instead of listening more intently, asking better questions, or offering a more reasonable defense of one’s faith. And that is the best we can offer: a reasonable defense; just not a certain one.
Let’s be honest, can we? There are some real conundrums in Christianity. There are inconsistencies in the Bible: How many women were at the tomb? Have you ever read I & II Chronicles and compared those accounts to ones in I & II Kings and I & II Samuel? They don’t line up a lot of the time. There are honest gut-wrenching questions that even the most faithful followers throughout the centuries have asked with no absolute-certain answer. When we act like there is “nothing to see here” or fail to concede that there are parts of the Bible that are difficult for 21st-century humans to grasp, we don’t strengthen our case and we definitely don’t make Christ more desirable to follow for a non-believer. Uhm, it really doesn’t look good on you.
We often find ourselves in what can be described as a tug of war between two belief systems. In a tug of war, both sides know that they can’t win if they give up any ground at all. So we hold that rope with our life is on the line kind of grip and we concede nothing. We put on that “there are no questions, no doubts, and no reason to further examine the Bible and the Christian faith than just believe.
Following the great commission to “Go and make disciples” is NOT a game tug of war. It’s a relationship that we have with other human beings who are seeking to make sense of their reality. We have to be honest. God is not dethroned nor the kingdom of Jesus thwarted by having honest conversations. In the verse that precedes the exhortation of Jesus to make apprentices (28:18-20), there is this reality: “When they (disciples) saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted” (17). Doubted with Jesus standing right there? How could they? And he didn’t scold them.
Rest in the fact that there are indeed holes, fallacies, contradictions, and inconsistencies in all positions, every worldview, and any perspective. We are humans with finite and very limited perspectives. We all (every human) are seeking to make sense of our reality on this incredible blue ball flying through space (that was debated by the church in the 15th century). All every human being uses a storyline or a narrative as a key or a map to help with that reality sense-making. We, Christians, use the story of the gospel of Jesus that he died and rose again for our salvation as our map to better understand the territory of what it means to be human. Others don’t buy that at all. They use another map with a different narrative. It may be a Buddhist story or an atheistic secular humanist tale or a Nihilist’s construction (sadly, that won’t last long). Some humans, perplexed and possibly even paralyzed by all the perspectives, even try to just sit it out and sigh with dispair, “I just don’t know.” We call them agnostic. I can appreciate them. At least they are honest. (In reality, you can’t just sit it out because the storyline of life influences everything you do and all decisions you make. But I get it.)
What Christians have to understand is that we don’t have the unequivocal or absolute storyline according to all other positions. We can’t just point to the Bible and say, “See there! Discussion over. Nothing else to talk about. Accept the absolute truth of God’s word.” The Bible has ZERO weight or life-changing influence on someone who doesn't accept the Bible as the authoritative and unequivocal standard. This is because a Muslim will point to his Holy book, and say, “See there! Discussion over. Nothing else to talk about. Accept the absolute truth of the Koran.” The next gal comes up and says, There is absolutely no deity at all. It’s all fiction in your minds. Everything we see and experience is a result of blind chance from an eternal universe.”
So what do you do then? Play theological Rocks, Paper, Scissors? But which takes which and how?
That is the hardest point of reality that many Christians can’t seem to understand. So if they can’t win the argument, they end up reaching for that ad hominem club and start swinging away. Quit! Please! It doesn’t really look good on you. And it’s definitely doesn’t look good for the revolution of love in the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to unleash.
In addition, and more importantly, it’s not playing well with the young disciples WITHIN our churches and homes. They are watching us. Insisting that we have the unequivocal, absolute certain truth and there is nothing to question here is essentially shoving these young faith-renting followers of Jesus right out the FRONT door of the church. We must seek to understand THEN be understood. We must listen and engage, NOT rant and shake the dust off our feet or wash our hands of the matter. Too often we make discussions an either/or instead of a both/and. There are times that it is either/or, like “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Cor 15:3-4). But there are other theological positions (most of which have created a multitude of denominations) that are not a slam dunk and might lend itself to more of a both/and, such as Christian can BOTH accept Genesis as an origin account AND accept the current scientific understanding of cosmology. That doesn’t mean that all points will be accepted without question; far from it. But it does mean that we can accept the Bible communicates the WHO and not the HOW and that science can speak to the HOW but not the WHO or their philosophical WHAT. Both can easily get out of one’s lane. The ancient writer of Genesis could never communicate about physics, chemistry, biology. And Scientists need to be honest when they offer philosophical opinions or conclusions as facts; they are not. There are good Jesus-loving Christians who accept both and seek to bring glory to God.
Besides, we aren't called to win arguments. We are called to be light, to serve all, to love everyone (neighbor and enemy alike), to take every thought captive, and to be the image-bearers of the Creator of the Universe. And yet we are also encouraged to be prepared to engage in discussion about weighty matters, to give a reason for the hope (not certainty) that we have … but it absolutely must be done in a way that others will see God in us. It must be done humbly and with love. And yes, we may get ostracized, marginalized, and definitely criticized. Again, it doesn’t do any good for furthering the message of Jesus to scream, “Foul! Not fair! We are being persecuted! You evildoer” Instead, offer the other cheek. We will even learn something ourselves.
Being light, being a servant, and a lover of all people seems to be missing from a lot of Facebook, other social media, and even face-to-face diatribes. Dropping scripture bombs and walking away is not how to do it. Those tactics won’t score any heavenly points and they definitely will not open the door wider for your atheist neighbor, agnostic cousin, Hindu coworker, or that young disciple in your church or home who is doubting their faith so much that they are ready to chuck it all. Recall we are to go into the world to make disciples not “disgruntles.”
So what does good on you? Peter writes in his first letter, "Live such good lives among the pagans (people who don’t get Jesus) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us" (2:12). I love this. Peter is depicting that there is a continuing relationship. In addition, he later writes, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil (3:15-18)..
Give an answer. And may it be reasonable, well-thought-out, and sound. And it is often said with much confidence. Did I say reasonable? But I didn’t say certain or absolute. When certainty is your standard, you have no room for any question or doubt. None. Confident leaves room for mystery. I don’t have to win that tug-of-war game. I may even lose that day but it doesn’t shake me. And we can go out for breakfast the next week and continue growing the relationship even deeper.
“Check out a video conversation between William Lane Craig and
https://peacefulscience.org/wlc-responds-ham/ ”
When was the last time that someone who disagreed with your answer to your hope, of why you believe walked away appreciating the conversation because of how you acted? That is how an apprentice of Christ behaves cause that is how Christ behaved. Isn’t it crazy that those on the outside of the kingdom couldn’t wait to get near Jesus. How often does that happen with us?
I love this little saying I use and live by: "Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” Say it as fast as you can. It’s sorta fun. No, it’s really fun.
If your walk (or HOW you engage when you talk) doesn’t communicate and even scream the beauty of Christ and the wonder of God, then don’t talk. Seriously, shut your mouth. You may think you are standing up for the Kingdom of God. No, you are not. What you say communicates volumes. But it is how you say it, how you counter when being attacked in a heated argument, how you act when you don’t think anyone is looking, or how you respond when someone lands a point that you don’t have a sound response for that matters. That is your walk. And your walk (the how) communicates 100x in magnitude.
Many Christians seem to win the war in one conversation. I want to have a tenth conversation. And that can only happen when your walk talks louder than your talk talks. Uhm, it really doesn’t look good on you.
We build trust with other humans in drips but we lose trust in buckets. It takes time to build trust. It takes many conversations. It takes many acts of service. it takes many demonstrations of love. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
Paul wrote to the Colossian and Laodicean churches, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Col 4:6). Our engagement with others must be constructive, engaging, and reasonable. It should never be a street brawl or a character assassination. Uhm, it really doesn’t look good on you.
Yes, respond to those who may not understand God, what it means to be a Christ-follower, or the hope we have. Please do. But do so in humility, with confidence, using a reasonable response, with gentleness and respect, in a way that leaves a good taste in someone’s mouth.
——
If you want to learn more, explore deeper issues, and develop REASONABLE responses to those who may ask you, check out my Animated Apologetic Videos (They’re pretty good) blog entry that has a bunch of resources for you.
Animated Apologetic Videos (They’re pretty good)
Asking questions is intertwined in the DNA of humanity.
There are so many things about our world to ask questions about.
As little kids, we sometimes look up in the sky and wonder. And there are a lot of deep and weighty issues to wonder about. The following short videos ask great questions about the nature of God, Jesus, and Christianity. They present logical arguments to some of the biggest questions that have been asked since the dawn of time. From one of the video’s notes: “Reasonable Faith features the work of philosopher and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig and aims to provide in the public arena an intelligent, articulate, and uncompromising yet gracious Christian perspective on the most important issues concerning the truth of the Christian faith today.”
The keyword is reasonable. We must go for humble, sensible, and wise discussions that seek understanding and build confidence. Too often Christians share their faith with a standard of certainty and it’s often communicated in demeaning arrogancy. Certainty is only a standard that God can attain to. We finite humans can only get to a standard of reasonableness with humility. We are always learning to make sense of our reality.
The current milieu or atmosphere in America is to cancel voices with which you disagree instead of to listen, engage, and dialogue. Christians often complain about cancel-culture but that has been in our history forever. Let’s listen, engage, and always love.
Check out my It Doesn’t Look Good On You blog entry that deals with how we engage others on these major questions.
These videos are to get you talking, thinking, and asking more questions. They are NOT proof of God or Christianity. They are logical propositions. They raise questions. They get us thinking. All information must be interpreted. And all humans are biased to their own interpretive filters. The videos can help us arrive at REASONABLE answers to some really hard questions. For others, these videos won’t be convincing. And that’s okay. Let’s keep talking.
By the way, winning intellectual arguments often doesn’t change lives. There are other dynamics at play. Changing minds usually only happens through changing hearts through love, listening, and allowing others to connect the dots.
To loosely paraphrase I Corinthians 13: And now these three remain: proof, arguments, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Kalam Cosmological Argument-Part 1: Scientific: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CulBuMCLg0 [4:12 min]
The Kalam Cosmological Argument-Part 2: Philosophical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybNvc6mxMo [5:32 min]
The Fine-tuning of the Universe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE76nwimuT0 [6:22 min]
Impossible Universe: The Reality of Cosmic Fine Tuning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk1pEHXnPsE [5:53 min] (Oct 2020)
God and Mathematics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJBOiZXkKu8 [5:03 min]
Leibniz’ Contingency Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCzEP0oD7I [5:14 min]
The Ontological Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmAKCvWl74 [4:40 min]
Suffering and Evil: The Logical Problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k64YJYBUFLM [4:47 min]
Suffering and Evil: The Probability Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxj8ag8Ntd4 [8:19 min]
The Moral Argument (Can you Be Good Without God): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU [5:01 min]
Is There Meaning to Life? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKGnXgH_CzE [5:38 min]
How Can Jesus Be The Only Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRyq6RwzlEM [5:19 min]
Who Did Jesus Think He Was? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSQDov6NNp0 [6:35 min]
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? Part One: The Facts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qhQRMhUK1o [6:42 min]
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? Part Two: The Explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SbJ4p6WiZE [6:46 min]
What Degree of Evolution Do You Allow For Given The Genesis Account (Dr. Craig answers a question) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raCC7PSrG4I [5:37 min]
How Do You Reconcile the Science Data and the Genesis Data? (Dr. Craig answers a question) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeBnS0jY3i8 [3:20 min]
What about Adam? What are the Predominant Views? (Dr. Craig offers the four current views on Adam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-v40m3TCSo [3:07 min]
Why Is the Traditional View of Adam Being Challenged? (Dr. Craig responds to the reasons behind the new ideas) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2AYSM3_NZU [1:57 min]
If you are interested in learning more or asking other questions, check out Room For Doubt
I was asked about that bowl at graduation
On May 8, 2021, I graduated with my Doctor of Ministry degree. As I walked across the stage, I got a warm hug from President Silas McCormick, a diploma (it was really empty; I got the real one later), the doctoral hood from Dr. Barney Wells, and a wooden bowl from Dr. Don Green. One of the coolest traditions for Masters and Doctor of Ministry students graduating from the seminary is connected with the idea of servant leadership.
Each master’s graduate of the Seminary receives a towel and each DMin graduate receives a bowl. The tradition goes back to Dr. Wayne Shaw and is based on John 13. It was at the Passover meal, just before the capture, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus that “he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (4-5).
Dr. Shaw used to say to the graduates, “‘This towel signifies that when our students graduate, it is not for arrogance, honor, or prestige, but so that they might go out and wash the feet of the world. This is what we are about’” (from the program booklet).
Doctor of Ministry graduates receive not only a bowl but also a basin which one can fill with water to wash and dry the feet of the world.
It is this powerful symbolism on which LCU stands. We seek to send out servant leaders, not just leaders. We send out servants who are willing to be ambassadors of Jesus and who are willing to take off all pretense and humbly serve humanity.
We seek to model Jesus.
Mark records a teachable moment with his disciples that impacts us today, in which Jesus said, “‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
I am so honored to receive the basin. For if Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve, neither will I.
—-
Check out Lincoln Christian University for how you can be a part of our community of servant leaders.
The Dynamics of Relationships
I teach a course called, “Relational Dynamics for Family Ministry.” It’s really a master class in leadership by learning about, analyzing, and practicing the incredibly complex dynamics of human interaction. Jesus was a master at this. But why? Jesus is recorded saying on several occasions: Love your neighbor and love your enemies. Love others is easy when they are easy. Often times that isn’t our default setting. It’s counter-intuitive to love our enemies. But I think it is one of the most brilliant and insightful comments that Jesus gave while on earth. But what is behind the command? What makes it powerful? That is always the insight that I chase as I ponder on these incredible words.
The course teaches biblical principles and insights, but we seek understanding in what we have learned from psychology and neuroscience. Pastors and ministers of all stripes must seek to live the between two worlds of the Bible and what we have learned from human researched fields of study (particularly psychology and how the brain works). John Stott suggested in his book, Between Two Worlds, that we must live with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. I, therefore, encourage students to embrace that tension and seek to live in the messy middle of it.
What are the complexities that prevent us as preschoolers to tell our siblings, “I’m sorry,” after our parents demand an apology? What is going on in the mind of those faithful disciples in our churches who bulk when necessary changes must be pursued? Why do some (okay, most) resist change (of any kind)? Why are some decisions so incredibly difficult to make? Servant leaders can’t see around corners. In addition, we don’t always seek understanding as to WHY that group of people in our churches are resisting the changes we announce. What gives? And how do navigate the conflict that festers up when you get at least two people in the room who both have different ideas about how to proceed through a ministry or personal conundrum?
In addition to gaining wisdom on how to deal with people from the Bible, one of my favorite resources for my Relational Dynamics class is Chris Voss, a former FBI chief negotiator. His insights are powerful to understanding people and ultimately to be able to lead them well. His book, Never Split the Difference is one of the most insightful books I have read. This isn’t a Christian resource. However, it does help to uncover the incredibly important dynamics of human relationships.
In 2018, Chris spoke at the NY Mindshare Conference that gives a preview into the insights that can be gained AND translated to working with people in any situation.
Get the book. But in the meantime, check out this approximately 1-hour interactive address entitled, “Negotiation Skills: How to harness trust, empathy and the word ‘No.’”
How do you spell LOVE?
One of the best ways to spell the word LOVE is S-e-r-v-e. A similar spelling is A-c-t and it can always be spelled L-i-s-t-e-n!
There are many other good and godly ways to spell the word LOVE, but it should never be spelled S-h-a-m-e.
I prefer the first spelling on most occasions and in all situations the third.
May we be good spellers!
How do you spell LOVE?
LCU “Commencement” Reflections: And so it begins?
Photo by Jodie Merritt
The 2020 and 2021 LCU graduation ceremonies are in the books. What a great day it was celebrating all of the accomplishments of our students. I am so proud of them all. (However, there were some students who I was extra proud of because I really didn’t think they would graduate, for a variety of reasons. Wow, I love those stories. I love their perseverance.) Well done.
It is this day that I live for as a professor. I regularly tell prospective students and their parents that when they step onto the campus of LCU as a new student, I am already planning for and thinking of this day. I begin with their “end” in mind. I am focused on the end of their LCU experience when they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. That is the goal. But it’s not really the end.
Graduation marks the ability to meet the requirements in order to receive a diploma at the end of this stage of a student’s journey. Graduation is awesome. It is a celebration. It is a giant relief of stress, pressure, and weight. No more assignments. No one telling us what books to read. We finally find ourselves at the finish line of this leg of the journey. But time at LCU is just that, a leg, a short chapter in a long story. It does mark the end. In reality, it marks the beginning.
Commencement isn’t a ceremony that celebrates “finally being able to make it to the end” like a marathon runner crawling to the finish line. Whew!! On the contrary, commencement means beginning or start. It’s the celebration of the next chapter. It’s the gun the fires marking the start of the next race! What are you going to do now?
What really matters after your LCU education, formation, and training is what happens AFTER this day: the next chapter; the next leg.
Mathew records Jesus saying at the conclusion of what we call the sermon on the mount, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (7:24). As students and especially as Christ-followers, it matters what we put into practice instead of what we just know and understand. As disciples of Jesus is matters how we live today and tomorrow, not just what we accomplished yesterday.
It is a privilege to be able to be a short part of the lives of these students. I am so honored. As a professor, I have taught (and learned with) some incredible people over the last four years (and the last 20). How cool is it that I can rub shoulders with servant leaders in the Kingdom of God? What a joy!
So commencement means: On your mark. Get set. Go and make disciples.. .live your lives in ways that honor Jesus in everything you do (no matter what degree you received). Fully engage in the Kingdom of God as his leading servants. Be a part of bringing light to darkness, rightness to wrong situations, joy to despair. And do it creatively, with all the energy that Christ brings.
Know this: I am cheering you on toward love and good deeds. You got this!!!!
“The Science says” is just as problematic as, “The Bible says”
The usage of “the science says” can be a weapon, often wielded for power or added weight on the scale for making decisions that can take it out of the research lab and placed into the philosophy department. Christians are quick to point out the arrogancy of that statement. However, it’s the same with the use of “The Bible says….” Ironically, both don’t come with their obvious embedded and integrated interpretative legend. Data is data just as words are just words. Neither are contextless. The bits of information must fit within an interpretative narrative or storyline or context that must take into account a multitude of factors. Humility must drive the interpretative process. It’s simplistic to say “the Bible says” as if one can read the Bible with common sense and sound logic and all 7.8 billion people of the earth, from all sorts of religions, come to a unanimous conclusion. That kind of unanimity doesn’t even happen within the entire Christian family (all 33,000 denominations) let alone all 500 members of one church body that meets in one Sunday morning worship gathering. The Bible has to be interpreted. That process is called hermeneutics. Equally, science must walk hand in hand with hermeneutics.; science has to be interpreted. The problem is that where Bible Hermeneutics is often ridiculed by the Science community, science must embrace honest, interpretative practices as well. Everything must be interpreted and neither science nor Bible-believing people must not put their thumb on the scale to push along their philosophical conclusions. Let the data drive the conclusions. (NOTE: I am in no way suggesting that there should be a dichotomous relationship between science and the Bible. Both can be and should be embraced for they explore and seek different answers.)
A new book by a former Obama official raises the need for more examination of the “facts” by the scientific community. He is questioning the hermeneutical conclusions of the science on climate change.
As with any discussion, biblically or scientifically, we need to stop the vilification of opposing viewpoints, strip away the biased agendas (that both sides have), and truly examine the facts, and then humbly offer interpreted conclusions, based on those perceived facts, all the while preparing to be wrong when the facts suggest as much.
The author of Unsettled? writes, “Humans are certainly influencing the climate and human influences are growing ... but beyond a warming of about 2 degrees F over the last century, we don't see many impacts on severe weather events." NYU's Steve Koonin states, "The notion we've broken the climate is somehow misplaced.”
This is not a politically left or right issue: it’s a human issue. We must set up Steelman arguments (seeking full understanding on all sides) instead of strawman ones (assassinating and vilifying the other side’s arguments without really dealing with what their positions may be).
I have not yet read the book. I heard Dr. Koonin on CNBC being interviewed and went to add it to my cart and couldn’t purchase it because it was out of stock.
Check out: Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1950665798/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_0GD6TTVCD7NP9EP76FFB
Just think.
Just think.
That’s it. Nothing more. Just think.
We don’t have time anymore for just thinking.
Being bored is a nasty word. Our phones (I’m the worse) lure us away from just being flat-out bored. But unless we are bored, unless we create space where we might be bored, we will never just think.
I saw a TikTok the other day (not being bored) of a guy whose basement was full (and I mean full) of all the different game consoles and 100s of games for each. The first thought I had was, “What a bummer, that guy and his kids will never be bored!”
Sitting to just think is how problems are solved, new things created, solutions germinated, where we can embrace the majesty of the human brain.
Try it. Just think.
Sit for a while and purposely be bored ponder, wonder, wander, reflect, juggle, escape, and go for a mental jog. But we often don’t have time for any of that stuff.
I was reading my weekly brain food from Shane Parrish, and I saw this quote:
“It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise”
In fact, here is what came before this quote:
"Multitasking, in short, is not only not thinking, it impairs your ability to think. Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Not learning other people’s ideas, or memorizing a body of information, however much those may sometimes be useful. Developing your own ideas. In short, thinking for yourself. You simply cannot do that in bursts of 20 seconds at a time, constantly interrupted by Facebook messages or Twitter tweets, or fiddling with your iPod, or watching something on YouTube.
I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom.”
I love this. I don’t do enough of this, what you call sitting quietly and thinking.
Here is the article from Shane that got me thinking.
When you finish reading the article, just think…
Seriously.
Just think.