Zugzwang
zugzwang is a German chess term describing the “compulsion to move.” If you could just skip a turn and not move any of your pieces, you’d be in fine shape. But moving any piece will worsen your position. But here’s the hitch: In chess, you have to move when it’s your turn; in politics, you don’t. In politics, like war, not moving is a move.
Jonah Goldberg
When young, all I wanted was moral certainty. With age, I must accept complexity.
Greg Everett
William Jennings Bryan said, “The people of Nebraska are for free silver, so I am for free silver. I will look up the arguments later.”
childishness
…populism often manifests itself as childishness. “Childish” has a slightly different connotation than “childlike.” Childlike conveys sweetness and innocence. Childishness is defined by a refusal to accept the rules. Childish people are quick to take offense. They are the Veruca Salts of the world, who want it now. They don’t care about the rules, and they think manners are for other people. They are reluctant to listen and eager to shout. Childish pranks are their own reward, and consequences for their actions are always unfair. Grownups think about consequences. They remember mistakes and adjust for them.
Jonah Goldberg
Going with the flow
The Gulf Stream will flow through a straw provided the straw is aligned to the Gulf Stream, and not at cross purposes with it.”
Bird by Bird – Anne
People of faith
People of faith should embody moral and intellectual integrity.One would hope that people of faith would act differently from members of political interest groups—that followers of Jesus would passionately defend human dignity, champion justice, and create the conditions for human flourishing, without being co-opted by any political party or power structure. …
Peter Wehner
Lamentations is the product of those who still believe
Bobby Valentine
I’ve watched a surge of people I love walk away from Jesus in the last few years… Just about ZERO have been lured away by marxism, liberalism or atheism
Almost all have “shipwrecked” over the politicizing of Christianity & their church’s apathy(hostility) re: injustice. (unknown)
Friends of Jesus
We cannot hope to become the friends of Jesus apart from becoming the friends of one another. It takes the context of real friendship to lay aside our need to know it all and to be right and to be someone other than who we really are. Only friends can make this admission to one another, “We don’t understand what he is saying.”
J D Walt
Who we truly are
The longer I live, the more I realize that we simply don’t know who we truly are until we’re tested. We can vocalize our beliefs all day long, but when living those beliefs is hard—when upholding our principles carries a cost—that’s when we learn what we truly value.
David French
FRONT PORCH VIEW
While sitting on the front porch, a vaguely familiar car stopped at the curb. A lady got out, came up on the sidewalk and said, “I need help”. She went on to explain her husband had just gotten home from the hospital after suffering a heart attack and stroke and she needed $35 for medicine. “Why did you stop here?”, I asked. Shrugging, she replied, “Something told me to stop here.” I invited her to come up and have seat, We got acquainted as my mind swirled ..scam?..$35?…should I?…What if? Deciding to give her the money and having only two $20 and one $10 bill, I scrounged up $5 in coins. She willingly accepted the bills and the inconvenient coins. “I will pay you back next week”, she said, thanking me profusely. “That won’t be necessary.” I said, all the while thinking, yeah…sure.
Sitting on the porch one week later, her car pulled up, she got out and brought me $35 in cash (no coins). Surprised but pleased, I refused to accept her payment, she thanked me and departed.
Anytime I am on the front porch and she drives past she always waves.
In retrospect, that encounter left me with some questions I am still pondering:
Why didn’t I give her two $20’s ?
Why was I so suspicious and doubtful?
Something…told her to stop?
Listen for the week
Still on the Journey