I’ve always thought that Memorial Day was a somewhat conflicted holiday. We’re trying to memorialize all the soldiers who have died in action while at the same time heading for the beach, breaking out the barbecue and cracking open the beer to celebrate the official beginning of summer, the celebration getting much more attention than the memorial.
In April of 2007, I published an article about Francis Schaeffer in Christianity Today magazine. For our younger readers, Francis Schaeffer had a unique ministry to young intellectuals graduating from college in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Many of them were from evangelical homes with bigger questions than their churches or Christian colleges could handle. Schaeffer was the first Christian leader I encountered who was passionate about a biblical faith, but connected as well to the prevailing secular culture, and intelligent enough to speak into it.
Correction: I have something to correct about my Catch yesterday, though this does not change the central point; I just shot from the hip and overstated something, and that would be this statement: “I honestly don’t think Jesus cares what we think about critical race theory.”
Our excellent discussion with George Barna last week on BlogTalkRadio kicked open the door on Christian or biblical worldview discussions. So tonight on BlogTalkRadio, our good friend Wayne Bridegroom will be joining me to continue the conversation. Wayne and I have been bantering back and forth about this all week, so I thought we would just let you in on the discussion. I must admit, a lot of my thinking on worldview is in process. I have long been concerned that most attempts at creating a Christian or biblical worldview are not getting it right, but I’m not completely sure I know why, so you have to realize my thoughts are reaching for something I don’t think I have fully grasped.
The evening meal was in progress. The devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. The end was near, and Jesus wanted nothing more than to share this meal together with his disciples. But the disciples were in a sort of bewildered state, not truly grasping what was going on, yet aware that it wasn’t good. Jesus was the only one who knew what was going on, and He was full of anticipation mixed with apprehension that the time had finally come. This night began a string of events that would define why He had come to earth. This was the defining moment in human history.
I am preparing for Os Guinness to be our guest again on BlogTalkRadio in a few weeks by reading his newest book, The Magna Carta of Humanity: Sinai’s Revolutionary Faith and the Future of Freedom. It’s a fascinating study of revolution and freedom in which he compares the Jewish revolt against Egypt and Pharaoh, the American Revolution of 1776, and the French Revolution of 1789 and how widely they differ in their understandings of freedom and human dignity.
Well now, I know that you are sick of my birthday, but the problem is, I’m not. And since I still have one more gift to open up you’re all going to have to suck it up for one more celebration. You see, one of my birthday gifts was two tickets to an Angels v. Twins doubleheader that starts in about two hours. So I’m opening that one right now. Chandler is going to attend the first game with me and Uber home, while Christopher joins me for the second. So I get to take in a doubleheader with my boys. Happy Birthday!
In honor of that, I’m posting this picture from a few years ago. I think I’ve had the biggest birthday wish on the Jumbotron of anyone as far as I can tell. Of course knowing John Carpino, President of the Angels, didn’t hurt. Our boys were both in the same Indian Guides program years ago, so we’ve had a few adventures together including sailing through 18-foot swells between Newport Beach and Catalina coming back from a weekend camp there. I thought we’d never make it. Whoever thought 26 miles could be so daunting.
Marti made up a special gift card to announce this game to me, and I must include it here because it is so clever.
The’ve decided to hand things over; they’re making a big deal about it, too — an armada of press, influencers with a gazillion followers, and the Times is doing a piece (for old time’s sake). You’ve earned this with more than a few good ideas that improved the bottom line. The board is in agreement. Now the Birthday is all that’s left.
They’ve spared no expense with the venue and the guest list. After all, this is about making an impression. Confidence in front of the camera is key. Remember to smile (you’ve got a good one). Your speech is perfect; follow it.
But is all that enough? You didn’t get this far by being timid or by blending in.
Don’t start now.
Last night, on BlogTalkRadio, we had one of the country’s most visible and often quoted Christian leaders, George Barna. He was the founder and leader of The Barna Group which continues to conduct groundbreaking research on worldview, cultural transformation, ministry applications, spiritual development, and politics. His current work is almost solely taken up with worldview studies based out of Arizona Christian University where he leads the Cultural Research Center and teaches as a professor.
Till We Have Faces is a novel by C.S. Lewis which is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. It is a title that has new meaning since we have been isolated in a pandemic for over a year now, and covering our faces in public all this time. I have not read the book, but I have its title coming to mind a lot these days as I have grown frustrated with only seeing half of a person’s face. And when I see someone’s eyes only, I can’t help but think about that time when we will all have faces again.
Taking a break from the Catch to celebrate my birthday. Will rejoin the Catch tomorrow.
John Fischer The Catch 