July 19, 2025
PODCASTS
Some lament that the cultural influence of Christianity appears to be waning, and there are certainly indications of that. But there are also encouraging signs that God’s Spirit is still at work among us (Aslan is on the move, as one might say in Narnia). Justin Brierly’s podcast series on The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God highlights several of those signs. It’s worth listening to the whole series, and while I plan to suggest other specific episodes in the future, start with the link below for Season 1, Episode 1 on The Rise and Fall of New Atheism. It’s a little over an hour long, but it’s engaging and an inspiring reminder that “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
I find it refreshing when people who are not Christians arrive at ethical conclusions that are more or less in line with the teaching of the Bible. It’s a reminder that the God who made the world has given us his word to tell us how best to live in it if we will simply listen. This is the case with author Louise Perry (not a Christian), who has concluded that the “sexual revolution” has been detrimental, to say the least, for our society, and particularly for women. You can listen to Perry being interviewed by clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson using the link below. Be aware: the discussion is quite frank and pretty deep, so be prepared to think. But I believe we can (and need to) have a deepening confidence that what the Bible teaches is true from these “secular” voices who have determined that the predominant messages from our culture about sex and marriage turn out to be lies.
[These podcasts might seem long. Personally, I don’t often get through a podcast all at one time. I’ll usually listen while walking, driving, doing housework, or biking. Also, I usually increase the playback speed to 1.5- 1.7 to get through them a bit faster without sacrificing the ability to keep up.]
ARTICLES
Articles
During my sermon series on Daniel, I’ve mentioned the Apocrypha a few times while referencing Antiochus IV. For a good article explaining what the Apocrypha is, some of its history, and how we as Protestants view it, check out this link to an article by Greg A. Salazar.
The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books
Inspired by the Proverbs passage to eat honey (the origin of The Hive name), here’s an article by David Mathis on what the Bible has to say about eating honey (sugar).
What Is Sweeter Than Honey? A Little Theology of Sugar
QUOTES
Finally, during my class on God & Government, I talked about circumstances that might call for Christians to engage in civil disobedience. Having picked up an anthology on the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., while on a trip to Washington, D. C. in 2021, I finally got around to reading through much of it in 2024. There were portions in which he sets forth with amazing clarity – a clarity sadly lacking in many of today’s protests and much of current activism – how he understood and practiced civil disobedience. While there were critics of his approach even during his own time, I found his commitment to non-violent resistance compelling and quite consistent with the teaching we find in the Bible (see Daniel 3; Acts 4:19). Here is the content from MLK on civil disobedience that I shared in my class.
“The alternative to violence is nonviolent resistance … Five points can be made … First, this is not a method for cowards; it does resist. The nonviolent resister is just as strongly opposed to the evil against which he protests as is the person who uses violence ... This method is passive physically but strongly active spiritually …
A second point is that nonviolent resistance does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding ... Non-cooperation and boycotts are not ends themselves; they are merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the opponent. The end is redemption and reconciliation. The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness.
A third characteristic of this method is that the attack is directed against forces of evil rather than against persons who are caught in those forces … “The tension in this city is not between white people and Negro people. The tension is at bottom between justice and injustice, between the forces of light and the forces of darkness ... we are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may happen to be unjust.
A fourth point that must be brought out concerning nonviolent resistance is that it avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love. In struggling for human dignity the oppressed people of the world must not allow themselves to become bitter or indulge in hate campaigns. To retaliate with hate and bitterness would do nothing but intensify the hate in the world. Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can be done only by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives.
Finally, the method of nonviolence is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice. It is this deep faith in the future that causes the nonviolent register to accept suffering without retaliation. He knows that in his struggle for justice he has cosmic companionship ... Good Friday may reign for a day, but ultimately it must give way to the triumphant beat of the Easter drums.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., “Nonviolence and Racial Justice”
One final thought: “Self-talk is a sure sign of severe mental illness. At least that’s what I tell myself.”