Legacy of Sons

At a recent conference, pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle peppered his session on preaching with valuable commentary and beneficial advice.  He shared the story of the men’s ‘boot camp’ which his church carries out yearly for young men interested in figuring out life as a true man who is a disciple of Jesus.  Unfortunately the young male population in so many sections of our nation consists of lazy, self-centered singles who spend too much time obsessing over blogs and video games and little time using their hands to reach into the lives of people for their good.*  Furthermore, the spectrum of view for these men is not only stunted horizontally (in relation to other people around them currently); it is stunted in its longevity.  They probably don’t realize their impending legacy.

America: A “Third Soil” Nation

African shamanism, Eastern mysticism and Latin American visions blatantly display the spiritual realm. A realm too often only exposed to North Americans via the theatre, with movies featuring ‘exorcism’ in the title. Surely ‘supernormal’ situations bring those faithful few believers to their knees. These recognize that the only power potent enough to dispel the dark forces is the Creator of light. They stay alert, petitioning and praising the invisible God who sustains the universe and brings life to the deadly world. But what happens when a spiritually sensitive Chinese believer is transplanted into a North American culture? She sees danger here as well, but it is deceptive.

Calendar, College, and Candidates

I celebrated the New Year in Las Vegas. This is where I have welcomed the turn of the calendar for the past decade. Fortunately, our television set acts as a shield, protecting us from the craziness of the Strip’s festivities, which otherwise are a twenty-minute drive away from our Las Vegas home in a quiet community on the eastern side of the city.

As we watched the fireworks and the music and the reveling, with sparkling cider in hand and warm blankets around our shoulders, I began to wonder a bit. Why is it that we celebrate the New Year? What is the big deal, anyway? Is it just an excuse to have fun and party? Or does it say something deeper about us as Americans, as humans?