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"Courage, Daughter!" open.substack.com/pub/embracethe…

If our Christianity causes us to defend the president rather than the poor, the powerless, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, and the immigrant, that’s when we know we are following someone other than Jesus.

"In This Way Both Are Preserved" open.substack.com/pub/embracethe…

New report, new promo video! (article 🔗 in 1st Reply) — 🤑 Taxes, Spending & Other Jokes 🎭 Is This ‘Civilized Society’? Who Will Build the Roads? — ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’ — book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental health

Sunday Buffet QOTD, w @jeffreytucker & @brownstoneinst on “anti-vaxx” movements. Full podcast — “Legacy of Good Ideas” — 🔗 in 1st Reply. ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’ — book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental health, news

Notice how Christian nationalists suddenly believe in the separation of church and state when Bishop Mariann Budde asks the president to be merciful, when the Pope asks the president to be peaceful, and when anyone suggests that the government should take better care of the poor.

Tonight @ 7:15 p.m. EDT! We preview @WWE @WrestleMania 42, which takes place this weekend in Las Vegas, on a special Don't Bury The Lead midweek livestream. Join the live chat at YouTube at the link below. w @BSBfromNJCW youtube.com/watch?v=fshrsf…

For seven years I was College Chaplain and Worcester College, Oxford. Each year I used to see the first year undergraduates individually for a few minutes, to welcome them to the college and make a first acquaintance. Most were happy to meet me; but many commented, often with slight embarrassment, “You won’t be seeing much of me; you see, I don’t believe in god.” I developed stock response: “Oh, that’s interesting; which god is it you don’t believe in?” This used to surprise them; they mostly regarded the word “God” as a univocal, always meaning the same thing. So they would stumble out a few phrases about the god they said they did not believe in: a being who lived up the in the sky, looking down disapprovingly at the world, occasionally “intervening” to do miracles, sending bad people to hell while allowing good people to share his heaven. Again, I had a stock response for this very common statement of “spy-in-the-sky” theology: “Well, I’m not surprised you don’t believe in that god. I don’t believe in that god either.” ntwrightpage.com/2016/07/12/jes…

"Go and Learn" open.substack.com/pub/embracethe…

An especially appropriate essay for Tax Day Eve.

QOTD (article 🔗 in 1st Reply) — ✝️ Keep Your Chin Up! ☝️ How Jesus Treats Those Devastated & Ashamed After His Death — ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’ — book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental health, news, history, meditation

Sunday Buffet QOTD, w fellow ’Stacker @Edub_Rocks of @embrace_within on implementing good ideas. Full podcast — “Legacy of Good Ideas” — 🔗 in 1st Reply. ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’ — book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental

@Edub_Rocks @embrace_within Full podcast episode — “Legacy of Good Idea” — can be found here: goodneighborbadcitizen.substack.com/p/legacy-of-go…

"Get Up and Walk" open.substack.com/pub/embracethe…

Perhaps the sharpest contrast is that the "works of the flesh" are all looking inward: they are all "about me." Sexual immorality uses another person to gratify one's own desires. Idolatry and sorcery are attempts to manipulate the world into the shape I would like it to be. Hostility, anger, and party spirit are all about me and my friends squaring off against some other group. Drunkenness enables me to sink into a private world, and though the wild parties may give an appearance of "togetherness," they are hollow at the core, a glossy parody of real friendship. By contrast, most of the "fruit of the Spirit" is explicitly outward facing: love, obviously, then great-heartedness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness. Not only do these require other people if they are to be practiced (as we saw, Christian virtue differs at this point from the lonely Aristotelian kind), they are specifically looking out into the wider world and community. They are, in the technical language, exocentric: they orient the person toward others. The three others, "joy," "peace," and "self-control," would probably be seen by Paul as likewise corporate. Joy can no doubt be private, but it longs to be shared and is thereby multiplied. The inner harmony implied by "peace" is not, for Paul, something that can collapse into private self-satisfaction; it manifests itself in the genuinely like-minded fellowship of which he speaks so often, as for instance in Philippians 2:1-5. "God has called you in peace," he says of marital harmony (1 Cor 7:15). And, as for self-control–well, it is one thing to keep one's passions and moods on a tight leash when alone, but it is quite another to restrain them when other people around are acting in ways that provoke the sleeping dragon. –Galatians eerdmans.com/9780802825605/…

Jesus isn't a tool we use to achieve our goals. He's not leverage against our opponents. Jesus is someone we adore. Mature Christians focus on his inherent value, not his transactional value. The church needs courageous, Christ-centered leaders who understand this, and Pope Leo seems to be one of them. Last year, @skyejethani reflected on what Protestants can learn from Pope Leo's selection and the way he talks about leadership. Check out the full video ⏯️"A Protestant's Unexpected Hope in the New Pope" on YouTube!

QOTD (article 🔗 in 1st Reply) — ✝️Keep Your Chin Up!☝️ How Jesus Treats Those Who Are Devastated & Ashamed After His Death — ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’—book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental health, news, history, meditation

Sunday Buffet QOTD, on Gen-Z & cringe. Full podcast — “Legacy of Good Ideas” — 🔗 in 1st Reply. ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen’ — book author, podcaster, journalist, Christianity, anarchism, voluntarism, spiritual, mental health, news, history, meditation

Over the years, I’ve been inclined to believe that most white evangelicals do not see Trump as Savior (though some do)… but many do admire him in an idolatrous way that betrays their core fidelity to Christ. They find Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, crushing policies, flamboyant greed, and vulgar pride much more enticing than the compassionate, merciful, sacrificial love of Jesus. The pushback he got after this post reaffirms that paradox. However, as disturbing as it is… this is also very apparent. Trump does in fact view himself as Savior… and certainly Trump admires Trump more than Christ… even if some evangelicals are still deciding which master they will serve. Follow Jesus. Not Trump.