- Robin Williams was one of the first actors I ever recognized and truly appreciated. His sense of humor and incredible acting talent is an unmatched combination in my eyes. No actor has his comedic genius, and no comedian has his acting chops. You are missed, O Captain, my Captain.
- Depression is an incredibly difficult condition. I heard a highly respected Christian counselor once say that everyone suffers from some level of depression and anxiety, but the difference is not knowing the level to which each of us is experiencing them. King David, Saul, and Job are just three examples of people in the Bible who experienced severe depression. There’s no shame in suffering from depression, only an opportunity and a responsibility to reach out to others around you and get whatever help you need.
- I’ve followed Matt Walsh’s blog for a short while now, and this week’s backlash to his post on Robin Williams’ suicide reminds me of three truths: 1) a controversial blog post needs layers of accountability before you hit “publish”, 2) we live in a vitriolic society of intolerance under the guise of alleged tolerance as long as you maintain status quo, and 3) we all need grace.
- The town of Ferguson is about 20 minutes from where Kara and I used to live in St. Louis. Racial prejudice and bigotry will continue as long as we keep feeding both of them. There’s guilt on both sides of the skin-shade aisle and my heart breaks for the families and community of Ferguson. Pray for Michael Brown’s family and for peace in Ferguson.
- If you don’t understand the situation, then it’s best if you keep quiet and read from multiple perspectives to gain an accurate understanding. This includes the following: Ferguson, ISIS, Hamas, Gaza v. Israel, Syria, Ann Coulter, controversial books, and of course, politics.
- Praise God for the Christians being rescued from the Sinjar mountains surrounded by the ISIS. The U.S. did what was right and intervened in the name of justice.
- It’s times like these where I pray for God to renew this world. As the Church, we are the voice of good news, the Gospel of peace and grace and sin-shattering forgiveness. It’s up to us to make a difference through our message and our methods. Game on.
Not all Christians have yet been rescued from the Sinjar mountains. The powers that be have now begun to say that there are only about 3,000 left on the mountain and they are not worth the effort, so to speak. That is how many people died in the world Trade Center on 9/11. They are worth whatever it takes. Do not allow the US to do anything less than rescue every last one of them. Do not cease powerful prayers for their protection and restoration to a safe and prosperous life.
I also live near Ferguson. It has been a small suburban conclave of racial problems for a long time, just like St. Louis and most other cities. There is a deeper problem even than racism. Pray against powers of strife, division and deception. Pray for repentance, reconciliation and revival. Ferguson is being used to take the eyes of the world off of greater darkness and threats to our nation, and our world. Pray that everything hidden shall be exposed to the light.