All Things Considered 5/9/20

Here is a collection of interesting articles and resources I’ve enjoyed recently.

COVID-19 and a Christian Epistemology of the Heart, Part 1

My main suggestion is that we use epistemology to help us cultivate a kind of humility in the habits of our thoughts and emotions.

This was a fascinating look into how our emotions and feelings are able to help us know ourselves and the world around us better, especially when emotional strain is heightened during COVID-19:

“Emotions are a way of seeing the world based on our deepest concerns. Our concerns are shaped by what we value. What we value is shaped by our thoughts. For example, what I am angry about will tell me what I believe I deserve. What I am fearful of will show me what I think makes me safe. What I despair over will tell me what I think is unredeemable.”

Lynching Then and Lynching Now: Racial Justice as Christian Imperative

The killing of Ahmaud Arbery is tragically not an anomaly in American history: It is, rather, another tragic chapter in our nation’s long story of lynching.

There are countless articles floating out there about this tragedy, but the imperative that the situation creates for us American Christians is an important one for us to heed. This kind of injustice must be fought against.

Come to Me All Who Have COVID Weariness, and I Will Give You Rest

As the COVID yoke lies heavy, will you come to Jesus for rest?

Benjamin Vrbicek takes one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Jesus’ promise of rest in Matthew 11:28-30, and does a fantastic job of applying this ancient promise to all of us, no matter our role or circumstance in life. This is a must-read.

Fighting Apathy With Awe — The Ploughman’s Rest

I have found that in my moments of deepest apathy, the only truth that binds me to God’s presence, is the foundation shaking truth of his absolute goodness.

Chris Thomas knocks this one out of the park. When you get a good grasp of just how good God is, it should spur us to action. His blog is definitely one to follow as he consistently encourages, consistently comforts, and consistently points to Jesus in everything he writes.

What Shines Through The Cracks

Longing for something you don’t know how to grasp will only lead to frustration.

The folks over at the Two Tasks Institute have started a new blog called Ideas and the Kingdom. The blog was born out of the conviction that “the study of philosophy, theology, and cultural analysis can (1) be used to benefit in our personal understanding of God and the world He created, and also (2) be used in service to God and our neighbors as we engage our culture with ideas for the Kingdom.” I was grateful and blessed to be able to contribute a piece to this project.