The Deeper Meaning in the Seemingly Random – Part II

Why is the story of Judah and Tamar in the Bible?

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” – Psalm 103:13-14 (ESV) In part I, I told how I recommended to a friend that he read the Old Testament story of Joseph, and how […]

Charlottesville Doesn’t Get the Last Word

Following a tragedy, let's lift our eyes

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” – M. K. Gandhi If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know I’ve been discussing the book Roy H. Williams’ and Michael Drew’s book Pendulum, and its theme of history’s unfolding in alternating cycles of emphasis — from Me to […]

The Pendulum Predicts a Bumpy Ride – Part III

How should we live in difficult times?

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own […]

Update: The Wisdom of King Solomon

Learn from the wisest king in history

Men:  We have to talk about sex. If there’s one area where this generation is stuck, this is it. The Water Was Dirty Before You Got In Now, before you conclude that I’m pointing my finger at you, please realize that the Boomer cohort gave us the sexual revolution and rampant divorce, and the Gen X cohort […]

Why You Need Your Question Answered

Seeking stimulation by creating drama

 “Crazy is like glitter. It sticks to everything, gets everywhere, and you never get rid of it.”  – Anonymous (or perhaps I said it first) Over the past several posts we have been dealing with the primary emotional needs of Identity, Stimulation, and Security. Playwright-turned-anthropologist Robert Ardrey deserves the credit for identifying these three — […]

Perception, Perspective, and Point of View

You can believe your eyes... sometimes

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26 (ESV) “Perception is reality,” goes the saying. But is it true? We’ve spent the last couple of posts discussing the existence of truth as a knowable external reality, and the misuse of truth […]

Is It Possible to Know the Truth?

Logic and the Bible say yes

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.  Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” – Proverbs 23: 22-23 (ESV) In my previous post, I argued that “truth” had become an idol — a fetish — a substitute for genuine […]

Truth-fetishism and Confirmation Bias

It's a trap

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31 – 32 I have noticed that our society has an obsession with “truth.” I don’t believe it started with politics, but this is the arena — […]

Re-post: Subjective and Objective — Don’t Think of an Elephant

Get the junk out of your mental trunk

“Yeah, well, y’know that’s just, like, your opinion, man.” -The Dude. The Big Lebowski We have entered a period in our history where we have elevated what our senses can perceive as facts, while we relegate abstract principles to the realm of opinions.  This is not healthy. No sane man would question the sensory data […]

Re-Post: The Best Advice Was a Stern Rebuke

Do the work -- it will pay off eventually

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend;     profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” – Proverbs 27:6 (ESV) The story I’m about to tell you is true. While I am not particularly proud of certain aspects of this story, I think it has a happy enough ending, as well as a useful moral, so I’m […]