Recent news stories point to improved job prospects and increased pay to go with them. This is encouraging if you have the credentials (read: degree and/or certification) your prospective employer is looking for, but what if you don’t?

At a recent convention I attended, I heard a keynote speech that inspired this post. I’ll share more of what I learned from that talk in Part 2, but first I want to encourage you to become an entrepreneur. Instead of waiting for someone to hire you, why not start your own company and be the boss?

Let’s be clear: I’m not suggesting that you pull a Costanza and make up a Vandelay Industries. Nor am I talking about falling into the trap of turk work and setting yourself up for obsolescence. Instead, I mean that you should develop a product or service and the plan for delivering it — and then you should deliver it as profitably as you can.

Make your own luck

Let’s talk about the upsides, starting with creating your own momentum and your own luck. Now before you think there’s this mystical force our there called Luck that runs parallel to God, let me clarify. What people call luck is actually the meeting of preparation and attention. When you’ve done the homework and acquired and/or mastered the knowledge of your marketplace, you’ll harness the positive power of confirmation bias. As I’ve written before, when you drive an old Volvo, you start to see them everywhere.

When you’ve developed expertise in your chosen market, you’ll see opportunities everywhere. Then, if you’re confident and diligent, you’ll pursue the more promising opportunities. And if your preparation includes the cultivation of some selling skills, you’ll close some business. Then people will consider you lucky.

One man from my hometown used to like to say that the harder he worked the luckier he got. I got it back then, and I still remember it. I also appreciate the saying attributed to Thomas Edison that goes like this: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Be your own boss

Becoming an entrepreneur has another huge upside: you are your own boss. Unless you’re also highly self-motivated, that’s also the downside. Every day, you’re going to have to summon your motivation, your desire to get things done or they won’t get done.

By the way, this is the same skill you need to manage your career, as I discussed in this post.

But… It takes money

Yes, it’s true that you have to have some money to get started, but not as much as you may think. For most entrepreneurial enterprises, you aren’t going to need your own skyscraper and helipad — at least, not at first. Some people with landscaping businesses started with not much more than a lawnmower and a willingness to sweat. Other people have figured out how to open online stores on a shoestring budget. Web domains are very inexpensive — and there are lots of free tutorials that can help you design your website and launch your business.

Chris Guillebeau wrote a book called The 100-Dollar Startup. You may find just the idea you need there.

Be prepared to learn

There are lessons everywhere, many are free. There are online publications, podcasts, and webinars devoted to entrepreneurship. There are books on management and leadership in your public library (you do have a library card, right?). And there are local entrepreneurs who want to share what they know. But reading and discussing aren’t the only sources of lessons.

In the kicker above, I said you should expect to fail. This is because you will likely fail in your first attempts at entrepreneurship. Many times. Failure can bruise your ego, but it is also a rich mine of hard-won knowledge.

This is one reason why silicon valley types talk about failing faster. This means you should embrace the probability and learn to shrug off the sting of failure in order to acquire the lessons that will come through the failure and keep going. Author, speaker, and success coach Michael Hyatt says it this way: “In my world there is no failure — only learning.”

Success comes from good judgment…

I know I’ve quoted him before, but Arthur Jones, the eccentric creator of Nautilus Fitness equipment used to say, “Success in life comes from good judgment. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” I hope you see that to make your way in the world and provide for yourself and your household, you will have to endure some seasons of suck. Don’t let it throw you — you’re learning.

Congratulations, You’re a Technician

One lesson that arrived for me fairly recently was in Michael Gerber’s book Beyond the e-Myth. Gerber says that if your enterprise can’t function without your hand on it, you’re not an entrepreneur — you’re a technician. He prescribes the creation of methods and systems that will enable you to delegate the functions of and to increase the scale of your business.

A business has products and is a product

The last bit is important because in addition to having products, a business is a product in itself. If you’re truly an entrepreneur, you’ll enjoy the thrill of the launch, but become bored with the operations side of things. In that case, you’re going to have operators who can implement your systems, or you’re going to need to find a buyer who’ll operate what you’ve built. You can make money either way, but the key is to work on your business instead of just working in it..

Coming up

We’ll talk about insights I gained from that keynote address.

So how about you? What’s preventing you from becoming an entrepreneur? What do you have to lose? Add your comments below.

Note: I have linked to a couple of books on Amazon. I do not receive any compensation for doing so — these are two books I have bought and read and I am comfortable recommending them.

“When your only tool is a hammer, all the world looks like a nail.” – Ancient Proverb

A note from your host: I considered writing this as an open-letter to my fictional  twentysomething nephew. My reasoning was that my intentions might be more apparent if I was expressing these thoughts in a relational context — from an uncle to a beloved nephew. As you’ll see, I decided to keep the form I use for most other posts, since I couldn’t be sure that the open letter wouldn’t cause confusion within my extended family. As I have said before, I am not my own, so I have to consider how what I do here and elsewhere affects others.

We’ve been talking about Identity, Stimulation, and Security — the three emotional and psychological needs that each one of us seeks to fulfill once we’ve seen to our bodily needs. In a recent post, I observed that social activism seems to be a way many young and not-so-young people are seeking to satisfy these needs. The bigger-than-yourself cause, the identity derived from what one is for, as well as what one is against, the meetings, the rallies, the conflict, the drama, and the security of being part of the group — one of the good guys. All these benefits are real. And if one is aimed at a righteous objective, one can accomplish a great deal of good. But I also warned that cults and destructive causes can also provide the same good feelings, but in the service of destructive aims.

Tools of the trade – Your mileage may vary
(Photo by Krzysztof Puszczyński)

Won’t get fooled again?

These days, we see groups of masked and black-clad anti-fascists, antifa for short, protesting primarily against the Trump administration, though there are various other social critiques and statements on the signs I’ve seen. I take these activists and their intentions seriously, even while I differ with their views and their methods. They have already demonstrated a willingness to suit up and show up, so they deserve credit for believing strongly enough to do something about it.

What is harder to do is to pin down the core message and beliefs of the group. The latter-day antifa have adopted the mid-20th century communists’ name and symbols, so that’s a strong directional clue. I am less certain how many of the participants in various street demonstrations share these tenets with their philosophical ancestors, versus how many enjoy the identity, stimulation, and security they derive from the cause.

It is also disappointing to see their passion boiling over into violence against “fascists” who do not deserve the label, but who simply have a different point of view.

The rationale

As I understand it, antifa teaches that it is moral to use violence, since that violence will create disincentives among those who are on the receiving end to behave fascistically, and will further inhibit any inclination toward “fascism” among those fearful of getting the same treatment. As cartoonist Scott Adams explains (I’m paraphrasing), If you could go back in time and kill Hitler when he was a baby, it would be moral, so of course you’d do it. The problem is that the labels Nazi, Hitler, and fascist have been applied to every presidential candidate the Republican party has nominated since Bob Dole.

You can see the problem, right? These epithets have become cheapened through overuse — so much so that actual fascists are nearly impossible to identify. But more dangerous is the license to commit violence this appears to give to young activists whose identity, stimulation, and security depend on remaining in the in-group. These emotional needs are so strong that, unfortunately, innocent people fall victim to violence.

What is a fascist?

That’s the problem! Ask ten people for a modern example of fascism and you’ll likely get ten answers. This, despite a well-established body of political philosophy that defines fascism and its assumption quite clearly. More than anything, to cry fascist seems to be a lazy way to slander people whom one designates unworthy of debate. And as we’ve established above, if my opponent is not worthy of debate, he isn’t really human. This depersonalization of the other further justifies inflicting harm. Non-persons’ lives, families and communities are valued at zero, so one can attack them and say they have it coming.

What’s the payoff?

My impression is that most antifa footsoldiers aren’t very happy. Their willingness to accept a role as an imperial stormtrooper in the service to a totalitarian ideology that subsumes their identity, suggests that they are seeking an escape. Whether from boredom, envy, or a sense of powerlessness, I can’t say. I recognize however, that this is a mark of spiritually hungry people looking for what John Eldredge expresses as the needs of our hearts — beauty, adventure, and intimacy.

This seems to be a misplaced attempt to obtain the excitement and the satisfaction of genuine adventure, set in the context of a great struggle. Cosplay and live-action role playing satisfy some of the same longings, minus the lethal potential.  Violent protesting goes far beyond dressing as a hero at Comic Con, or mock duelling at the Renaissance Festival — but it’s easy to see where the desire comes from, and the progression to direct action.

But referring again to the plumbline, is today’s antifascism truly a noble and transcendent cause?  For the reasons I’ve given above, I understand its appeal, but I say it is neither worthy nor noble.

A still more excellent way

Follow Jesus.

He’s the only religious figure who taught his disciples to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors. While I recognize that there is a gap between what Jesus instructs and what His followers (including your host) actually do, we have seen Christ followers unfairly maligned as Christo-fascists — assigning a totalitarian motive to followers of the king whose kingdom was — and is — not of this world. The way of Jesus is truly revolutionary,

Love — you keep using that word…

C.S. Lewis distinguished love from sentimentality. Love can be fierce and hard-edged, but it always seeks the good of the beloved. Consider parents who discipline their little boy for running into the street. Sentimentality suggests the parents shouldn’t hurt the child’s feelings by scolding him, but the failure to convey to him the wrong he’s done isn’t loving. If the child doesn’t learn not to run into the street, he will likely be injured or killed by a car.

In the same way, we have an obligation to speak the truth in love to those with whom we disagree. We should seek to avoid violent confrontations while asserting what is true. After all, if we believe God will repay evil, we can afford to take the long view. You do have the right to defend yourself and others, however, so for Heaven’s sake be wise.

So how about you? Are you feeling the urge to do something? How can you channel that into something life-giving? Add your comments below.

“Find something, found something, or fund something.” – Bob Shank

Recent news stories point to improved job prospects and increased pay to go with them. This is encouraging if you have the credentials (read: degree and/or certification) your prospective employer is looking for, but what if you don’t?

At a recent convention I attended, I heard a keynote speech that inspired this post. I’ll share more of what I learned from that talk in Part 2, but first I want to encourage you to become an entrepreneur. Instead of waiting for someone to hire you, why not start your own company and be the boss?

Let’s be clear: I’m not suggesting that you pull a Costanza and make up a Vandelay Industries. Nor am I talking about falling into the trap of turk work and setting yourself up for obsolescence. Instead, I mean that you should develop a product or service and the plan for delivering it — and then you should deliver it as profitably as you can.

When you drive one, you see them everywhere!

Make your own luck

Let’s talk about the upsides, starting with creating your own momentum and your own luck. Now before you think there’s this mystical force our there called Luck that runs parallel to God, let me clarify. What people call luck is actually the meeting of preparation and attention. When you’ve done the homework and acquired and/or mastered the knowledge of your marketplace, you’ll harness the positive power of confirmation bias. As I’ve written before, when you drive an old Volvo, you start to see them everywhere.

When you’ve developed expertise in your chosen market, you’ll see opportunities everywhere. Then, if you’re confident and diligent, you’ll pursue the more promising opportunities. And if your preparation includes the cultivation of some selling skills, you’ll close some business. Then people will consider you lucky.

One man from my hometown used to like to say that the harder he worked the luckier he got. I got it back then, and I still remember it. I also appreciate the saying attributed to Thomas Edison that goes like this: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Be your own boss

Becoming an entrepreneur has another huge upside: you are your own boss. Unless you’re also highly self-motivated, that’s also the downside. Every day, you’re going to have to summon your motivation, your desire to get things done or they won’t get done.

By the way, this is the same skill you need to manage your career, as I discussed in this post.

But… It takes money

Yes, it’s true that you have to have some money to get started, but not as much as you may think. For most entrepreneurial enterprises, you aren’t going to need your own skyscraper and helipad — at least, not at first. Some people with landscaping businesses started with not much more than a lawnmower and a willingness to sweat. Other people have figured out how to open online stores on a shoestring budget. Web domains are very inexpensive — and there are lots of free tutorials that can help you design your website and launch your business.

Chris Guillebeau wrote a book called The 100-Dollar Startup. You may find just the idea you need there.

Be prepared to learn

There are lessons everywhere, many are free. There are online publications, podcasts, and webinars devoted to entrepreneurship. There are books on management and leadership in your public library (you do have a library card, right?). And there are local entrepreneurs who want to share what they know. But reading and discussing aren’t the only sources of lessons.

In the kicker above, I said you should expect to fail. This is because you will likely fail in your first attempts at entrepreneurship. Many times. Failure can bruise your ego, but it is also a rich mine of hard-won knowledge.

This is one reason why silicon valley types talk about failing faster. This means you should embrace the probability and learn to shrug off the sting of failure in order to acquire the lessons that will come through the failure and keep going. Author, speaker, and success coach Michael Hyatt says it this way: “In my world there is no failure — only learning.”

Success comes from good judgment…

I know I’ve quoted him before, but Arthur Jones, the eccentric creator of Nautilus Fitness equipment used to say, “Success in life comes from good judgment. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” I hope you see that to make your way in the world and provide for yourself and your household, you will have to endure some seasons of suck. Don’t let it throw you — you’re learning.

Congratulations, You’re a Technician

One lesson that arrived for me fairly recently was in Michael Gerber’s book Beyond the e-Myth. Gerber says that if your enterprise can’t function without your hand on it, you’re not an entrepreneur — you’re a technician. He prescribes the creation of methods and systems that will enable you to delegate the functions of and to increase the scale of your business.

A business has products and is a product

The last bit is important because in addition to having products, a business is a product in itself. If you’re truly an entrepreneur, you’ll enjoy the thrill of the launch, but become bored with the operations side of things. In that case, you’re going to have operators who can implement your systems, or you’re going to need to find a buyer who’ll operate what you’ve built. You can make money either way, but the key is to work on your business instead of just working in it..

Coming up

We’ll talk about insights I gained from that keynote address.

So how about you? What’s preventing you from becoming an entrepreneur? What do you have to lose? Add your comments below.

Note: I have linked to a couple of books on Amazon. I do not receive any compensation for doing so — these are two books I have bought and read and I am comfortable recommending them.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (ESV)

I owe a number of debts to author John Eldredge. His collaboration with the late Brent Curtis, The Sacred Romance, revolutionized my perception of the character and the heart of God. His Wild At Heart came at just the right time in my life — and my sons’ lives — and altered the course of our lives in wonderful ways. This was what led me to initiate my sons into manhood, and what led ultimately to the creation of this blog.

In his latest book, All Things New, John unpacks the basis of our life’s hope — God’s promise to renew all things.

Is that a promise?

We have so much to look forward to at the end of the road!
(Photo by M. Booth)

The text that informs the book is from the Revelation to John (the last book of the Bible). Here’s the vision as John the apostle reports it:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

^“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

A new heaven

Notice that the promise is for a new heaven and a new earth — and they are going to be joined in a way the current heaven and earth are not. My pastor explains that in the current heaven, Satan retains access to the presence of God, since he appears before the Lord in the first chapter of the book of Job. A new heaven is necessary to remove every trace of the evil one’s rebelliousness and deception.

A new earth

Recall that our original parents Adam and Eve lived in a paradise here on this earth. Their fall into sin marred this world irreparably, so a new earth is necessary to restore what was lost to its original splendor. I have to tell you, this is beyond exciting — way more interesting than a cloudy, harp-strewn wasteland with nothing but endless church services. And I like church. But imagine intimacy with God every moment as we explore and appreciate, and yes, worship Him while we scale mountains, sail oceans, and bask in absolute and unlimited beauty.

All things new

Jesus didn’t say, “I’m making all new things.” Our new and eternal home will be like earth, but with all the murder, hatred, greed, pollution, terrorism, disease, poverty, injustice, and corruption scrubbed away. It’s even better than that, because so many things we have and use now — including our careers — are compensations for what was damaged due to sin. Everything from sunscreen and insect repellent to fire engines to courtrooms, all these are intended to overcome the limitations sin imposes. It all goes away! And we get to be free for the first time. Imagine it!

Better still, as Eldredge explains, all our losses will be restored. Every injustice will be made right. Every wrong we suffered will receive divine vindication. God will do this out of His generous love.

Why I’m telling you

This reminder that God will make it all right has helped me enormously over the past several months. When I began thinking actively that God would make me whole in every way in His time, I felt myself began to relax and quit being so driven. As I meditated on His willingness and His ability to repair and restore anything broken, anything lost, I let go of these nagging doubts and fears. And when our family faced the devastating loss of my mother-in-law, I was able to see through the pain to the hope of an eternal reunion that was brighter than the grief we feel.

Use as directed

This is so different from the hackneyed idea of “pie in the sky, by and by,” because it doesn’t ignore the scars that sin leaves, and it doesn’t demand that we not grieve real loss, real pain. Instead, it places those wounds in a holy context, and into the hands of a loving God who gave His Son to redeem us and restore us.

This one’s for you

Please check out these scripture verses in-depth and see if what I’m saying is true. God Himself told John to write it down because He meant it. And if you agree with me, then ask yourself how much more audacious would you be for the Kingdom’s sake if you knew that ultimately, you couldn’t lose. What career decisions wold you take? What relationships would you pursue? What evil would you challenge? And would idols and seductions would you refuse?

My own experience has been that my greatest compromises have come when I doubted that God would come through for me. I repent of that slander against God’s heart, and I put myself in His hands.  I trust that what happens to me in this life will come through His hands, and I trust Him to lead me and to guide the outcomes. All I want to do is to be faithful.

So how about you? What hope does this idea stir in you? What do you look forward to in the new earth? Add your comments below.

P.S. I am providing the links to outside sites as a convenience to my readers. I do not receive any form of compensation or consideration if you choose to make a purchase.

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 — thank you , social media — where it has seemed to come into full blossom. One would expect that a large number of people seeking truth would be a good thing. In this case I have my doubts. What do I mean by an obsession with “truth” — and why do I feature it in scare quotes? Let me elaborate.

What we want to see may obscure what is right in front of our eyes

Truth as a fetish

First, every major newspaper and nearly every news network has a person or thing called a Fact-checker. The Fact-checker’s mission is to submit the statements and claims of politicians and other public figures to scrutiny and to determine the veracity of those statements, awarding them cute tokens according to how well they measure up. As far as journalism goes, fact checking seems questionable and far less clear-cut than claimed, with many weak appeals to authority, such as other journalists, or worse, “sources say.”

Next consider the whole “Fake news” topic. Undoubtedly, there is such a thing, as anyone who has fallen for a clickbait headline can attest, but what gets labeled Fake news is often nothing more than something with which the labeler disagrees.

We have made truth into a fetish — a word whose original definition meant the impartation or attribution of spiritual or religious qualities into a lifeless object. This is nothing more or less than the definition of an idol. If you read my previous post, you saw that idols scratch a particular itch, but do not have the power and authority of the Living God. They are, therefore inadequate. “Truth” — in its fetishized form — is similarly inadequate compared to the genuine article.

Is it literally true?

The truth-obsessed are often enormously subjective in their thinking. They cling most vociferously to what they refer to as “my truth,” as if truth were a private thing, dispensed like Kraft cheese singles. As you might expect, those who are ideologically invested their subjective view of reality tend also to be less charitable to those with a different personal truth, and especially hostile toward those who view Truth as a universal absolute. This is where the epithets such as judgmental, narrow-minded, bigoted, etc., come in.

In my experience, the most common form of truth-obsession is a mistaken literalism applied to the words and statements of others. Figurative language and nuance do not exist to these seemingly educated people. They seize on one context of a word or phrase — the literal one — and ignore all other possible interpretations.

We saw this throughout the US presidential campaign, where then-candidate Trump’s critics ridiculed him for his word choices, often by taking him literally. A more recent example of this is the kerfuffle over the word “wiretapping.” In this era of near-universal cellphone use, I have trouble imagining there is even such a thing as a literal wiretap — no wire, no tap, right? But do we doubt there is such a thing as surveillance? Wouldn’t wiretapping serve as an inexact, but emotionally powerful, synonym for snooping? Even the New York Times who now questions the president’s allegations of “wiretapping,” published a story in January saying that a warrant had been issued for the very surveillance they now deny, based on this narrow parsing of words.

During the campaign, CNN’s Brad Todd famously said*,”…voters take Donald Trump seriously but not literally, while journalists take him literally, but not seriously.” Those in the latter category did not anticipate the durability of the Trump candidacy, nor his electoral victory.

Confirmation bias

This interpreting of information in favor of one’s pet theories is called confirmation bias — It’s a common malady for people of the left, the right, and the center. It shows up among the religious and the non-religious. In short, it’s a human thing. I used president Trump and his critics as an example, since it’s such a vivid illustration.

Nothing new under the sun

This was not, however, the first or only time a popular figure confounded the powers that be by thwarting their confirmation bias. In Jesus’ day, he encountered his own group of fact-checkers — the Pharisees. These religious leaders were devout, but like today’s truth-obsessives, they had a tendency to read the book and miss the lesson — even when it, I mean He, was standing right in front of them.

My pastor has taught that the Pharisees’ scrupulous keeping of the law was their way of summoning the Messiah. Whether it was correlation or causation, he came to them, and they rejected him outright. He taught, and they questioned His credentials. He performed miracles, and they attributed them to the devil. He healed the sick, and they flagged him for violating the sabbath. He went to the homes of the broken, and they accused him of being a glutton and a drunk. Here was their long-awaited Messiah — and He was completely different than the one they had in mind. Take a bow, confirmation bias!

And they fell into the trap of literalism. Jesus said if they destroyed the temple (meaning His body),  He’d rebuild it in three days. Although Jesus was foreshadowing His resurrection, this became part of the Pharisees’ indictment of Jesus — He threatened to destroy the Temple. So they handed Him over to Rome as a blasphemer, an insurrectionist, and an enemy of Caesar, styling Himself King of the Jews.

Just in case you think this was tied to some sort of internecine rivalry among ancient rabbis, consider what happened when Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Chapter 18 of John’s gospel tells it this way:

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ³² This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Pontius Pilate: Patron Saint of Postmodernism

It should be clear to you that Pilate’s question was not a sincere one. How do we know? Because if He had genuinely wanted to know Truth, Jesus would have revealed it to Him. As it is, the Bible does not record Jesus’ speaking one more word to Pilate. And I submit to you that today’s truth-obsessives are Pilate’s spiritual heirs.

If you attended or are attending college, you have received an exposure, if not an indoctrination, to postmodernism. It’s primary characteristic is the elevation of the subjective above all. Humorously, it’s only absolute is that there are no absolutes — a self-refuting argument. But if one is obsessed with the fetishized version of “truth” rather than the more unyielding transcendent, true-for-all-people-at-all-times Truth, it’s easy to overlook such things.

A thought experiment

Humor me for a minute. I’d like to give you a couple of mental pictures. First, let’s picture Truth as a wild stallion — powerful, free, and elusive. You might be able to catch a glimpse of him, if you’re stealthy, perhaps you can throw a lasso around his neck, and even mount and ride him. But if you do anything the least bit wrong, you’ll be thrown and maybe even trampled. There’s a real risk of injury or death if you cross Truth.

Now let’s picture “truth” as the coin operated mechanical horse in front of the grocery store. You can walk right up to it, sit in the conveniently provided saddle, and even get bounced for a few minutes if you have a quarter. There’s no real risk — a toddler can ride it, for crying out loud! But there’s no real adventure, no life in it either.

The roots of triggering

Psychologist Leon Festinger coined the term cognitive dissonance in the late 1950’s to describe the discomfort one experiences when he attempts to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time. The more profound examples of this discomfort occur at the levels of identity, stimulation, and security — remember those? — and at the level of worldview.

If one is an ardent disciple of postmodernism and one has a deeply-held belief that reality is subjective, and if one runs head-on into objective reality, cognitive dissonance will shake that one like a rag doll in a playful puppy’s mouth. What therapists call being triggered is actually acute cognitive dissonance — X can’t possibly happen. X happens. Voila: “I’m literally shaking.” Not a good look for a man.

The Truth will set you free

I quoted Jesus at the top of this post, and this is where we’ll end it. Keep in mind that it was Jesus who said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, the life — no one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6). If embracing transcendent truth seems intimidating, that’s only natural. The Lion of Judah is not a tame lion, after all. But Jesus, truth personified, is also God in human flesh — and God is love. You have nothing to fear from embracing truth, even if it costs you everything. God is faithful and will never abandon His own. You can fact check that if you like.

So how about you? How are you seeking to embrace truth and avoid the trap of confirmation bias? Add your comments below.

*Salena Zito receives attribution for this statement, based on her article in the Atlantic, but Brad Todd spoke it into being.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (ESV)

I owe a number of debts to author John Eldredge. His collaboration with the late Brent Curtis, The Sacred Romance, revolutionized my perception of the character and the heart of God. His Wild At Heart came at just the right time in my life — and my sons’ lives — and altered the course of our lives in wonderful ways. This was what led me to initiate my sons into manhood, and what led ultimately to the creation of this blog.

In his latest book, All Things New, John unpacks the basis of our life’s hope — God’s promise to renew all things.

Is that a promise?

We have so much to look forward to at the end of the road!
(Photo by M. Booth)

The text that informs the book is from the Revelation to John (the last book of the Bible). Here’s the vision as John the apostle reports it:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

^“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

A new heaven

Notice that the promise is for a new heaven and a new earth — and they are going to be joined in a way the current heaven and earth are not. My pastor explains that in the current heaven, Satan retains access to the presence of God, since he appears before the Lord in the first chapter of the book of Job. A new heaven is necessary to remove every trace of the evil one’s rebelliousness and deception.

A new earth

Recall that our original parents Adam and Eve lived in a paradise here on this earth. Their fall into sin marred this world irreparably, so a new earth is necessary to restore what was lost to its original splendor. I have to tell you, this is beyond exciting — way more interesting than a cloudy, harp-strewn wasteland with nothing but endless church services. And I like church. But imagine intimacy with God every moment as we explore and appreciate, and yes, worship Him while we scale mountains, sail oceans, and bask in absolute and unlimited beauty.

All things new

Jesus didn’t say, “I’m making all new things.” Our new and eternal home will be like earth, but with all the murder, hatred, greed, pollution, terrorism, disease, poverty, injustice, and corruption scrubbed away. It’s even better than that, because so many things we have and use now — including our careers — are compensations for what was damaged due to sin. Everything from sunscreen and insect repellent to fire engines to courtrooms, all these are intended to overcome the limitations sin imposes. It all goes away! And we get to be free for the first time. Imagine it!

Better still, as Eldredge explains, all our losses will be restored. Every injustice will be made right. Every wrong we suffered will receive divine vindication. God will do this out of His generous love.

Why I’m telling you

This reminder that God will make it all right has helped me enormously over the past three weeks. When I began thinking actively that God would make me whole in every way in His time, I felt myself began to relax and quit being so driven. As I meditated on His willingness and His ability to repair and restore anything broken, anything lost, I let go of these nagging doubts and fears. And when our family faced the devastating loss of my mother-in-law, I was able to see through the pain to the hope of an eternal reunion that was brighter than the grief we feel.

Use as directed

This is so different from the hackneyed idea of “pie in the sky, by and by,” because it doesn’t ignore the scars that sin leaves, and it doesn’t demand that we not grieve real loss, real pain. Instead, it places those wounds in a holy context, and into the hands of a loving God who gave His Son to redeem us and restore us.

This one’s for you

Please check out these scripture verses in-depth and see if what I’m saying is true. God Himself told John to write it down because He meant it. And if you agree with me, then ask yourself how much more audacious would you be for the Kingdom’s sake if you knew that ultimately, you couldn’t lose. What career decisions wold you take? What relationships would you pursue? What evil would you challenge? And would idols and seductions would you refuse?

My own experience has been that my greatest compromises have come when I doubted that God would come through for me. I repent of that slander against God’s heart, and I put myself in His hands.  I trust that what happens to me in this life will come through His hands, and I trust Him to lead me and to guide the outcomes. All I want to do is to be faithful.

So how about you? What hope does this idea stir in you? What do you look forward to in the new earth? Add your comments below.

P.S. I am providing the links to outside sites as a convenience to my readers. I do not receive any form of compensation or consideration if you choose to make a purchase.

“When your only tool is a hammer, all the world looks like a nail.” – Ancient Proverb

A note from your host: I considered writing this as an open-letter to my fictional  twentysomething nephew. My reasoning was that my intentions might be more apparent if I was expressing these thoughts in a relational context — from an uncle to a beloved nephew. As you’ll see, I decided to keep the form I use for most other posts, since I couldn’t be sure that the open letter wouldn’t cause confusion within my extended family. As I have said before, I am not my own, so I have to consider how what I do here and elsewhere affects others.

We’ve been talking about Identity, Stimulation, and Security — the three emotional and psychological needs that each one of us seeks to fulfill once we’ve seen to our bodily needs. In a recent post, I observed that social activism seems to be a way many young and not-so-young people are seeking to satisfy these needs. The bigger-than-yourself cause, the identity derived from what one is for, as well as what one is against, the meetings, the rallies, the conflict, the drama, and the security of being part of the group — one of the good guys. All these benefits are real. And if one is aimed at a righteous objective, one can accomplish a great deal of good. But I also warned that cults and destructive causes can also provide the same good feelings, but in the service of destructive aims.

Tools of the trade – Your mileage may vary
(Photo by Krzysztof Puszczyński)

Won’t get fooled again?

These days, we see groups of masked and black-clad anti-fascists, antifa for short, protesting primarily against the Trump administration, though there are various other social critiques and statements on the signs I’ve seen. I take these activists and their intentions seriously, even while I differ with their views and their methods. They have already demonstrated a willingness to suit up and show up, so they deserve credit for believing strongly enough to do something about it.

What is harder to do is to pin down the core message and beliefs of the group. The latter-day antifa have adopted the mid-20th century communists’ name and symbols, so that’s a strong directional clue. I am less certain how many of the participants in various street demonstrations share these tenets with their philosophical ancestors, versus how many enjoy the identity, stimulation, and security they derive from the cause.

It is also disappointing to see their passion boiling over into violence against “fascists” who do not deserve the label, but who simply have a different point of view.

The rationale

As I understand it, antifa teaches that it is moral to use violence, since that violence will create disincentives among those who are on the receiving end to behave fascistically, and will further inhibit any inclination toward “fascism” among those fearful of getting the same treatment. As cartoonist Scott Adams explains (I’m paraphrasing), If you could go back in time and kill Hitler when he was a baby, it would be moral, so of course you’d do it. The problem is that the labels Nazi, Hitler, and fascist have been applied to every presidential candidate the Republican party has nominated since Bob Dole.

You can see the problem, right? These epithets have become cheapened through overuse — so much so that actual fascists are nearly impossible to identify. But more dangerous is the license to commit violence this appears to give to young activists whose identity, stimulation, and security depend on remaining in the in-group. These emotional needs are so strong that, unfortunately, innocent people fall victim to violence.

What is a fascist?

That’s the problem! Ask ten people for a modern example of fascism and you’ll likely get ten answers. This, despite a well-established body of political philosophy that defines fascism and its assumption quite clearly. More than anything, to cry fascist seems to be a lazy way to slander people whom one designates unworthy of debate. And as we’ve established above, if my opponent is not worthy of debate, he isn’t really human. This depersonalization of the other further justifies inflicting harm. Non-persons’ lives, families and communities are valued at zero, so one can attack them and say they have it coming.

What’s the payoff?

My impression is that most antifa footsoldiers aren’t very happy. Their willingness to accept a role as an imperial stormtrooper in the service to a totalitarian ideology that subsumes their identity, suggests that they are seeking an escape. Whether from boredom, envy, or a sense of powerlessness, I can’t say. I recognize however, that this is a mark of spiritually hungry people looking for what John Eldredge expresses as the needs of our hearts — beauty, adventure, and intimacy.

This seems to be a misplaced attempt to obtain the excitement and the satisfaction of genuine adventure, set in the context of a great struggle. Cosplay and live-action role playing satisfy some of the same longings, minus the lethal potential.  Violent protesting goes far beyond dressing as a hero at Comic Con, or mock duelling at the Renaissance Festival — but it’s easy to see where the desire comes from, and the progression to direct action.

But referring again to the plumbline, is today’s antifascism truly a noble and transcendent cause?  For the reasons I’ve given above, I understand its appeal, but I say it is neither worthy nor noble.

A still more excellent way

Follow Jesus.

He’s the only religious figure who taught his disciples to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors. While I recognize that there is a gap between what Jesus instructs and what His followers (including your host) actually do, we have seen Christ followers unfairly maligned as Christo-fascists — assigning a totalitarian motive to followers of the king whose kingdom was — and is — not of this world. That’s truly revolutionary,

Love — you keep using that word…

C.S. Lewis distinguished love from sentimentality. Love can be fierce and hard-edged, but it always seeks the good of the beloved. Consider parents who discipline their little boy for running into the street. Sentimentality suggests the parents shouldn’t hurt the child’s feelings by scolding him, but the failure to convey to him the wrong he’s done isn’t loving. If the child doesn’t learn not to run into the street, he will likely be injured or killed by a car.

In the same way, we have an obligation to speak the truth in love to those with whom we disagree. We should seek to avoid violent confrontations while asserting what is true. After all, if we believe God will repay evil, we can afford to take the long view. You do have the right to defend yourself and others, however, so for Heaven’s sake be wise.

So how about you? Are you feeling the urge to do something? How can you channel that into something life-giving? Add your comments below.

Coming soon – Why the next six years could get sporty

“Life is pain, anyone who says differently is selling something.”
– William Goldman, The Princess Bride

Over the past several weeks we’ve been elaborating on the emotional and psychological needs articulated by Robert Ardrey in his book The Territorial Imperative. Those needs are Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In the various posts on these subjects we’ve done a lot of thinking about Identity and its counterfeits, as well as about stimulation and worthless distractions. In this post, I want to explore the topic of Security, and its legitimate role in a man’s life.

“See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” Matthew 6:27-30 (NIV)

For purposes of our discussion, let’s define security as a condition and a sense of well-being, of being protected from danger or harm, and of resiliency. If one is secure, he has confidence that he has what it takes to meet the circumstances of his life, and to recover from unfavorable circumstances. Security derives from a healthy sense of identity and gets stronger as a result of wholesome stimulation. That is, Security is both something you can receive as well as something you can cultivate.

Why Security matters

Consider: the insecure man will venture nothing and accomplish less. Knowing yourself, your mission, and your resources can help you maintain a foundation of security that you can reinforce through achievement and experience. The late Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus fitness equipment, was fond of saying, “Success in life comes from good judgment. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” To begin this process, a man must overcome inertia caused by fear.

The role of fear

I like to say that fear is like the check engine light on your car’s dashboard. Its purpose is to provide information. It comes on and may signify a real problem, but more often than not, you can clear it cheaply and easily and keep driving. In the larger picture, it’s one input and not necessarily the most important one. Context matters, and one has to go beyond the sensation of fear to understand whether or not the fear is significant enough to obey.

You might be afraid of being eaten by a bear, for example. You could choose never to go into the wild, or you could read up on bears and their habits and venture out taking reasonable steps to minimize the likelihood and potential risk of a bear encounter. If you did prepare yourself and happened to see a bear, you would probably feel some fear, but because you had taken the time to learn about bears, you’d be wise enough to make noise and to choose not to approach a she-bear or her cubs. In this case, fear didn’t prevent the adventure or paralyze the adventurer. If you needed to trek through deep woods, say, to get help for your loved ones, you’ll relegate that fear to an even lower status.

And the next time in bear country, you’d be more confident based on your experience.

Phobophobia?

Unfortunately, some men find themselves ruled by fear — and it comes to define them. I am not talking about anxiety disorder. I am talking about something more mundane. The fear of rejection, of failure, of pain. I submit to you that many of us let that check engine light cause us to give up driving altogether. This is giving too much authority to fear.

I have written before about my own battle to conquer the fear of failure. I procrastinated and created much more pressure on myself just to force myself to complete the work. I’m no longer ruled by that fear, but I do work better with a deadline, since it forces me to be decisive. And I no longer let success or failure inform my identity. I am who I am and I do what I do. I am not what I do, and what I do is not I. A poor outcome in whatever form it arrives is only a lesson — not an attack on my identity.

If you’re scared, stay home

While that sounds like a taunt, I simply mean that to make the most of your life, you’re going to have to venture into the world and face danger in several forms. If you learned to ride a bicycle or swim, you had to confront and overcome the respective fears of falling and drowning. If you’re reading this I’m confident you fell at least once, and you didn’t drown (though if you did, please leave a comment and tell us about it.) And my point is that you faced down the fear and likely do not have the slightest unease around bicycles or swimming pools.

When you were a child, perhaps you did these things because your mom or dad made you do it. Even so, you had to put in the effort to master the skill. Now it’s up to you to provide the motivation to begin and the perseverance to complete the task. Growth is painful. Change is painful. Just seek worthy objectives and accept the pain as part of the tuition.

It’s for you

Security delivers its benefits in many forms. Certainly excelling academically can create opportunities to get a better-paying job. But so can hard work. Talent can make a way for you. A career doing something you love can give you peace of mind as well as money in the bank to get through lean times. But understand that economic security is a by-product of the soul-level security that comes from having your Question answered. When you know that you are a man and that you can come through when it counts, when you know you are a beloved son of God because of the only-begotten Son of God, then jobs, money, houses, cars, and women — all of those external things — can’t touch your Security.

But it’s not just for you

I believe that when God gives a man a blessing, He does so for the good of those around him. Security, like masculine strength, is intended to bless others. Providing for your family’s material needs through your work is one example. But so is providing for their spiritual well-being by living your faith and setting a godly example. You can see how your own Security can add to that of your wife and your children and grandchildren. And as a bonus tip, let me tell you that your children’s sense of security derives from the knowledge that their parents love each other.

Active and Passive

As I bring this particular post in for a landing, I think I should reiterate that Security is something a man can receive — from his upbringing, but also from his Heavenly Father. This is the passive part of Security, since you’re simply accepting this gift. But you can cultivate habits and seek experiences and education that can increase Security in you and for those you love. Pain and fear will remain part of the human condition as long as this world endures, but neither gets the final say.

Oh, and by the way: fear isn’t the opposite of bravery. Some of the bravest men I’ve met were afraid, but stuck to their mission anyway.

So how about you? How would you rate your sense of security? How can I help you? Add your comments below.

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 — thank you , social media — where it has seemed to come into full blossom. One would expect that a large number of people seeking truth would be a good thing. In this case I have my doubts. What do I mean by an obsession with “truth” — and why do I feature it in scare quotes? Let me elaborate.

What we want to see may obscure what is right in front of our eyes

Truth as a fetish

First, every major newspaper and nearly every news network has a person or thing called a Fact-checker. The Fact-checker’s mission is to submit the statements and claims of politicians and other public figures to scrutiny and to determine the veracity of those statements, awarding them cute tokens according to how well they measure up. As far as journalism goes, fact checking seems questionable and far less clear-cut than claimed, with many weak appeals to authority, such as other journalists, or worse, “sources say.”

Next consider the whole “Fake news” topic. Undoubtedly, there is such a thing, as anyone who has fallen for a clickbait headline can attest, but what gets labeled Fake news is often nothing more than something with which the labeler disagrees.

We have made truth into a fetish — a word whose original definition meant the impartation or attribution of spiritual or religious qualities into a lifeless object. This is nothing more or less than the definition of an idol. If you read my previous post, you saw that idols scratch a particular itch, but do not have the power and authority of the Living God. They are, therefore inadequate. “Truth” — in its fetishized form — is similarly inadequate compared to the genuine article.

Is it literally true?

The truth-obsessed are often enormously subjective in their thinking. They cling most vociferously to what they refer to as “my truth,” as if truth were a private thing, dispensed like Kraft cheese singles. As you might expect, those who are ideologically invested their subjective view of reality tend also to be less charitable to those with a different personal truth, and especially hostile toward those who view Truth as a universal absolute. This is where the epithets such as judgmental, narrow-minded, bigoted, etc., come in.

In my experience, the most common form of truth-obsession is a mistaken literalism applied to the words and statements of others. Figurative language and nuance do not exist to these seemingly educated people. They seize on one context of a word or phrase — the literal one — and ignore all other possible interpretations.

We saw this throughout the US presidential campaign, where then-candidate Trump’s critics ridiculed him for his word choices, often by taking him literally. A more recent example of this is the kerfuffle over the word “wiretapping.” In this era of near-universal cellphone use, I have trouble imagining there is even such a thing as a literal wiretap — no wire, no tap, right? But do we doubt there is such a thing as surveillance? Wouldn’t wiretapping serve as an inexact, but emotionally powerful, synonym for snooping? Even the New York Times who now questions the president’s allegations of “wiretapping,” published a story in January saying that a warrant had been issued for the very surveillance they now deny, based on this narrow parsing of words.

During the campaign, CNN’s Brad Todd famously said*,”…voters take Donald Trump seriously but not literally, while journalists take him literally, but not seriously.” Those in the latter category did not anticipate the durability of the Trump candidacy, nor his electoral victory.

Confirmation bias

This interpreting of information in favor of one’s pet theories is called confirmation bias — It’s a common malady for people of the left, the right, and the center. It shows up among the religious and the non-religious. In short, it’s a human thing. I used president Trump and his critics as an example, since it’s such a vivid illustration.

Nothing new under the sun

This was not, however, the first or only time a popular figure confounded the powers that be by thwarting their confirmation bias. In Jesus’ day, he encountered his own group of fact-checkers — the Pharisees. These religious leaders were devout, but like today’s truth-obsessives, they had a tendency to read the book and miss the lesson — even when it, I mean He, was standing right in front of them.

My pastor has taught that the Pharisees’ scrupulous keeping of the law was their way of summoning the Messiah. Whether it was correlation or causation, he came to them, and they rejected him outright. He taught, and they questioned His credentials. He performed miracles, and they attributed them to the devil. He healed the sick, and they flagged him for violating the sabbath. He went to the homes of the broken, and they accused him of being a glutton and a drunk. Here was their long-awaited Messiah — and He was completely different than the one they had in mind. Take a bow, confirmation bias!

And they fell into the trap of literalism. Jesus said if they destroyed the temple (meaning His body),  He’d rebuild it in three days. Although Jesus was foreshadowing His resurrection, this became part of the Pharisees’ indictment of Jesus — He threatened to destroy the Temple. So they handed Him over to Rome as a blasphemer, an insurrectionist, and an enemy of Caesar, styling Himself King of the Jews.

Just in case you think this was tied to some sort of internecine rivalry among ancient rabbis, consider what happened when Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Chapter 18 of John’s gospel tells it this way:

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ³² This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Pontius Pilate: Patron Saint of Postmodernism

It should be clear to you that Pilate’s question was not a sincere one. How do we know? Because if He had genuinely wanted to know Truth, Jesus would have revealed it to Him. As it is, the Bible does not record Jesus’ speaking one more word to Pilate. And I submit to you that today’s truth-obsessives are Pilate’s spiritual heirs.

If you attended or are attending college, you have received an exposure, if not an indoctrination, to postmodernism. It’s primary characteristic is the elevation of the subjective above all. Humorously, it’s only absolute is that there are no absolutes — a self-refuting argument. But if one is obsessed with the fetishized version of “truth” rather than the more unyielding transcendent, true-for-all-people-at-all-times Truth, it’s easy to overlook such things.

A thought experiment

Humor me for a minute. I’d like to give you a couple of mental pictures. First, let’s picture Truth as a wild stallion — powerful, free, and elusive. You might be able to catch a glimpse of him, if you’re stealthy, perhaps you can throw a lasso around his neck, and even mount and ride him. But if you do anything the least bit wrong, you’ll be thrown and maybe even trampled. There’s a real risk of injury or death if you cross Truth.

Now let’s picture “truth” as the coin operated mechanical horse in front of the grocery store. You can walk right up to it, sit in the conveniently provided saddle, and even get bounced for a few minutes if you have a quarter. There’s no real risk — a toddler can ride it, for crying out loud! But there’s no real adventure, no life in it either.

The roots of triggering

Psychologist Leon Festinger coined the term cognitive dissonance in the late 1950’s to describe the discomfort one experiences when he attempts to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time. The more profound examples of this discomfort occur at the levels of identity, stimulation, and security — remember those? — and at the level of worldview.

If one is an ardent disciple of postmodernism and one has a deeply-held belief that reality is subjective, and if one runs head-on into objective reality, cognitive dissonance will shake that one like a rag doll in a playful puppy’s mouth. What therapists call being triggered is actually acute cognitive dissonance — X can’t possibly happen. X happens. Voila: “I’m literally shaking.” Not a good look for a man.

The Truth will set you free

I quoted Jesus at the top of this post, and this is where we’ll end it. Keep in mind that it was Jesus who said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, the life — no one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6). If embracing transcendent truth seems intimidating, that’s only natural. The Lion of Judah is not a tame lion, after all. But Jesus, truth personified, is also God in human flesh — and God is love. You have nothing to fear from embracing truth, even if it costs you everything. God is faithful and will never abandon His own. You can fact check that if you like.

So how about you? How are you seeking to embrace truth and avoid the trap of confirmation bias? Add your comments below.

*Salena Zito receives attribution for this statement, based on her article in the Atlantic, but Brad Todd spoke it into being.

Note: While I’m working on creating some new posts, I’m re-posting some of my favorites, such as this one.

When my older son was about to turn ten, I began a three-year process of initiating him into manhood.  (How I came to this decision is the subject of an upcoming post.)  The first part of this entailed a four-day backpacking trip along a segment of the Foothills Trail in the mountains of South Carolina.

Here I should explain that the Foothills Trail is 76 miles long and runs in its meandering course in South Carolina and North Carolina from Table Rock State Park at its eastern end to Oconee State Park at its western end.  Starting at Table Rock State Park, the first segment of the trail goes up to the bald atop Pinnacle Mountain — roughly 1,800 feet of vertical climb over the course of a mile or less.

It had been at least ten years since I’d had a backpack on my back, and my son had never had a pack on his back.  Even so, we prepared — buying the gear, brushing up on bushcraft, studying the topographical maps and trail guides, and walking the neighborhood with weighted backpacks.  As we made ourselves ready, I emphasized what an adventure we were going to have, not how difficult it was likely to be.  Despite my strict workout discipline, I underestimated the physical challenge.

The day of the trip we reviewed our checklists twice, weighed our fully-loaded packs and my son kissed his mom goodbye.

We arrived at the trailhead a couple of hours later, filed our plan at the rangers’ station and had hardly gone 400 yards before it began to rain.  In some ways this was a good thing, since the afternoon had already been oppressively  humid.  But the rain didn’t last, making the humidity even worse.  The rain also made the roots, rocks and ruts that comprised the trail’s surface slick, and the narrow switchbacks treacherous.

Despite our preparations, the slope of that first mountain was considerably steeper than the suburban hills of our subdivision and the trail more forbidding than the paved cul-de-sacs we had walked.  Outwardly, I encouraged my son; inwardly I began to wonder what I had gotten us into.  With my legs burning, my clothes drenched in sweat, and my pulse pounding in my ears, I prayed my son wouldn’t have the horror of watching his father croak in front of him.

I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a bit of whining, and a few times my son said he wanted to go home.  Despite my apprehension and the greater-than-expected difficulty of the climb, I refused to consider turning back — and I told him so.  I explained that the entire purpose of the adventure was to enable him to discover his strength by putting it to the test in an uncertain enterprise.  “The only way off this mountain is over it, ” I said.  And that became an axiom I spoke to him — and later to his brother — from then on.

I’m telling you this story because I suspect you’re on a mountain of your own right now.  Perhaps you’re tempted to quit and return to the comfort and safety of the familiar.  Before you do that, I want to  encourage you instead to view your current challenges as an opportunity to discover your strength through perseverance.  You may or may not succeed but you will learn, and by learning you will eventually succeed.

So how about you?  What is your mountain?  How are you persevering to get over it?  Add your comments below.