He Knows Your Name (Friday Devotional)

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.

- Isaiah 43:1

Every day when I pick up my kids from school, we all exchange pleasantries with Mr. Bill, the school crossing guard. He’s been manning the intersection at least since Andrew started kindergarten in 2022, holding up his stop sign and wearing his neon vest.

His job, of course, is to ensure the kids’ safety. He steps out into the intersection before they do, signals to oncoming traffic to stop, and then tells the kids they’re free to cross. That’s why he’s there. But beyond that, what has endeared him to us—and everyone else—is that he greets all my kids (even Isaac, not yet a student) by name. Despite only seeing them for a few seconds each day and even though he has hundreds of kids to keep up with, he knows their names.

There’s something about that gesture, that simple act of thoughtfulness, that speaks volumes to people. In a crowded, distracted, busy world, you want to know that you matter enough to somebody for them to know your name.

So what an awe-inspiring thing to know that the God who created the universe not only calls you his, but calls you by name. You are not merely a drop in the ocean of humanity, you are important to him. So important, in fact, that he sent his Son to die on the cross for you.

Coming out of Easter Sunday, when we remember the story of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, don’t lose sight of what it means at a personal level. God so loved the world, and God so loved you. No matter what the world may tell you, you are not anonymous—for God knows you by name.

March Reading Log

When I look back at the books on this list, I realize just how long the month of March was. 6 books to review this month, with my usual electic allotment. Take a look!

DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE by John Piper

This was a reread of a book which I last read in 2017. To read what I thought then (which still holds up now), click here.

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis
PRINCE CASPIAN by C.S. Lewis

In mid-February, we finally hit a milestone I'd been looking forward to for years: reading The Chronicles of Narnia aloud at bedtime. These books were formative for me at a young age, and I was eager to introduce them to my 9 and 6-year olds.

Note: We are reading the books in publication order, NOT chronological order. That is, and I cannot emphasize this strongly enough, the CORRECT way to read them. Publishers who put the number 1 on the spine of The Magician's Nephew are simply wrong. I am a tolerant person, but I will brook no argument on this.

We started with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the story of two brothers and two sisters who stumble through a wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia, where they encounter everyone from a friendly faun named Mr. Tumnus to an evil White Witch to the heroic lion Aslan. This book is part fairy tale, part allegory, as becomes apparent when Aslan willingly gives his life to save even a treacherous child, only to be restored to life by "the deep magic." If you only know a little about Narnia, this is the story you know, and for good reason. After all, it's hard to top the gospel.

Prince Caspian, which we finished just in the nick of time to publish this log, is the sequel. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are brought back to Narnia a year later in our world, but several hundred years later in Narnia's. This time their mission is to help Caspian overthrow his wicked uncle for the throne so that Narnia can be restored to its former glory. This one is not as captivating as its predecessor (to be fair, none in the series are) and its allegorical notes are subtler, though the themes of renewal and restoration come through.

My kids were reluctant to start this series—children are usually skeptical, after all, that they'll like what their parents like—but it only took one chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to win them over. So be on the lookout for more Narnia in the coming months!

MEN AT WORK by George F. Will

Baseball is a game, a pastime. But for those who play it professionally, it a craft.

That is the essential argument of Men at Work, an ode to the game's intricacies by political commentator and rabid fan George F. Will. Building upon history, interviews with figures in the sport, and his own observations, Will makes the case that baseball is something taken very seriously indeed by those who have made it their trade.

Will's book is divided into four sections, with each focusing on one central character: the manager (Tony La Russa), the pitcher (Orel Hershiser), the hitter (Tony Gwynn), and the fielder (Cal Ripken, Jr.) Each section highlights the complexities of baseball, showing how much intelligence, preparation, and work is required to succeed at the major league level.

This book is highly regarded for its focus, detail, and how effectively it shows the sophistication of America's national pastime. No one leaves a chapter thinking players are just winging it.

Unfortunately, the title and central premise betrays the book's central flaw: Will makes baseball seem more like work than play. As a fan, my #1 priority is that baseball be fun, and sometimes Will's writing is so dense that it seems to lose sight of that. In seeking to show how hard the best players are working, Will sometimes makes them seem more like soldiers than ballplayers, and it left this reader periodically cold.

This book is a must-read for baseball fans for the way it reveals the game's complexities. Nevertheless, the more time you spend reading it, the more you need to go outside and get on the diamond with a 9-year-old. After all, no matter how hard the pros work at it, baseball is a kid's game.

ESSENTIAL MARVEL SAGA VOL. 1-2

By December 1985, the Marvel universe had existed for nearly 25 years, dating back to Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961. One of Stan Lee's innovations (and yes, this is the very rare time we can give Stan full credit) was the introduction of continuity throughout Marvel's superhero books—not only did these characters exist within a shared universe, but they regularly interacted with one another, and every story "counted." So by 1985, the Marvel universe was now a sprawling web of characters, stories, and lore. It was still possible to get your mind around it all and connect all the dots (in a way that's virtually impossible now), but it would take you a lot of time and effort.

So Marvel Saga, whose 25 issues are collected in these two Essential volumes, aimed to simplify that task for the reader who wanted to know it all without having to track down back issues from the 1960s. Each month in an oversized book, editor Dan Fingeroth and comics historian/writer Peter Sanderson gave readers a beat by beat chronology of Marvel's history as it had been told up to that point, using art primarily reprinted from those Silver Age stories. It was an ambitious task, but one Marvel zombies ate right up.

For somebody who has read a lot of the stories being told (thanks to the modern prevalence of collected editions like the Essentials), there were times I was skimming these issues more than reading every word, and at times it did feel a little like homework instead of storytelling. But for Marvel fans then and now, Marvel Saga provided an invaluable service. For a newbie to Marvel lore, I'd recommend this as a good place to dive into the lore, especially if all you know is the movies. For somebody who's read their fair share of the Silver Age, it's still an interesting time capsule and reference work.

Give Us Barabbas (Friday Devotional)

Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

- Luke 23:18-25

On that dark day so long ago, the mob made a choice. Angered by Jesus’ apparent refusal to meet their revolutionary expectations—to overthrow Rome and restore Israel to the greatness of their forefathers—they now turned, ironically enough, to Rome to enact judgment against him. Though Pilate was initially unwilling to execute an innocent man, they leaned upon a Roman custom of releasing one Jewish prisoner during Passover to force his hand.

He offered them a choice. On the one hand, they could have Barabbas, a murderous insurrectionist. Barabbas was the kind of criminal the Romans had devised crucifixion for in the first place, the sort of rebellious and violent spirit whose execution would stand as a stark warning to any who might be tempted to rise up against the empire. In a recent uprising, Barabbas had committed murder—the Gospel of Mark is careful to use that word, lest readers believe his violence was justified. To set him free would be to endanger themselves and others.

On the other hand, they could have Jesus, whom they had welcomed into Jerusalem as a king only days earlier. Jesus had healed the sick, had raised the dead, and had told anyone who would listen about the coming kingdom of God. But that kingdom, the people now understood, wasn’t going to come in the time or the manner they had in mind. To set Jesus free would be to accept God’s plans over their own.

The mob chose Barabbas.

Amid all the lessons of Good Friday, this is one of the most chilling: apart from the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we still choose Barabbas every time. We would rather feel secure in our own self-righteousness than in the righteousness of God. We would rather cling to our own vision for how things ought to be and risk the consequences than to open our eyes to God’s plan. We would rather accept destruction on our terms than renewal on the Lord’s terms. For those apart from Christ, Barabbas is always the choice.

But for believers in Jesus, those filled with the Holy Spirit, there is another way. You don’t have to let anger and bitterness guide you. You don’t have to assume your way is the only way. You don’t have to be self-destructive for the sake of pride.

Jesus died so you could have life; he took on your sins so you could be cleansed. In him you can live and move and have your being, you can live as a citizen of his kingdom even as you remain a resident in this world. By his blood, he offered you salvation from who you were and a pathway to who God made you to be.

Others will choose Barabbas. Christian, choose Christ.

Separation Anxiety (Friday Devotional)

“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

- Deuteronomy 31:6

It’s always tricky getting back into the swing of things after a long break, especially for kids. So after a week of vacation, Lindsey and I anticipated our two eldest children needing a couple days to readjust to waking up early, spending all day at school, and having a reasonable bedtime.

What caught me by surprise was the reaction of our 2-year-old, Isaac, when I was headed out the door Sunday morning to get to church. Clinging to my pant leg and sobbing, he cried out repeatedly, “No, Daddy!!! No go church! No leave Ikey!” After a week of us being together all the time, he couldn’t stomach the idea of being separated from his daddy.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Shakespeare wrote. Being away from those we love most is a hard pill to swallow, whether at age 2 or 102. And especially when you are the one being left behind, there is a sting to it, a feeling that you are being abandoned—that they are not leaving because they have to, but because they want to.

So one of the Bible’s most welcome promises is that God never leaves nor forsakes his children. On the brightest days, the Lord celebrates alongside us. In our darkest moments, he steadfastly remains with us. Nothing is compelling enough to tear him away, and nothing is powerful enough to separate us from his love.

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Jesus assures us. He remains Emmanuel, God with us, today. And nothing you do or the world throws at you will change that.

Sleepless Nights (Friday Devotional)

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

- Psalm 55:22

My family had been on the road all day, having finished our weeklong trip to Colorado and begun our journey home. In 12 hours we had made the journey from Denver to Great Sand Dunes National Park to our destination for the night, a motel in Amarillo. It was 1:00 AM and everybody was exhausted. After getting the kids into pajamas, I finally collapsed into the bed I was sharing with my eldest son, Andrew.

And try as I might, I couldn’t sleep.

Some of it was the caffeine coursing through my veins, courtesy of the Dr Pepper I’d been nursing on the drive. Some of it was Andrew, who kept stretching over to my side of the bed. And much of it was my mind exiting vacation mode and now thinking about all the responsibilities, activities, and stresses awaiting me when we got home. I just couldn’t sleep.

I suspect you’ve been there before, tossing and turning, counting sheep, trying to will yourself into a slumber that refuses to come. Few things are as frustrating or as exhausting as a mind so full that your body can’t rest.

In such times—or better yet, before then—the Bible encourages you to turn anxiety into prayer, to cast your burdens upon the Lord. Instead of letting stress consume you, give it to God. Instead of worrying yourself to death, pray your way to faith—faith that, when you feel out of control, God is still sovereign.

Prayer won’t make your problems go away. Faith isn’t a magic cure for all of life’s ills. But when you have the humility to acknowledge that God can handle what you can’t, you’ll find peace. And maybe even a good night’s sleep.

A Worthwhile Challenge (Friday Devotional)

Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 

- Luke 14:27-28

On Wednesday morning, my family and I set out for a road trip to Colorado. After many hours of driving, we stopped for dinner in Amarillo at the legendary Big Texan steakhouse, which is most famous for its 72 oz. steak challenge—anyone who can eat a steak of that size in an hour gets their meal for free.

Naturally, the kids thought one of us should try the challenge. After all, those who do so get lots of attention in the restaurant—an announcement to the whole place, a table in the center of the restaurant, and a timer counting down your meal. But what we had to explain to the kids was that there is a price to the challenge—if you pulled it off, it was free, but for those who failed, the meal cost a cool $72. As exciting as it seemed to take the challenge, it was not something to be attempted lightly.

Jesus offers that kind of warning to those who would seek to follow him—it’s not all walking on water and multiplying loaves and fishes. Indeed, even before his death at Calvary, he warned that anyone who thought they understood his message must be prepared to pick up their cross and follow him. Being a disciple of Jesus comes at a cost.

The church, with its emphasis on salvation by grace through faith, doesn’t always remember to share that part of the message. People hear the news that Jesus offers them forgiveness and redemption and eternal life, and that this comes by his work, not theirs. And praise God for the truth of that message!

The key is for us to know and to share the fullness of the gospel message—that following Jesus comes at a cost, and it’s more than worth the price. “In this world you will have trouble,” the Lord said, “but take heart—-I have overcome the world.”  Today, may you count the cost of obedience to Christ—and may you find it worth the while every time.

What the Book is For (Friday Devotional)

 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work".

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Ikey, no!!!”

That was the sound that sent me and Lindsey running into the bathroom a few days ago. We had left our two youngest kids, Isaac and Katherine, in the bathtub while we worked on the dinner dishes, but now we found ourselves rushing to see what had gone wrong. When we made it to the bathroom, we saw the source of the commotion: Isaac, age 2, had dropped a book in the bathwater. And while we were ready to scold Isaac for what he’d done, I think Katherine put it best: “That’s not what the book is for!”

That simple exclamation got me thinking this week about how we interpret the Good Book, God’s Word. There are many teachers in this world—I would be so bold as to call them false teachers—who use the Bible primarily as a bludgeon against their enemies. For them, Scripture is primarily a collection of proofs that God is on their side and that he hates the same people they hate. Their agenda comes first, and the Bible is the divine tool used to justify that agenda.

But here’s the thing: that’s not what the book is for.

Scripture tells that all Scripture, from the Law to the Prophets to the Gospels to the Epistles, is inspired by God. More specifically, it is “God-breathed,” given to a series of writers through the Holy Spirit. While humans did the writing, the Lord gave the message.

Why? For “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” God gave us the Bible to help with our sanctification, not to fuel our holy wars. God’s Word is given so that we might be “equipped for every good work,” so that we will have the theological foundation to bless others in Jesus’ name.

When the Bible helps you grow in faith in Christ, you are using it as intended. When you read it for ethical instruction, so that you will know how to share the gospel in word and deed, your aim is true. When the written Word of God leads people to the Word made flesh—Jesus, the Son of God—we see its purpose fulfilled. The Bible is God’s revelation of himself to humanity, it is a treasure of ethical teaching, and it offers us truth in a world of lies.

It is the Spirit’s sword, not yours. It is God’s Word, not mine. And the criterion by which we interpret it is not our own opinions or agendas, but Christ—for ultimately, it leads us to him. That’s what the book is for.

February Reading Log

 

February is the shortest month of the year, with a mere 28 days to read books. But I did my best! Take a look below to see what I spent the last 4 weeks working on.

PAUL: A BIOGRAPHY by N.T. Wright

Theologian N.T. Wright made a name for himself in the late 20th century as the most visible voice of the so-called "New Perspective on Paul," which argued that our understanding of the apostle and his letters has been overly influenced by the medieval excesses of Roman Catholicism and the subsequent reforms of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, et al. Properly understood, says Wright, Paul must be understood foremost as a Jew who saw Jesus as the fulfillment of God's covenant with Israel—in Christ, Wright argues, God wasn't starting a new religion, but simply being faithful to the covenant that had come before and opening its blessings to all the world.

Having spent decades explaining this perspective in books, articles, sermon, and lectures, Wright now does so with an accessible biography of the apostle, one that seeks to explain chronologically the events of Paul's life and how they affected the content of his letters. As such, the book is trying to do several things at once.

Most obviously, it seeks to be a straight biography—a difficult task given how relatively little information we have to go on! Working from Paul's letters, the Book of Acts, and extrabiblical information about the 1st century world, Wright puts forth his theories about how Paul's life progressed from being a young, zealous Pharisee to his "conversion" (not Wright's favorite word, given its connotations that Saul the Jew became Paul the Christian) to his missionary journeys and writings. There are understandably some assumptions and inferences that must be made as part of this project, but Wright is always careful to qualify and explain the reasoning behind them.

Secondarily, the book is a textbook on the letters of Paul. Much of the second half of the book, for obvious reasons, consists of Wright summarizing and providing context for the contents of Paul's epistles. This is a worthy endeavor, obviously, but at times it's indistinguishable from a New Testament survey textbook or a biblical commentary. As someone who spends a lot of time in such reference books, I sometimes skimmed these passages more than I read them.

Finally, this book is another argument for the new (or, by now, not-so-new) perspective on Paul. Having written extensively about how certain key books and passages work within this perspective, this book is Wright's chance to do so at a more macro level, while also theorizing how key events in Paul's might be better understood through this perspective.

I didn't find this as compelling as some of Wright's other popular level books—and indeed, if you're familar with Wright, much of what's contained here is understandably rehashing previous works—but it's a worthy read nonetheless. Especially when operating as straight biography, this is a helpful resource for better understanding the apostle who wrote most of the New Testament. 

CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr

In his breakout novel, All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr dazzled readers—myself included—with a historical epic told from multiple perspectives, all of which ultimately converged. With Cloud Cuckoo Land, he takes things one step further, not only by offering more characters, but by telling a story that spans centuries. Part historical fiction, part thriller, part science fiction, this book is doing a LOT all at once.

The connective thread of the story is the fictional book Cloud Cuckoo Land, written by the real Greek philosopher Diogenes. In 15th century Constantinople, a girl named Anna finds a copy of this book even as the city is being beseiged, including by Omeir, a boy conscripted into the sultan's army. In present-day Idaho, the book is set to be performed as a play, directed by the elderly Zeno Ninis, when the library where it is being prepared is taken hostage by a troubled teenager named Seymour. And in the 22nd century, Konstance, a young girl aboard the space ark Argos, discovers the book in the ship's virtual library, leading her to ask questions about her voyage.

If you're wondering how those disparate pieces could possibly relate to each other, welcome to my thought process for the first 300+ pages of this book. But sure enough, Doerr pulls it off in the end, rewarding readers' patience with a story that is ultimately about the preservation of stories.

This novel is more ambitious but less enjoyable than All the Light We Cannot See, owing mostly to the natural problem for a book with multiple POVs: some of the characters are more interesting than others. For my part, the Anna and Omeir chapters were considerably duller than the others, and the Konstance chapters were difficult to follow at times. Nevertheless, by the time I got to the payoff of the last 100 pages, my rating for this had gone from 3 stars to 4. Readers willing to stick it out the end will be glad they did.

QUEST IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK by Aaron Johnson

With the conclusion of this book, two of my kids and I have now made it halfway through the National Park Mystery Series (and are caught up, as author Aaron Johnson is currently writing the sixth). This was a good place to go on hiatus, as it was my favorite one so far.

As the title indicates, this entry takes Jake, Amber, and Wes to Yosemite National Park, where they continue on the scavenger hunt for ancient treasure laid out by Jake's late grandfather, a prize that sinister, enigmatic foes are also pursuing. As usual with these books, there are lots of facts about the National Parks System, conservation, and safety; additionally, there are corny jokes, riddles, and YA relational dynamics.

Two things made this book stand out for me as the best so far. The first is my own familiarity with Yosemite, a park which Lindsey and I visited several years ago. The second was a "side quest" of sorts within the story, in which the three heroes helped park rangers track down a missing child in the park. The kids and I were unanimous that this B story actually intrigued us more than the central plot, and the stakes felt higher.

It'll be a while before we read any more books in this series—according to his website, Aaron Johnson isn't very far into writing the sixth book—but we've certainly enjoyed them up to this point. Let me know if you want to borrow any of the first five!

ESSENTIAL IRON MAN VOL. 4-5

Let's just say it: the 1970s was a weird time to be telling stories about Iron Man. He'd been created in the Kennedy days of Cold War patriotism, when being a symbol of the military-industrial complex was a boon rather than a liability. But post-Vietnam, he seemed dated at best and problematic at worst, a cool costume in search of an enduring character. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing into Ronald Reagan's 1980s, when consumerism and Commie-bashing became cool again, writer David Micheline and artist Bob Layton would finally give Tony Stark some shine and give readers an Iron Man title they could love.

Unfortunately, Essential Iron Man Vol. 4-5, covers the character's title from 1971-1976. So these books contain 50+ issues of grasping at straws, trying to make the armored Avenger cool. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

First there is Tony Stark's decision to renounce his industrialist ways and pivot to ecological research, a well-intentioned but clumsy overcorrection. Then there is the introduction and shuffling off of a host of supporting characters, none of whom managed to connect with readers. Most infamously, there is the redesign of the Iron Man mask, giving him a triangular nose that evokes The Wizard of Oz's Tin Man.

All of it is just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, and none of it ultimately does. This era can be thought of as years in the wilderness—full of movement, but absent any direction. Far from essential reading for anyone who is not a completist.

Simple Solidarity (Friday Devotional)

 

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

- Job 2:11-13

The other day, my daughter Katherine was very loudly having a hard time. I don’t remember exactly what the problem was, but I do know it was a catastrophe to her 6-year-old heart, and she was not exactly suffering in silence.

Isaac, our 2-year-old, curiously poked his head in the room to see what all the commotion was about and, with wide eyes, looked at me and Lindsey and said, “Kaka crying!” We affirmed what he was saying and then turned our attention back to Katherine as Isaac left the room.

But then a few seconds later, he reemerged with something in his hand. Gingerly, he walked towards Katherine and set a handful of Corn Pops cereal at her feet as she sobbed. Then, silently, he scooted back and sat down.

That little gesture got me thinking about how we comfort people—or fail to comfort them—as grownups. Sometimes when we see someone hurting, we feel powerless to help them unless we have the tools to solve their problem. If we don’t have the cure for their disease or the money to resolve their debt or the perfect words to comfort them, we often do one of two things: we fall back on trite clichés or, paralyzed by indecision, we do nothing at all.

But I’m reminded of the story of Job, who had every blessing stripped from him and was left with nothing but his life. Eventually, his closest friends would lean on faulty theology to try and explain what he must have done wrong to deserve such a fate. But at first, their reaction was a good one: they simply sat with him in silence. No explanations, no fixes, no words at all—just simple solidarity.

A handful of Corn Pops never solved anybody’s problems. Sitting in silence never took away someone’s pain. But when you show someone you care in little ways—ways that, to you, may feel inconsequential—you are acting as a comfort and an encouragement to someone who feels alone in their trouble.

So when you see somebody hurting, don’t assume that because you can’t do everything, you should do nothing. Send the text message. Offer the hug. Bring over the cup of coffee. And when you don’t know what to say, just listen. You’ll be amazed by how powerful and how godly simple acts of kindness can be.

What's in a Name? (Friday Devotional)

 

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.”

- Isaiah 43:1b

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight doesn’t mean anything to you. The same goes for David Robert Jones, Caryn Johnson, and Dana Elaine Owens. But I imagine you do know those people by these names: Elton John, David Bowie, Whoopi Goldberg, and Queen Latifah.

You see these kinds of name changes from time to time, especially in entertainment circles. In order to stand out, a person will trade their birth name for something more memorable. After all, nobody cares much about Samuel Clemens’ works—but everybody knows Mark Twain!

Similarly, the Bible is full of characters who were born with one name, but became better known by another. More often than not, their name changes were about more than preference; they symbolized a new, God-given identity.

Abram became Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” when God made a covenant with him. Jacob, after a wrestling match with a divine being, became Israel, “one who struggles with God.” Simon the fisherman became Peter the apostle when Jesus declared that his profession of faith would be the rock upon which the church would be built. And Saul, a zealous Pharisee, began to use his Roman name, Paul, when the Holy Spirit made evident that his ministry would be primarily to Gentiles.

Nowadays, first names are often based on things like family history and how they sound alongside the surname—the etymological meaning behind your name is often more trivial than intentional. But if the Lord changed your name, who might you become? What are you prioritizing, and what is the message your life conveys? How might your identity be summarized in one word?

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Shakespeare wrote. What kind of witness does your name have?

Racing Headfirst (Friday Devotional)

 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

- Matthew 28:19-20

For the past week, the eyes of the world have turned to Milan, where athletes from 93 countries are competing in the Winter Olympics. From the dazzling triple axels of the figure skaters to the eye-popping ski jumps to the baffling rules of curling, there’s something for everyone to watch.

One of my favorites to tune in for is skeleton, which has been a permanent fixture at the Winter Olympics since 2002. Comparable to luge and bobsled, this sport demands each participant ride a small, flat sled headfirst down a frozen track after getting a running start. Riders plunge down the track at speeds exceeding 80 mph, using only their bodies to direct the twists and turns. While slower than luge or bobsled, skeleton has always seemed the scariest of the three sliding sports to me for two reasons: the complete lack of protection the sled gives you and the direction you are facing. There’s something truly terrifying about going that fast headfirst!

Not only is that image a scary one, it seems metaphorical as well—sometimes life feels like a skeleton race. Things come at you fast, dangerously fast. It feels like you’re all on your own, with no teammates or protection if you crash. And you’re watching it all with wide eyes as you hurtle through life headfirst.

But for believers, there is comfort in knowing that these insecurities are grounded in fear, not reality. For those who know Jesus, life is not a solo sport, but one in which God is with you always. You are not without protection, but are in fact empowered by the Holy Spirit. And far from being a helpless passenger hurtling through life, you are given purpose and a mission by the Lord: to proclaim the gospel in word and deed.

Life can be scary sometimes, but what a comfort to know that God has given us what we need to persevere in his name. So carry on today, knowing that your “gold medal” awaits in eternity!

Pursuing Virtue (Friday Devotional)

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor.

- Proverbs 21:21

Every day at my house, my family turns into a search party. Maybe we’re after a water bottle. Could be a sock that’s missing its mate. Perhaps a book or a jacket or a cell phone. Whatever the case, all five of us find ourselves ransacking the house trying to track down what’s lost. In a family of five, something is always missing—and it’s up to us to find it.

The proverb above describes a different sort of pursuit—not of a tangible item, but of virtues. In Solomon’s day, as in ours, righteousness and kindness were hard to come by. Our world is not a place where justice or mercy are naturally found; especially when you’re vulnerable or marginalized, expectations are that things are going to get worse for you, not better. As a result, the cynical person learns to live by the law of the jungle instead of the law of love, looking out solely for themselves and doing whatever is necessary to get ahead.

But Scripture compels believers to follow the way of the Lord, pursuing what is good even when the benefits of doing so are not readily apparent. When the cultural expectation is vengeance, Jesus commands us to forgive. When the flesh compels you to hurt someone, the Spirit calls you to heal them. When the world tells you to take what’s yours, the cross points you to sacrifice.

Christian virtues can be hard to find these days. But when you pursue them, then in Christ you will find the kind of life and honor the world could never hope to offer.

January Reading Log

Whew. I read a lot of books this month.

It wasn't necessarily a goal I had, but this happened to be a month where, for a variety of reasons, I seemed to be reading all the time. So buckle up, it's a long one this go-round: 11 books (sort of...the Batman run at the end complicates that number) and more than 2,500 pages. Enjoy!

                     

           

A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle

A WIND IN THE DOOR by Madeleine L'Engle
A SWIFTLY TILTING PLANET by Madeleine L'Engle
MANY WATERS by Madeleine L'Engle
AN ACCEPTABLE TIME by Madeleine L'Engle

This month I decided to dive headfirst into a YA classic series I never read as a kid, Madeleine L'Engle's science fiction-meets-spirituality Time Quintet. Simultaneously beloved and derided by Christians (it depends on how fundamentalist you are), these books tackle themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption, sometimes in an explicitly Christian way, while also being rollicking adventures.

A Wrinkle in Time, easily the most famous of the set, is the story of how Meg Murray, brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin O'Keefe travel through space and time to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace's father. A classic of the "love conquers all" archetype, this book has the best characters, the fastest pace, and the tidiest resolution of the series. Beloved for a reason.

A Wind in the Door has the same characters, this time traveling inside Charles Wallace's body to save him from a mysterious illness. The highlight of this one, however, is when the mean school principal, Mr. Jenkins, shows up—but is he really who he appears to be?

A Swiftly Tilting Planet turns the keys over to a now-teenaged Charles Wallace, who works with a unicorn to alter the past in order to prevent a coming nuclear apocalypse. This was probably the messiest of the five books and my least favorite, in no small part due to the absence of Meg, a more compelling protagonist than Charles Wallace.

Many Waters is the biggest outlier of the five and maybe my favorite, as it's basically just biblical fan fiction. It sees Meg and Charles Wallace's twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, transported back in time to the day of Noah, as they interact with the patriarch's family, the glorious seraphim, and the sinister Nephilim. There's not a lot of plot to this one, but I enjoyed the setting enough that I was unbothered by that.

An Acceptable Time sees Meg and Calvin's daughter, Polly, transported back in time to an era when druids walked the earth. There she does her part to help heal her friend Zachary of a deadly illness before returning back to her own time.

All in all, these books are, to my mind, slightly overrated but still lovely stories for kids with a taste for sci-fi. Propulsive, clean, and fun, they're plot-heavy adventures with worthy themes and good writing. If you just read A Wrinkle in Time as a child and stopped there, you probably made the right decision, but you could do a lot worse than to spend a month reading the whole Time Quintet.

AMERICAN GOSPEL by Jon Meacham

In the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, we read that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," a clause which Thomas Jefferson famously described as setting up a "wall of separation" between the church and the state. One could assume from this principle—and subsequent Supreme Court decisions based upon it—that the United States is a secular nation.

Then you go to Washington D.C. and learn we have a National Cathedral. You look on our money and read, "In God we trust." You recite our Pledge of Allegiance and describe the country as "one nation under God." Where's that wall of separation, Jefferson?

In American Gospel, Jon Meacham addresses that inherent tension by offering a cursory history of America's relationship with public religion, from the Pilgrims to the dawn of the 21st century. A moderate in both his theology and his politics, Meacham is an advocate for the separation of church and state, but also repeatedly acknowledges that this is not a secular nation, but rather one in which the people have always cared deeply about religion and expected the same from their leaders. 

For good and for ill, he essentially advocates for the kind of vague civil religion that Eisenhower once infamously said the nation needed: a "deeply felt religious faith, and I don't care what it is." Meacham's project is to show how religion used broadly has united the country and used narrowly has divided it, which history largely confirms.

For somebody who shares Meacham's moderate sensibilities but is also deeply committed to my own faith, I found myself nodding along with this book at times and finding it all a little too squishy at others. In the end, that's probably what Meacham would say is appropriate—faithful Americans ought to live in the tension of knowing their nation is religious without expecting any special treatment as a result. Put another way, America is not a Christian nation—but it is a religious one.

EVERY DAY I READ by Hwang Bo-Reum

Rule of thumb: when I see a book about reading, I pick it up. So when I spotted this one at a local independent bookstore, I immediately put it on hold at our local library.

Written by Hwang Bo-Reum, the Korean author of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, Every Day I Read is a collection of 53 short (3-4 pages each) translated essays about the author's love of books. In a humble, approachable way, she writes about the universal love of reading that anyone who would pick up a book like this knows well.

Every Day I Read is best read an essay at a time; when I tried to read it in longer sittings, it got repetitive pretty quickly. But read as intended, it's a cozy celebration of books that may not break any new ground, but is a delight nonetheless.

         

HEARTSTOPPER VOL. 1-4 by Alice Oseman

In the state of Texas, when a parent complains about a book on the shelves of a public school library, a committee is formed to review the content of that book and determine whether it should be permanently removed from the library. Such committees are made up of district librarians, teachers, administrators, and community members in order to assure a diversity of viewpoints. This month, I was recruited to serve on such a committee in a review of the first four books in Alice Oseman's Heartstopper YA graphic novel series. These books were not my normal fare, but I was more than happy to do my part...reading as community service is kind of made for me!

Heartstopper is the story of the romance between two high school boys, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, from the moment they meet to Nick's coming out to them being in a committed relationship. It also addresses several issues particularly relevant to teenagers, including bullying, mental health, and eating disorders. Part soap opera, part coming-of-age story, and part PSA, it is a breezy series—I read all four books in a weekend without any trouble—for kids struggling with their identities (or even just for those looking for a queer romance story.) The art and writing style are both manga-adjacent, meant less to be lingered over than raced through.

Is it appropriate for teenagers in our public schools? I'll leave that decision to our committee and will use the rubric we've been given to make my own determination. But I will say this: one of the most beautiful things about books is their ability to make the reader feel less alone. And I have to think—whether it is checked out from the school library, the public library, or bought at Barnes & Noble—that Heartstopper has given comfort, encouragement, and even courage to some kids who feel like nobody understands them. For any institution that puts these books on its shelves, that's something worthy of consideration.

BATMAN by Tom King and Friends (David Finch, Mikel Janín, Clay Mann, et al.)

Few recent comics have been as polarizing as Tom King's 100 issues writing Batman from 2016-2022, a run which saw Batman nearly marry Catwoman, reestablished Bane as a formidable foe, and killed off faithful butler Alfred. Given free rein to tell his story his way, Tom King did so to such an extent that much of his run is no longer considered canon by fans, and the 12-issue maxiseries Batman & Catwoman which concluded that run is formally outside of DC continuity. In other words, lots of people hated it, and did so very vocally.

For my part, I loved about 90% of it.

King essentially has three projects in this book. The first is to humanize Batman, who is often portrayed in comics (and by fans) as a vigilante so competent and so devoted to justice that he seems more like a force of nature than a person. From the first issue, King gives us a Batman who hurts, has doubts, falls in love, and fails—a human being, in other words. This storytelling choice is arguably one of the biggest reasons so many comics fans despise this run, but it's one I think is worth standing by.

The second is to set up a long-term romance with Catwoman, which fans were led to believe (both in the story and by marketing) would culminate in a wedding in issue #50. Unfortunately—and it's not entirely clear whether this decision was King's, DC editorial's, or both—that much-hyped wedding ended with Bruce Wayne abandoned at the altar, a betrayal many readers never forgave. Nevertheless, their relationship is clearly the highlight of King's run, and unquestionably my favorite portrayal of Catwoman I've ever read.

The final overarching story is that of Bane seeking to "break the Bat" once again, this time mentally instead of physically. While the buildup is wonderful, the concluding story, "City of Bane," falls flat somewhat, managing to somehow drag and feel rushed at the same time. However, it does give fans a Bane they can respect, melding some of the gravitas of The Dark Knight Returns with the character's established history in the comics.

As is often the case with King's writing, some of the best parts of this run are single or double-issue stories, such as when Batman and Catwoman go on a double date with Superman and Lois Lane. The character work throughout the run is top-notch, and King has a Morrisonian knack for folding some of the silly parts of Batman's history into a modern story. Little moments, not sprawling stories, have always been King's forte, even as he likes to place them in the middle of huge melodramas.

Tom King's Batman is not a flawless book, and I can understand why fans longed for a "normal" Batman book after years of King's distinctive writing style. But for fans of the writer, this is absolutely worth checking out. Ignore the haters.