Wisdom for Your Weekend is your regular installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web. Presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with guidance from Pastor J.D., this is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” While we do not always agree with everything these authors post, we share these resources because we find them challenging and enriching. As we often say around the Summit, when it comes to reading, “Eat the fish and spit out the bones.”
Articles of the Week
Manipulative Repentance: 8 Red Flag Phrases, Brad Hambrick. Just about everyone agrees that there are healthy and unhealthy ways to repent. But how are we to discern between the two? Is it even possible to set objective criteria for “manipulative repentance”? If you want to know what manipulative repentance is, or (like me) what it looks like in real life, read on.
Where Is the Pro-Life Movement Headed? John Stonestreet. This weekend, we celebrate Sanctity of Life Sunday, a day set aside to promote and celebrate the cause of the pro-life movement. In light of this, BreakPoint asked several Christian leaders—including the Summit’s own Bruce Ashford—to answer the question, “Where is the pro-life movement headed?”
In China, They’re Closing Churches, Jailing Pastors, and Even Re-writing Scripture, Lily Kuo. “In late October, the pastor of one of China’s best-known underground churches asked this of his congregation: had they successfully spread the gospel throughout their city? ‘If tomorrow morning the Early Rain Covenant Church suddenly disappeared from the city of Chengdu, if each of us vanished into thin air, would this city be any different? Would anyone miss us?’ said Wang Yi, leaning over his pulpit and pausing to let the question weigh on his audience. ‘I don’t know.’ … Almost three months later, Wang’s hypothetical scenario is being put to the test.”
Bitter Peel, Sweet Fruit: Social Media and Anxiety, Lara d’Entremont. It’s a constant refrain I’ve heard from countless people: Social media incites all the worst emotions we’ve got—spite, envy, anxiety. And while it’s true that the forms themselves have significant dangers, d’Entremont wisely points out that social media isn’t making us feel any of this. So yes, feel the freedom to ditch social media for a season, or even for life. But don’t think this alone will fix the problem.
Why Martin Luther King, Jr. Rejected Protestant Liberalism, Alex Wright. This is an insightful perspective, concisely communicated. While some conservative theologians are uneasy with the notion of systemic racism, Wright points out that this reality is actually much more of a problem for liberal theologians. In other words, a biblical view of sin explains and anticipates the reality of systemic racism. He writes, “Evil in the human heart is so great, that it flourishes in the systems we create and perpetuate.” And he shows how Dr. King came to the same realization.
On the Lighter Side
John Piper v. The Microphone. You may think you’ve seen it all after the first 20 seconds. But there’s a rousing finale.
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