Sir Francis Drake was a daring Elizabethan sailor, explorer, and warrior. On his greatest adventure, he departed Portsmouth in 1577 aboard his ship, the Golden Hind. His aim was to raid the stockpiles of Hapsburg Spanish gold on the west coast of South America. At the conclusion of his raids, he ventured far to the north, claiming Coastal California and …
Heart Work
“Heart-work is hard work indeed. To shuffle over religious duties with a loose and careless spirit, will cost no great difficulties; but to set yourself before the Lord, and to tie up your loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon Him: this will cost you something. To attain ease and dexterity of language in prayer and …
The Elephant in the Room
Business consultants are fond of creating metaphors to describe the common human dynamics and leadership dilemmas that all companies, organizations, and societies face at one time or another. Thus, they talk about frogs in the kettle, flies in the ointment, straw on camel’s backs, bulls in china shops, lead dogs, mule trains, hundredth monkeys, and tipping points. There are water …
Chesterton’s “The Wise Men”
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a man of extraordinary wit, intellect, and insight. He was a prolific writer who engaged the leading intellectuals of his time in debates, always defending the cause of orthodoxy. It was his good and affable nature that made his adversaries also his friends. Chesterton was a master of conveying truth through paradox, and this poignant and …
“The Whip of Advent” by Tristan Gylberd
The pitch of the stall was glorious Though the straw was dusty and old Though it blew bitter and cold The wind sang with orchestral beauty The night was mysteriously gleaming Though the earth was fallen, forlorn For under the eaves of splendor A child-The Child-was born Oxen Sheep and doves Crowded round Nativity’s scene Though the world still failed …
Five Kernels of Corn
The first few winters in the New World were treacherous for the pioneer American colonists. At the fledgling Plymouth colony, settlers died in droves from both sickness and starvation during the bitter winter of 1620-21. In this verse by Hezekiah Butterworth, the necessity of rationing the meager food resources is set alongside the abundant moral reserves of the pilgrims. Long …
Quick Morning Run
This morning I had my best run since the accident in Birmingham. It was still just a five-miler. But, my pace was surprisingly brisk–especially in the last mile. And, it felt great. If I had been able to spend a bit more time, I felt as if I could really keep running at that pace another two or three miles. …
Let Justice Roll Down
“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)
A C.S. Lewis Eleventary
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.”“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” “The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will …
Martinmas
Martin of Tours was a bishop who was martyred on this day in 397. Also on this day in 655, Martin of Umbria was martyred during the great Monothelite controversy. Both men demonstrated perseverance in the face of political persecution, personal humiliation, torture, starvation, and eventually, death, made them models of faith during the early medieval period. According to legend, …
Gates Foundation and Planned Parenthood-Style Eugenicism
According to a report from The New American, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is taking fire from human rights advocates for funding and promoting the most recent form of the controversial contraceptive drug, Depo Provera. Following in the Eugenic footsteps of Planned Parenthood, the Gates Foundation’s advocacy of the deadly drug is particularly aimed at women in Africa and …
Wary of the Traffic
This past Wednesday morning while running in Birmingham, I was very nearly hit by a a speeding car. It swerved around a corner and zoomed toward me in the pedestrian crossing. I was somehow able to lunge to the side of the road before stumbling over the curb and going down hard. I’ve got a few nasty scrapes. And, I’m …