An ancient Hebrew artist wrote a poem that resonates with this wonderful essay, Psalm 43: "Vindicate me, O God...Send out Your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." Thanks so much, Andrew!
Shortly after my son was assigned to La Jeaune obabalama rescinded clintons “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and announced homosexuals could serve openly. My 21 year old son told me no body cared if someone was homosexual or not. I tried to tell him that THAT was not their end game. I have sadly been proven right. Over the years the ever increasing sickness of our culture and the devastation it has wrought my one simple thought is this, we need more Jesus in our lives. And I thank both Klavans for this Substack. It is a God send.
It’s one of the great tragedies of human history that most wars are either won or lost long before they are OVER. In this latest episode of Hot Mic, host Bill Whittle argues that while the Culture War is far from OVER, there is overwhelming evidence that it has, in fact, been WON.
I’m just finishing War and Peace for the 3rd time ( every 20 years ). The battle of Borodino was when the war was won. Kutuzov retreated, Napoleon took Moscow, but the war had been won. Most of the suffering and dying was still to come, but Napoleon had been soundly defeated. We must not let up!
So happy you are back, sir, and with a challenge which should be required reading for all. Whatever you've lost at the instigation of hate-filled people, your art remains: deep and satisfying; filled with humbling insights; clearly, yet poetically expressed. Thank you so much for sharing the "meditations of your heart" with the rest of us.
I’m a long-time podcast listener and today I became a yearly subscriber to your Substack. I have a budget for Substack subscriptions so someone else had to go. You’ll be happy to know that you beat out Nate Silver! He was useful during the election, but his tone, as it became clear that his girl was vibing her way to a joyful loss, became a tad too whiney. This puts you in my Top 3 with Michael Shellenberger and Eve Barlow!
“When we look at Jesus honestly, we find he too is vastly bigger than our theologies. His presence cannot be reduced to rules and philosophies. We must renew the rituals and practices that can re-open our eyes to a love beyond reason.”
So, what are the rituals and practices that can reopen our eyes? Are there any rituals and practices that have actually been blinding us all these years?
It is clear to me in my reading of the Gospels that when Jesus rose from the tomb, His whole self including His physical body, was made Divine from head to toe. His very soul was, and continues to be, the Father that He had spoken of all during His life here on earth, and to Whom He had often called for help.
Until His final temptation on the cross, He had been living with His maternal heredity, and it was there in His very conscious mind that He met the full fury of the hells in a way no other human has ever done. And it was on that very human battlefield that He conquered the hells, made His eternal Divine Human visible to all of us regular humans, and thus provided the world with a new vision of God that had never existed before, a vision so powerful that it can be our very salvation, if only we read His story and live by His teachings.
So, yes…
“When we look at Jesus honestly, we find he too is vastly bigger than our theologies.”
But it may be that…
“His presence cannot be reduced to rules and philosophies,” *except* the ones He specifically taught, i.e., the need for repentance.
And I suggest that we need to be choosy in our renewal of “the rituals and practices that can re-open our eyes to a love beyond reason.” Some are better than others…, but you know, the power of Jesus‘s Love will work its way into all kinds of rituals and practices, especially when our hearts are in the right place.
We individual human beings need so very much to return to our own reading in the Old and New Testaments, where we can find the Lord speaking directly to us, to both our hearts and our minds.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1, vs 1)
Yes, the whole of the Word is God Himself, speaking directly to us, if we will go there and read.
… and in our reading, He will be there with whatever it is that we need at that very moment. I think He’s been telling us that all along, but just like the Israelites, we find so many ways to go astray.
Quite true. Proving your enemy false doesn’t destroy him. It simply forces him to tack anew. We’ve won a round in a war against Satan and atheism. It’s a fight we have to continue, as you said, not with rigidity, belligerence, and cruelty, but with love and reason. And never make judgments on emotion, for that too is Satan’s sandbox. Demons can far too easily manipulate your emotions. Base your judgments on reason and faith.
If it is in the "proving of contraries that truth is revealed", Maybe it would be better to have an "and" between these topics instead of "vs". :) Jane Austen might agree...
Thank you for upholding the truth, no matter the cost. Your reward in heaven will be great. I look forward to the new essay series, but I hope you will keep writing novels, too. I just finished A Woman Underground, and I can't wait for the next one.
An ancient Hebrew artist wrote a poem that resonates with this wonderful essay, Psalm 43: "Vindicate me, O God...Send out Your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." Thanks so much, Andrew!
Beautiful to include this. Thank you.
Shortly after my son was assigned to La Jeaune obabalama rescinded clintons “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and announced homosexuals could serve openly. My 21 year old son told me no body cared if someone was homosexual or not. I tried to tell him that THAT was not their end game. I have sadly been proven right. Over the years the ever increasing sickness of our culture and the devastation it has wrought my one simple thought is this, we need more Jesus in our lives. And I thank both Klavans for this Substack. It is a God send.
Bill Whittle
Did We Win the War in ’24?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q58r51SK8iA
Dec 31, 2024
It’s one of the great tragedies of human history that most wars are either won or lost long before they are OVER. In this latest episode of Hot Mic, host Bill Whittle argues that while the Culture War is far from OVER, there is overwhelming evidence that it has, in fact, been WON.
I’m just finishing War and Peace for the 3rd time ( every 20 years ). The battle of Borodino was when the war was won. Kutuzov retreated, Napoleon took Moscow, but the war had been won. Most of the suffering and dying was still to come, but Napoleon had been soundly defeated. We must not let up!
So happy you are back, sir, and with a challenge which should be required reading for all. Whatever you've lost at the instigation of hate-filled people, your art remains: deep and satisfying; filled with humbling insights; clearly, yet poetically expressed. Thank you so much for sharing the "meditations of your heart" with the rest of us.
"Our enemy counts on us to defend our faith with rigidity, belligerence and cruelty."
Hmm. Why does this make me think of Islam?
Gorgeous essay. Much appreciated.
I’m a long-time podcast listener and today I became a yearly subscriber to your Substack. I have a budget for Substack subscriptions so someone else had to go. You’ll be happy to know that you beat out Nate Silver! He was useful during the election, but his tone, as it became clear that his girl was vibing her way to a joyful loss, became a tad too whiney. This puts you in my Top 3 with Michael Shellenberger and Eve Barlow!
I don't know what to say at the moment other than – Thank you for your essay.
Dude.
I don’t know if you’ve been guiding my thought or it’s only coincidence that we’re on the same path.
What? There’s a third alternative?
Oh yeah, the truth.
“When we look at Jesus honestly, we find he too is vastly bigger than our theologies. His presence cannot be reduced to rules and philosophies. We must renew the rituals and practices that can re-open our eyes to a love beyond reason.”
So, what are the rituals and practices that can reopen our eyes? Are there any rituals and practices that have actually been blinding us all these years?
It is clear to me in my reading of the Gospels that when Jesus rose from the tomb, His whole self including His physical body, was made Divine from head to toe. His very soul was, and continues to be, the Father that He had spoken of all during His life here on earth, and to Whom He had often called for help.
Until His final temptation on the cross, He had been living with His maternal heredity, and it was there in His very conscious mind that He met the full fury of the hells in a way no other human has ever done. And it was on that very human battlefield that He conquered the hells, made His eternal Divine Human visible to all of us regular humans, and thus provided the world with a new vision of God that had never existed before, a vision so powerful that it can be our very salvation, if only we read His story and live by His teachings.
So, yes…
“When we look at Jesus honestly, we find he too is vastly bigger than our theologies.”
But it may be that…
“His presence cannot be reduced to rules and philosophies,” *except* the ones He specifically taught, i.e., the need for repentance.
And I suggest that we need to be choosy in our renewal of “the rituals and practices that can re-open our eyes to a love beyond reason.” Some are better than others…, but you know, the power of Jesus‘s Love will work its way into all kinds of rituals and practices, especially when our hearts are in the right place.
Beautiful reflections, eloquently shared. Thank you.
Thanks, Leah!
We individual human beings need so very much to return to our own reading in the Old and New Testaments, where we can find the Lord speaking directly to us, to both our hearts and our minds.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1, vs 1)
Yes, the whole of the Word is God Himself, speaking directly to us, if we will go there and read.
… and in our reading, He will be there with whatever it is that we need at that very moment. I think He’s been telling us that all along, but just like the Israelites, we find so many ways to go astray.
🥴🥴🥴
Amen. And amen.
Quite true. Proving your enemy false doesn’t destroy him. It simply forces him to tack anew. We’ve won a round in a war against Satan and atheism. It’s a fight we have to continue, as you said, not with rigidity, belligerence, and cruelty, but with love and reason. And never make judgments on emotion, for that too is Satan’s sandbox. Demons can far too easily manipulate your emotions. Base your judgments on reason and faith.
The victory is ours and now the real work begins. Well considered, measured and true. Well done, Andrew.
I for one am super excited!
If it is in the "proving of contraries that truth is revealed", Maybe it would be better to have an "and" between these topics instead of "vs". :) Jane Austen might agree...
Thank you. Happy New Year. What comes to mind is Rene Girard: I See Satan Fall Like Lightning.
Thank you for upholding the truth, no matter the cost. Your reward in heaven will be great. I look forward to the new essay series, but I hope you will keep writing novels, too. I just finished A Woman Underground, and I can't wait for the next one.