It’s amazing to me how the universe balances everything out. For instance, recently we had to replace our roof. That was expensive. Then our fridge died and we had to buy a new one. Now our dishwasher is making a weird noise. You know what? Maybe this was a bad example.
Despite my recent run of bad luck with house repairs, I still choose to believe there is good in the world. That optimism keeps me digging through the headlines each week. While it’s always easy to find dark, depressing news, I managed to track down some positive stories— including one about a friendship between a duck and a golden retriever. Enjoy!
A quick recap of what you might have missed this week
There’s a lot of debate about deconstructing. Is it good? Is bad? Is it necessary? Here’s a new angle: maybe it’s like “intellectual test-engineering.” Jesse Califf explains how he’s tested each of the doctrines and ideas he accepted by default as a child. “Deconstruction is the process of submitting them to the testing hammers to see if they break. If they break—great. You have avoided building your life on a shaky foundation. If not—also great. You can be more confident that you have a solid foundation.” To Califf, such testing shouldn’t cause us to fear. “How have we become so afraid of breaking the truth?”
I’m not proud that I clicked on this article: “Parenting is hard. Should we let AI do it for us?” Did I wonder, somewhere in the dark recesses of my soul, if I could outsource my scared responsibility as a parent to our tech overlords? What I received was a humorous romp through the bizarre offerings from Silicon Valley startups to slake the seemingly endless thirst for optimization. A customized podcast about your child? 24-hour surveillance with nap prediction? I’ll pass.
My friend Paul J. Pastor wrote a beautiful essay for The Dispatch about life at “The End of the West, Near Portland, Oregon.” Paul is a sixth-generation Oregonian and writes about Portland in a way that sidesteps the Portlandia jokes and liberal caricatures and captures something of the ineradicable wildness of his home. At the end of the essay, he imagines his great, great, great grandfather, a preacher, standing “against the backdrop of the Cascades and the Wallowas and the Columbia River Gorge” and delivering a “perennial rebuke of the human capacity to screw up every Eden we will ever find: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The latest theological dustup on the world wide web
This week The Gospel Coalition (TGC) published an article laying out their position on AI. TGC Senior Editor Brett McCracken described AI-generated content as “soulless slop that can mimic and masquerade as brilliant writing. It’s aggressively efficient, speedily rendered, sycophantic information. But it’s not writing.” He then listed the uses of AI they’ve decided to prohibit for their writers. It included ideating, editing, and researching. The hardline stance drew fire from others online who see AI as a valuable writing aid. I wouldn’t outsource this newsletter to AI, but only because it could never replicate my genius.
It’s no secret that the war with Iran is not going well. We’re running out of supplies and, apparently, ideas. This week, the US military asked troops for “creative and unconventional” ideas to punish Iran. I’m not military, but I’d suggest hitting them with a flood of spam calls. I’ve been getting a ton of those lately and they’re breaking my spirit.
Feel-good stories to lift your mood.
I usually don’t go in for those heartwarming stories about cute animals, but this one got me. It’s about a depressed golden retriever and the duck who helped him get his mojo back. Bet you can’t watch it without smiling.
Watch this revealing exchange between Ross Douthat and Orchid founder Noor Siddiqui, who argues for a future in which most embryos will be genetically altered and optimized in labs. Douthat pushed back, tearing up as he quoted a poem extoling the beauty of physical intimacy between spouses.
On the Holy Post, the team discussed prenups, “Mere Christianity,” and whether Jesus helped people get drunk.
On the Esau McCaulley podcast, Esau and friends discuss the new Spider-Man movie, the loneliness epidemic and finding meaning in today's America.
On the SkyePod, Skye talked to Meghan Sullivan about what’s happening with A.I.
Fresh updates across the religious landscape
Texas and Connecticut Chart Different Paths on Religion in Public School
As Clergy Run as Democrats, Republicans Question Their Faith
Korean Pastor Who Spent Months in Prison Meets with Trump
What does the Bible actually say about immigrants, refugees and people who've been forced to flee? Let’s dive into Scripture and learn together through World Relief’s 30-day devotional. Each day includes a short Scripture reading and journal prompt to help you draw near to God and grow in compassion for those who are far from home.