Greetings!
It was cold earlier this week, warm yesterday and today and will soon be cold again. Yep, this is Oklahoma.
I’m handing out a lot of “props” in this week’s DHD. I start off with two men I seem to frequently recognize, give kudos to another friend’s excellent blog, and I commend my own state. Here we go!
- Moore nails it on misapplying II Chron. 7:14
Russell Moore continues to provide great wisdom and biblical guidance. His latest piece in the Washington Post “Sorry, the Bible doesn’t promise to make America Great Again,” is enlightening and gives proper perspective on II Chron. 7:14.
Moore is right. This popular verse of “If my people…” has been used out of context for years. His column may cause some to bristle, but he shares the truth. A huge takeaway from the piece is how he emphasized the point that Christians need to emphasize Christ:
“If we don’t understand the question of who we are, first and foremost, as the people of God, then we are going to miss this. If we take this text and bypass the people of God, applying it to America in general or the Bible Belt in particular, as though our citizenship as Americans or Australians or Albanians is the foundation of the “covenant” God has made with us, the problem is not just that we are misinterpreting the text; the problem is that we are missing Christ.”
Don’t take Moore as one who is dissing our country or fellow Americans. Instead, consider his intention to be providing proper context which in turn provides proper perspective, especially how Christians should value the relationship we have with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and share Him with others. This may not make our country “great,” but the impact would be beyond anything we can imagine (Eph. 3:20).
- Trevin waxes eloquently on cultural commentary
I have not held back my admiration for Trevin Wax, as he inspired my DHD column. I enjoyed the piece he wrote this week “From Stephen Colbert to Taylor Swift: 4 Reasons I Write Cultural Commentary.”
I regularly analyze pop culture because it’s so frequently discussed, even more so today with the saturation of social media. It’s a way to connect with other people and what interests them. Pop culture and its characters of celebrities have always been persuasive, especially among young people. The key is how to communicate truth, especially the wonderful truth of the Gospel, through the words and behaviors of such influential charmers.
Like Wax, this is why I write cultural commentary.
- Speaking of cultural
My friend Christi Roselle wrote a great piece earlier this week in response to actress Jennifer Lawrence’s high praise of Planned Parenthood. Check out “Blunder Games: JLaw, Planned Parenthood & Empty Promises.”
Christi shares her own experience as a PP client, and she offers a valid aspect of how wrong, deceiving and inhumane Planned Parenthood is. She does not defame Lawrence, though she explains her disagreements with the young actress, but Christi’s message is clear that the leading abortion provider is a dangerous organization that holds way too much power as it misleads many in our country, especially vulnerable women.
- Oklahoma No. 1 Pro-Life State
Americans United for Life announced this week that Oklahoma is the most pro-life state because of its state legislation and the culture it provides that promotes the sanctity of life.
Usually, Oklahoma gets a bad rap on state rankings on other topics, but I appreciate AUL’s recognition of how those of us in the Sooner State demonstrate the importance of all human life, regardless of stage.
- Recent GOP Debate
I did watch the Republican Presidential Debate Thursday night. I agree with the common perspective that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz were the leaders of the event, along with Marco Rubio and Chris Christie.
It’s beginning to look like those are the favorites. Trump is leading the overall polls, and Cruz seems to be an early favorite to win the Iowa Caucus. Rubio could make some ground in the South Carolina primary, while Christie’s hope of sticking around depends on whether or not he could win in New Hampshire.
At this point, all other candidates seem to have their campaigns on life support.
- Big 12 news
I close with comments about the Big 12 Conference receiving NCAA’s approval this week for having a conference championship game in football.
The best analysis I have read is from Berry Tramel who wrote on OU President David Boren’s remarks that the Big 12 needs to focus not only on reviving a championship football game, but also look to expanding the conference back to 12 schools and add a conference network, which as Tramel points out, is a jab at The Longhorn Network, but the suggestion is a sensible one.
Check out Tramel’s column here.