One Little Word Newsletter - May 16, 2022
The women leading the pro-life movement, a global food crisis you've not heard of, and strange creatures in Genesis.
Good morning, friend. As this newsletter winds its way to your mailboxes, I’m likely in my truck on my way to Fort Worth, my truck bed and entire backseat filled with books from my library. We actually move in less than a month but this is the trip I take to begin setting my up office on campus at SWBTS. My oldest daughter is with me this time and is likely listening to music while I listen to an audiobook, about halfway through The Boys, a memoir by Ron and Clint Howard. I’m sure I'll have more on this interesting book later. Enjoying it thoroughly.
Was a busy week last week. Some of my work:
Chelsea Sobolik of ERLC came on my Callin show to discuss Roe, Dobbs, and what comes next. Chelsea has been working as a pro-life advocate in Washington, D.C. for a long time and is both passionate and articulate about this issue.
Christianity Today published an excerpt from my new book Characters of Creation. This section is about the mysterious creatures in Genesis called “Nephillum.” Are they superhuman rock monsters? Are they giants? Christians throughout history have been divided between two theories. Also my friend Collin Hansen made this admission:
Hmm this gives me an idea for next football season.
In my latest USA Today column I make the case that, contrary to many narratives, it is women leading the pro-life movement.
And this piece for SWBTS, I explain four ways Christians can be pro-life in their day-to-day lives that will eventually influence the major movements toward pro-life.
I relaunched The Way Home podcast with fancy new graphics and a with guest Shannon Bream of Fox News, talking about news, politics, and her new book on the women of the Bible. You can listen here or on your favorite podcast player:
Some things I’m reading:
I love this project at Amazon that helps Afghan and Ukrainian refugees gain employment and citizenship.
Jim Gheraty, in the National Review, highlights a story you might not have heard about. There’s an emerging global food crisis, caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the lack of fertilizer, and a heat wave in India.
Henry Olsen has an excellent piece in The Washington Post where he makes the point of Democrats acting as the real extremists when it comes to abortion. I make it a habit to always read Henry Olsen.
Thought it was super interesting to see Bill Maher recognize facts that pro-lifers have been citing, but are rarely included in mainstream coverage:
This is an excellent TGC article by Brian Arnold, looking at the early church’s stance against abortion and compares today’s pro-choice movement to the mythical god Cronus.
Have you kept up on the Tim Keller kerfuffle? If not, here is an excellent piece by Samuel D. James where he evaluates James Wood’s article How I Evolved on Tim Keller. I thought DeYoung’s World articles “Seven principles for cultivating a Christian posture toward the world” was really helpful as well. Also spoiler alert: I’m an admirer of Tim Keller and am praying for his continued health as he fights cancer.
I loved this piece in The Athletic about the recruiting of Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, grandson of Archie Manning. Arch hasn’t made his decision yet, but apparently the way to understand his thinking is to look back on the way his uncles and grandfather made their choices.
Some books I’m reading:
I just finished You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly M. Kapic. It’s so very good. Highly recommend.
I’m excited to read Thomas S. Kidd’s new biography of Thomas Jefferson.
But next up, I’m loving Glen Scrivener’s The Air We Breath.
And as I mentioned above, I’m listening to The Boys. This is a memoir by Ron and Clint Howard. What makes it really enjoyable is that it is narrated by Ron and Clint.
And before you leave, a late, Sunday night addition to the newsletter, here is Shaq serenading Charles Barkely. Barkley’s Suns got blown out by the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference semi-finals.