Sunday shorts (2/4/24)

Faith & Ideology 1 Minute

For all its piety and fervor, today’s United States needs to be recognized for what it really is: not a Christian country, but a nation of heretics.

Ross Douthat, Bad Religion

So much of our religious anxiety is really about having to figure out how we can avoid doing the things we know we must, while still being obedient to God. We become religious minimalists, giving God only as much as we need to do to appease him, while keeping as much as we can for ourselves. This, as opposed to desiring as God himself desires. This, as opposed to living in reality.

Rod Dreher, Reconciling with the Really Real

At the end of the day, the only way to truly escape the sting of death is to lean into it, imitating the self-emptying love of Christ who embraced death in order to overcome it. Through ascetic disciplines such as fasting, chastity, almsgiving, vigils, etcetera we can follow Christ’s action of leaning into death and thus break corruption’s hold over us. Through these spiritual exercises, we identify with Christ’s death, and therefore His Resurrection, even while living in the body of corruption.

Robin Phillips, Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation

If Christianity is only a mythology, then I find the mythology I believe in is not the one I like best. I like Greek mythology much better, Irish better still, Norse best of all.

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Update: Praying for the World That Lives Within You – Glory to God For All Things

… that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)

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