Top 5 articles: Easter and the empty church

Also, what if we never die?

Friends,

I have been thinking about this brief passage from John over the last few weeks, so I thought I would share it here.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20

I’ve also listened to this talk from Dallas several times over the past couple of days. Perhaps you’ll get something out of it…

Michael Wear @MichaelRWear

As we head toward Good Friday & Easter, I'm probably going to be on here a bit less. I wonder if you might take 48 minutes to listen to this over the next few days. Why not consider it w/ everything else?

youtube.comWhat If We Never Die?In this sermon at his home church, Dallas Willard talks about the appropriate kind of life for people who are never going to cease existing. Dallas Willard M...

Easter is almost here…

-Michael

Your Top 5 Reads

1. “The Easter of Empty Churches” (The Atlantic)

   Because many of us are experiencing Easter differently this year. The Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Europe has some ponderings around how the Church may change in the future because of COVID-19.

2. “The Normal Economy Is Never Coming Back” (Foreign Policy Magazine)

   Because this pandemic is causing changes to occur to not just the practicalities of our lives, but how we think about economics and politics, among other things.

3. “Politics Through the Looking Glass: Virus Scrambles the Left-Right Lines” (NYT)

   Because some of the major ideas and ideological tenets of the Dems and GOP are being tested during this pandemic, and some are becoming clearer while others are blurring. What kind of cleaving and reconfigurations might the pandemic make permanent?

4. “The Climate Club” (Foreign Affairs)

   Because climate change and pretty much every other issue has gone to the wayside during the pandemic, but COVID-19 has also brought about new data on environmental degradation. In light of both these things, what might the future of climate change policy look like globally?

5. “The Hate Store: Amazon’s Self-Publishing Arm Is a Haven for White Supremacists” (ProPublica)

   Because this is a fascinating article on Amazon’s self-publishing feature, and how it has been a breeding ground for white supremacist/neo-Nazi groups to publish and market their ideas.

Image is of a tiny baby in a face mask in Thailand. Image credit: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty.