I have some great research assistants who push interesting articles too me through the week. Often, I don’t have time to read what I’m sent. But this week has produced some very interesting – and entertaining – fare.
Does everyone go to heaven, regardless of religion? Apparently, most people in America think so, as do most Christians.
Speaking of going to heaven, here is one guy who believes that he is not headed there. He is atheist by profession. And yet, he makes the best case for the necessity and impact of conversion that many of us have ever heard. As he reflects on his time living in Malawi he says this:
“In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world – a directness in their dealings with others – that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.”
And finally, if you’ve ever had the kind of ‘fun’ I’ve had in dealing with a phone company, you will appreciate this. One of my best friends was once one of those guys you would get on the phone if you called Verizon. He was the exception to the rule.
(If you are required to register with the NYTimes to read the articles, do so. Registration is free.)
I trust you all will have a Happy New Year! We will be celebrating at Busch Gardens to live music and then a synchronized fireworks display which, a couple years ago, ended with “Joy to the World” accompanied with fireworks. No knowing if the designer of the display meant anything by it, but it gave me chills!