It’s the end of the week as we know it…Here’s your roundup of good news, grace, and law-in-life implications. Enjoy!
Self Care, Rest, and Redefining Laziness
Do you know how to truly rest…without feeling guilty? The New York Times offers up a piece containing some law/gospel implications around the difference between genuine sloth and the stigma we assign toward rest and self care. Here’s a particularly insightful quote from the full article, which you can read here.
I think it’s worthwhile to destigmatize deliberate inactivity. My friend Cusi introduced me to the “lie-down,” a mode of relaxation that, at least in terms of branding, comes off as a bit more respectable. A favorite practice of her British mother, the lie-down is just what it sounds like: a short stint off one’s feet. It’s a form of rest that manages to borrow the restorative benefits of the nap, and of bed-rotting, without the suggestion of sloth. Cusi’s mom endorsed a lie-down whenever one had been on their feet too long, or the world had become too much.
One does not change out of one’s street clothes for a lie-down. This is not a full-on, take-to-the-bed retreat, but a deliberate if lavish recharge before one rises, refreshed, to resume living. A lie-down could involve reading or snoozing or just contemplating the world outside the window. The only important thing is that one is not standing or sitting. Perhaps because the term is so plainly descriptive, I’ve always seen a lie-down as something necessary and sensible, rather than indulgent or lazy.
High Rent, Mysterious Billionaires & Conditional Grace…
The grace of God may comes to us without condition…but not the alleged generosity of mysterious billionaires, haha. Check out this brief article about the proposition a man was offered in the context of the perennial challenge of managing excessive rent costs in New York.
Taking to TikTok, Manhattan renter Flavio recently shared a clip titled: “How I’m not paying rent for 3 months in NYC,” and it’s fair to say, we’re all pretty intrigued.
In the clip, which has been liked more than 12,000 times, Flavio begins by revealing he’d just gotten home from ‘the craziest interaction [he’d] ever had in New York’, which he felt compelled to share, despite it being ‘very unrealistic, but very New York’.
As he delved into the story, Flavio, who lives with his partner, said: “There’s this mega-mansion they’re building in front of my street. And it’s, like, worth, like, $50 million.
“And then, [a few months ago], I saw this billionaire that is very famous. And he was walking around the block.”
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and Flavio says he received a letter through his front door, proclaiming to be from the mysterious billionaire.
…according to Flavio, the billionaire’s team agreed to the three months’ rent on the condition that the creator sign a non-disclosure agreement to prevent him from revealing the identity of the billionaire or the specifics of their agreement.…
Black History Feature: Saint Josephine Bakhati
At 1517, Daniel Van Voorhis recounted the life of Josephine Bakhita on an episode of his podcast, Christian History Almanac. Born in Sudan, during the late 19th century, St. Josephine was sold into slavery amid the Arab slave trade prevalent at that time in the Middle East. According to Van Voorhis, ‘Bakhita was fascinated by the Western Christianity she had seen and was given a crucifix. She was struck by the idea that the Christian God would be portrayed in agony and suffering as she had.‘ She would later become canonized by 2000 and was the first modern black African saint who was also recognized by the Episcopal church. Her entire story is fascinated and well worth the listen.
At the Movies
I had the opportunity to catch a free screening of Bob Marley: One Love last Saturday. While not a great film, I was impressed with the arc of redemption that I noticed throughout. At nearly two hours, I was disappointed though that most of the story takes place in Europe instead of his native Jamaica. I agree with one reviewer who noted the lack of ‘on the ground’ implications of what Bob’s music meant for Jamaicans who found inspiration as they struggled to connect daily reality with the troubling political circumstances they were facing. At times, the plot does drag and I admit that there were boring moments for me when I felt like I should have been more enthralled and engaged with the narrative. I do however give the film credit for giving us an icon without necessarily portraying him as a saint. It’s worth at least one viewing in my opinion…
Rapture Ready?
Are you ready for the rapture? Kirk Cameron isn’t… not anymore at least. After more than 20 years serving as the literal face of the Left Behind franchise replete with dispensational ideology, the former 80’s teen star is changing course in his eschatological views. My friend Josh Retterer at Mockingbird informed me that Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth continues to go strong though even recently attaining a 50th Anniversary edition pressing! Well, Kirk has at least followed in the footsteps of Phil Vischer, who renounced his own moralistic Veggie Tales empire about a decade ago. Stranger Things have happened, I suppose…
Extra! Extra!
And now for the headlines for which I didn’t have time to expound. Feel free to click on the links and infer your own law/gospel implications from these stories….
- Val Kilmer goes against his religious beliefs in his battle against throat cancer…
- Christianity Today reviews the latest Rob Reiner documentary on Christian Nationalism in America…
- A New York Times article tackles the issue of redefining ‘sobriety’ among Gen-Z’s…
- PBS’s ‘Stories from the Stage’ podcast features a great anecdote from comedian Steph who talks about enough-ness, cultural identity, and Vietnamese ghost knives…
- Mark Wahlberg and Jesus share a special Ash Wednesday message…
Pastor Ken Jones Takes Us Into Lent
My good friend, Pastor Ken Jones of Glendale Baptist Church in Miami, has some comforting words for us we enter into the Lenten season…Be sure to check out the video below for a thorough exposition on Hebrews 12:1-2…
Law, Grace, & Daily Living 