Reads of the Week
1) 'Ambiguity Proposes, Preference Disposes': We Have to Choose by Fred Clark
"But this quirk in translation is only possible because of the larger, pre-existing ambiguity between those exclusive and inclusive viewpoints. Ambiguity proposes, preference disposes. That ambiguity — that perennial argument — between exclusion and inclusion pervades the entirety of scripture. And preference predisposes which side of that argument we choose to endorse."
2) #HowOldWereYou: Origins of a Heartbreaking Hashtag by Karen Swallow Prior
"Those days were different from today. Then, such people were referred to as 'dirty old men,' a phrase that bespoke their commonness but was unfortunately dismissive of the seriousness of their actions. I told my parents about my teacher. They told me if I needed their help in handling him to let them know. I didn’t. It ended. I don’t remember how. Fortunately, my parents had raised me to be strong and independent, and they succeeded. I see now that other girls—too many—were not so lucky."
3) Sacred Space and a Latte by Sarah Joslyn
"I don’t usually offer to pray for strangers, but the words tumbled out before I knew what was happening. It sounded an awful lot like my voice as the words fell, “Maybe this is weird to you, but I’m going to be praying for you as you get ready to move.” And you know what happened next? Quiet Mama cried. She let quiet tears stream down her quiet face and she talked about loneliness and stress and a struggling ministry. She talked about surgery. And then she talked about cancer. I looked over at her Not-So-Quiet children and I hugged her. Her tiny daughter asked for a hug too. We hugged and we cried."
4) If You Feel Far Away From God, Guess Who Moved? by Addie Zierman
"Maybe the silence of God is not a punishment, but an invitation to a new kind of trust. In a world that is so loud and constant, where we are talking on social media even when we’re not using our voices, always saying something, always conversing and communicating…we’ve forgotten about the layers of Silence. The richness of it. The power of it. We’ve forgotten that God has a habit of going quiet with his people."
5) Women, Infants, Children: WIC Vouchers, Whole Foods, and the Oppressed by D.L. Mayfield
"Some of us have the luxury of not understanding the vulnerabilities inherent in gender and age in our world today. Some of us can choose to be unaware of government aid programs that catch the hungry children before they slip through our fingers. Some of us, myself included, can slide up and down the poverty scale as it warrants us, choosing to live simply without ever experiencing the true crush of hunger. Some of us, myself included, would rather pretend that the world is equal and just, and that right living and right thinking will lead to right outcomes."
Honorable Mention
The Lingering Light of Summer by Fiona Koefoed-Jespersen
Holy Relics: A Box of Tissues by Martyn Wendell Jones
Be Not Deceived: There's No Such Thing As A "Christian Banker" by Benjamin Corey
Tweets of the Week
"Don't worry Redskin fans, you can easily switch your tattoo to a George Washington head without diminishing your support for historical racism" - @sethpomeroy
"Of course it's a dull match featuring teams that are strangely apathetic in spite of the high stakes. That's how an OPEC meeting works." - @tejucole (on Iran vs. Nigeria)
"Ochoa is the roommate who always cleans the kitchen and buys toilet paper. The rest of the Mexican team is Derek. Fucking Derek." - @celebrityhottub
Song of the Week
"Hey Ya" by Obadiah Parker
Peace,
Ben
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