These two excerpts, drawn from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, reflect the honor and importance of local pastoring. There’s much to be said about shepherd and sheep knowing each other. A clergyman cannot be high in state or fashion. He must not head mobs, or set the tone in dress. [Rather, he] has the charge of all that […]
Category: Influence & leadership
Five waypoints to live by
When you go through a crazy season and need to regroup, how do you find your bearings? In our family we forged a set of shared waypoints — the five ideas we use to gain perspective and clarify what matters: It’s better to be than to seem. Love is stronger than will. Seek the truth. Take the long […]
Maturity
Maturity is about hitting stride. Writers mature as they develop their voice, honor the reader, and deliver the goods. It’s not about complexity or creative energy. Such things are add-ons. Maturity is about being complete. It’s the essence of what was meant to be. So — what does spiritual maturity look like? How is it distinct from the wisdom of age, experience, […]
What to do with racism in novels
The Last of the Mohicans. A tale of adventure, resolve . . . and scathing invective heaped upon the Hurons! Racial derogation isn’t easy to read. When some character in a novel slurs a people group, it makes you wince. That doesn’t mean the story isn’t worth reading. It means we need to know how […]
Point of view is not what divides us
Let’s say we’re opposites. Faith, politics, morality, lifestyle. Does that make us opponents? I doubt it. I heard from three outspoken souls last week. Two shared my convictions; the other did not. Here’s what happened: — One ranted. — One criticized. — One engaged my interest and made me think. Even though we disagree. Our convictions don’t polarize us. […]
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