Hey friends and other human beings! We're back with another (two in a row!) edition of Five Things Friday. This is a list of five things that have been buzzing around in my head this week - be they podcasts, books, news articles, games, whatever. This week we have a recurring topic here at FTF as well as the debut of a new project I'm working on!
Without further ado, here are five things for this Friday:
1. How the Covid Vaccine Works
Ok, I can't for the life of me get the video to embed but if you click the image above or click here, you can see a hilarious and enlightening cartoon about how mRNA vaccines work - ya know, the kind that the Covid vaccine is, the thing that is saving our lives! In a dark, sad time in our world where people are being selfish and fighting about masks and getting a shot, it's a nice, refreshing, and scientifically sound way to learn how this miracle shot works.
By the way, if you haven't done so yet and you can, you should get your shot! It's very safe and the best way to ensure you don't get this awful virus and that you help those you love.
2. The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast Rises Again
Ok, ok, I know I was hard on the podcast last week. And I still stand by what I said. This week's episode got things a little bit back on track, diving into some of the origin story of Mars Hill as told by Mark Driscoll over the years. The host, Mike Cosper (I spelled it wrong last week), points out how many a tech startup tells a grungy origin story about inventing computers or the internet from the confines of their parents' basement. But most of these origin stories do not tell the whole story. Many times, these startups were flush with investor cash or had sophisticated labs at their disposal, in addition to the dingy basement.
So, too, with Mark's telling of the origin story of Mars Hill. As Mars Hill evolved, Mark's story evolved. The story he stuck to over the years was how he heard God clearly speaking to him to teach the Bible, train men, marry his wife, and plant a church. But Cosper dug up an early 2000 interview in which Mark tells a milder story about relating much more to Augustine's Confessions, and starting a small Bible study with men.
For Cosper's purposes, the origin story points to his central theme - namely, that when you believe you've been ordained by God, you can justify anything you do.
Two observations: First, I think a big missing point in all this is that this origin story phenomenon isn't unique to Driscoll. And in fact, a number of megachurches and famous pastors relate so well to the grungy startup origin myth. They tell the story of a charismatic pastor with a vision from God who gathers a small band of followers and then BAM...next thing they know it's a megachurch. But it's not so magical. They are often able to get grants, sums of money given to them by denominations or church planting bodies eager to grow the church in whatever way possible. These pastors circumvent the normal obstacles of building or rebuilding a church, and simply replace it with the best marketing and business strategies and apply them to church. They are often trained to plant their churches in new suburbs or gentrifying neighborhoods, usually with growing white populations. Like I said, not so magical or the work of the Holy Spirit as it is a trend of suburban sprawl.
Second, I don't think it's a small detail that Driscoll mentions Augustine's Confessions. As Driscoll later tells his story, he had a rough upbringing but was given a Bible by his then girlfriend. He heard God speaking to him and then began reading Romans. The reason I don't think this is an accident is this, in broad strokes, is the same story Augustine tells of his own conversion. He dabbled in a few religions, had a wife and a mistress before coming to the faith. By his own account, a voice instructed him to "take up and read" and he began reading Romans 13.
3. The End of The War in Afghanistan
At 34, I am one of a generation whose adolescence and adulthood has been marked by the conflict in Afghanistan. I remember being terrified after September 11, not knowing that such a thing could ever happen. Not knowing where Afghanistan was and never having heard of a group called Al-Qaida or the Taliban. I didn't know a thing about geopolitics or global terrorism.
This war, but more so the subsequent invasion of Iraq, spurred on both a political and religious awakening in me. I remember being disillusioned at the shifting messages and goals of both conflicts. I remember being especially uncomfortable in the religious language wrapped up in political machinations. We were in a "holy war" I was told, but I found nothing holy in dropping bombs on the other side of the world, and killing innocents, even it meant bringing a modicum of justice to our pain.
All this to say, with all the political gamesmanship around our withdrawal from the country, even as I am torn with sadness as I think about the humanitarian tragedy, the end of our military presence in Afghanistan marks for me an end to a painfully long and tragic period in our human history. I don't know the answers for what could have been done, but I also firmly believe that we're holding the wrong people to account.
4. Pandemic Prayers by Austin Kleon
I've recently become a big fan of Austin Kleon. Last week, he posted a series of newspaper blackouts he makes by looking at a newspaper and blacking out all except for a few words. I don't know how religious Kleon is but I found his prayers moving and poignant.
By the way, I did a short summary of Kleon's book, Show Your Work, that you can read here.
5. I'm launching a Substack called Faithful Kentucky
Please subscribe! For over a decade, I've been obsessed with the intersection of religion, politics, social justice, and public life. This newsletter will be a weekly roundup of religion stories for Kentucky. This week's stories include coverage about Afghan refugees coming to Kentucky, the Festival of Faiths in Louisville, and the Texas abortion ban.
If you've never heard of Substack, it's basically a newsletter platform. When you subscribe (which you should!) you will get the newsletter sent straight to your email inbox. It would mean a lot if you subscribed and supported me as I try out this new project.
That's all for now. Happy Friday!
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