The old saying goes “art imitates life”, but the observed reality of that (observed by men and women far more intelligent than myself) is that in the wake of art’s imitation and inevitable expansion, life begins to imitate art. We find ourselves in a cycle where media pushes the boundaries and we in turn redefine the boundaries, and then media pushes further and we seem all to happy to accept the repeated invitation. This short blog piece by Seth Godin is a simple reminder that should be heeded by all in this age of media saturation.

We Are Not Living in a Movie – Seth Godin

This is a video from the mid 1950’s of Malcolm X being interviewed on Front Page Challenge by Gordon Sinclair. Though I find Malcolm X to be a very engaging figure and his speeches are always intriguing, I disagree with him on some very fundamental issues regarding God and spirituality. But, the part of this video that makes is important is the fact that both truth and falsehood can come out of the same source. I do not believe in the assertions that he makes in the first half of the video, but I stand with him in his rejection of calling racism a civil problem. This is not the interview in its entirety, just excerpts, so it is not a long piece.

Malcolm X on Front Page Challenge

Saeed Abedini, the Iranian-American pastor who has been jailed and tortured for his faith, has written a letter that is both encouraging and heartrending. His captors, he says, have told him that unless he renounces his faith in Christ they will make sure that he does not leave the jail at the end of his 8 year sentence. This is important for the sake of keeping perspective as American Christians. There is little place for us, in this free country, to be so cavalier with our faith and our spiritual opportunities.

Pastor Saeed Abedini Given Ultimatum – Stoyan Zaimov

This is a bizarre story that made me laugh at first and then caused me to wonder. Someone, allegedly intending to play a hoax on Joel Osteen has created a stir. The article is interesting, but two things emerge here: first, I do not hold to the acerbic tone of the writer toward Joel Osteen (near the end), I am not his biggest fan and I think he has soft-peddled some very important issues, but he isn’t a false teacher as the author seems to imply. Second, the actual point of this article is the ease with which a person can create a viral, social stir for “$12 and a few hours – friends, don’t believe everything you see on the internet, guard yourselves against snap-judgments and knee-jerk reactions to things that have been emailed to you or that you see on social media outlets.

Joel Osteen Hoax – Erin Benzinger

This an opinion piece by Dan Gainor that I had not seen until today (Friday). I had no prior knowledge of this abortion trial, which is kind of Gainor’s point. Both his scathing treatment of the media silence here, and his reporting of the actual case is excellent, riveting, and troubling at the same time.

The Monstrous Abortion Trial… – Dan Gainer

This column, by Brian and Garret Fahy, offers a memorial to the late Margret Thatcher as well as suggesting that her ways, Thatcherism, might be worth a look in the American political landscape. This is a good general column, nothing too specific, enough to make you think without bogging you down.

Thatcherism: The Cure for an Ailing America – Brian and Garret Fahy