Misunderstood Muslims, Being Angry at Chick-fil-A, & Immigration Reform That Is Just as Well as Merciful

Wisdom for Your Weekend is your regular installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web. Presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with guidance from Pastor J.D., this is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”

While we do not always agree with everything these authors post, we share these resources because we find them challenging and enriching. As we often say around the Summit, “Eat the fish and spit out the bones.”

Articles of the Week

Whatever It Takes, Psalm 113:9 Mama. “If we are willing to spend hundreds of dollars each month on herbs and supplements and vitamins and essential oils so that I may be physically healed, shouldn’t we also be willing to spend hundreds of dollars each month so that others may be spiritually healed? … How much does forever cost? How can we put a price limitation on the soul of someone who is lost? On the eternal life of someone who has never heard the name of Jesus?”

Immigration Reforms That Will Make America Good as Well as Great, Bruce Ashford. Few political fault lines are as volatile and polarized as that of immigration. But as Ashford points out in this article, we shouldn’t be forced to choose between harsh deportation proposals and complete amnesty. A middle path of wisdom is possible, one that would combine the biblical concepts of justice and mercy.

Wendell Berry, Champion of the Unplugged, Earth-conscious Life, Hope Reese. Wendell Berry is one of the most successful Christian writers of our generation. He could be leveraging that influence for a prominent position and a growing platform. Instead, he’s living off the land in a small town in Kentucky. What can we learn from this intentionally low-tech man?

I Was a Misunderstood Muslim, Afshin Ziafat. Having lived in predominantly Muslim countries, we know and love many Muslims. We also know that the average Christian holds wildly misinformed views about who Muslims are and what they believe. As a former Muslim, Ziafat talks about a few of the most common misconceptions—and he encourages us to see our Muslim neighbors not as a threat, but as a gospel opportunity.

Should You Be Angry at Chick-fil-A? Russell Moore. Earlier this week Chick-fil-A announced that they were changing the way they allocate some of their giving. Most notably, they would no longer give to the Salvation Army and the FCA. The reasons behind this change have been hotly debated, and many Christians are lambasting Chick-fil-A for caving to the political left. Moore counsels a bit of caution. He also reminds us that even if Chick-fil-A fails us, we should be saddened, but not defeated. As he writes, “Jesus is never made frantic, neither by those who oppose him, nor by his disciples when they go a bit wobbly.”

On the Lighter Side

Toad Sings “Chandelier.” Turn the volume up for this one.