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 occasional 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.”
Video of the Week
The Role of Women in Ministry, Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, and Jen Wilkin. Having wrestled through this question fruitfully for several years now, the folks at The Village Church have some great teaching for all of us regarding the role of women in ministry. Here Chandler, Patterson, and Wilkin talk about what it means to apply “It is not good for the man to be alone” to ministry, managing the tension between Genesis 2 and Genesis 3. The church has a divinely-appointed opportunity to speak clarity into a confused world. It’s time we seize it, because a church where women thrive is a church where everyone thrives.
Can Black Kids Be Friends with White Kids?
Much has been made of Ekow Yankah’s recent New York Times opinion piece, Can My Children Be Friends with White People? Yankah answers with a pessimistic “maybe.” Yankah’s article sparked a bit of a firestorm on the internet. Some applauded Yankah for honestly portraying the frustrations of many African Americans, but the overwhelming response was outrage. Many have called Yankah a racist, and some have said his perspective is as dangerous as that of white nationalists. Even if you disagree with some of his conclusions, those of us in the majority culture need to listen to more of these voices, sympathize with their heartbreak, and share their righteous outrage. One excellent example of that irenic spirit from a majority culture is David Marcus, who responded to Yankah with this article: Let’s Respond Generously to the Black Dad Who Worries About His Kids Befriending White Kids. Marcus disagrees with Yankah’s conclusions, but does so while recognizing his very legitimate concerns and grievances. And in the end, he re-doubles his commitment to strive for a racial harmony which, hopefully, will make questions like Yankah’s unthinkable.
Sexual Misconduct and the Gospel
So You’re Matt Lauer This Morning, Here’s What You Do, Anne Kennedy. Matt Lauer joins the growing list of public figures who have been accused of—and confessed to—sexual misconduct. In the official response to Lauer’s termination, Savannah Guthrie of the Today show made a telling remark: “How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? And I don’t know the answer to that.” Kennedy steps in to offer the only timely answer there is: the timeless truth of the gospel. Only through the gospel can we come face to face with heinous sin and still love the sinners, whoever they may be.
America’s “Lonely Man” Epidemic
The Biggest Threat Facing Middle-Age Men Isn’t Smoking or Obesity. It’s Loneliness, Billy Baker. Not only is this an enlightening article, but it’s also a bit of fun, even if you find yourself (like Baker) concluding that you are a loser with no friends. For men, part of the problem is the way that we engage friendships—“shoulder to shoulder” rather than “face to face.” But all is not lost. The path forward might be easier than you think, and it starts with your calendar for Wednesday night.
On the Lighter Side
Flat Earthers are still a thing. The first annual Flat Earth Conference happened a couple weeks ago—right here in Raleigh, NC. (Though, as one of the interviewed men commented, “Only four people I met were from around here.”) BBC’s coverage wasn’t terribly sympathetic.
