Wyatt Graham - Faith | Books

Online Media Should Lead to Reading Books

October 24, 2021 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Do not exclusively read articles online. Think of online articles as portals to books. Articles may answer an important question, give insight into an issue, and help us to know what to seek and to know.

But books deliver the contemplative ruminations that thinking requires. Online articles are an appetizer. Both are important. And the media of books and the internet are here to stay.

But there is an ordering. First the short article. Then the book. [Read more…] about Online Media Should Lead to Reading Books

Today’s Freedom Enslaves

October 14, 2021 by wagraham Leave a Comment

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity

– Ecclesiastes

Our word freedom plays an important role in society. We live in a free and democratic society, the Charter tells us. The United States of America promises liberty and freedom for all. Their declaration of independence guarantees the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom in North America defines our vision of the good life.

We are free people. The USA broke free from England. Canada became a nation with a Charter of rights and freedoms. We can vote. We can choose what we want—we select what pleases us. At one level then, we enjoy political freedom.

At a different level, today’s freedom enslaves us. It exploits our free choices so that we become servants to our own desires. Byung-Chul Han’s writings have made this argument persuasively, I believe. We live in a society that runs on achievement. We must achieve results. But the product, more often than not, is us. We exploit ourselves freely and so become a slave to the drive to perform, get results, and show value. [Read more…] about Today’s Freedom Enslaves

Suspicion Leads to Fear and Anger

October 11, 2021 by wagraham 1 Comment

We have become increasingly suspicious of others over the past decade, no doubt connected to the internet’s constant flow of information. Spend a few minutes on social media, then you will hear every opinion under the sun. The most sensational it is, the more we stare or leer. Soon, we find that government and friend alike must be up to some nefarious ends.

Such suspicion makes us fear others (and so isolate) and be angry at others who fail us.

Suspicion Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

In the latter case, our expectation of the government or group or person’s failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since we do not think they will succeed and are nefarious at the core, we do not contribute or join them to make a positive change. Then time passes and tribes develop. A group falls or fails, and the accuser says, aha! I told you so.

But then what if we started without a baseline of suspicion? What if we committed to mutually support each other? Would we not see government or group as part of who we are, a community of people whom we can affect and work with?

Government Overreach in Canada and the USA

October 7, 2021 by wagraham Leave a Comment

The current pandemic has reignited a time honoured argument about government overreach. Given the commonality of this argument, I wanted to share a few thoughts about perceiving government overreach as a Canadian and from the perspective of Americans.

You should ignore this article if politics are not your thing or if you feel very passionate one way or the other the question. These thoughts are meant to be light, easy thoughts, not an article for argument.

I am more-or-less working out how Canadians and Americans perceive government overreach.

If Christ Reigns, He Reigns over Church and Government

October 7, 2021 by wagraham 2 Comments

Simply put, Christ reigns over church and creation through church and government offices: elder and magistrate. This one rule is distinguishable but united under Christ who reigns as Lord and Messiah.

In either case, if pastor or Premier sins, they retain the authority God gave but are accountable to God for their sin. They are also accountable to whatever body keeps them accountable (elder board, legislative assembly, etc.). Some sin obviously disqualifies too.

What Does Pentecost Mean?

October 4, 2021 by wagraham 1 Comment

The day of Pentecost signals one of the most important events in Christianity. While all together, the Spirit descends upon the apostles with signs and wonders. Tongues of fire appear, the sound of the Spirit comes, and the nations hear the apostles speak in their own language, a kind of miracle of hearing.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke spends an entire chapter narrating Pentecost and ties it closely to Acts 1. So what exactly is happening? What does Pentecost mean? [Read more…] about What Does Pentecost Mean?