GM, friends. Don’t forget to practice good opsec, including on Nostr.
Sinclair Ferguson on what we should understand from Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet: People often equate being a Christian with "living by the Golden Rule." Jesus did in fact, teach a positive version of it: "As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them" (Luke 6:31). We should love our neighbors as ourselves. But Jesus is not giving us a lecture on ethics here. His Golden Rule is not a piece of moral advice disconnected from himself. It is modeled by him, and the power to follow it is found only in him. [...] So, the issue for me as a Christian is not: "How would I like them to treat me? Then I should try to do the same for them." Instead it is: "How has the Lord Jesus treated me? Then that is the model for the way I will treat others. With his help, I will display the same grace he has shown to me!" {Ferguson, Lessons from the Upper Room, 24-25}
I just finished listening to this engaging book about the pervasive influence of Christianity on the modern West. Highly recommend the audiobook read by the author. From the blurb: Is Christianity history? Or is Christian history the deepest explanation of the modern world? Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them? In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his introduction: “The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it". Here’s a sample: 📄.pdf image