You’ve heard of TGIF? This is TGFI: Things Glen Found Interesting

On Fridays I share articles/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues likely to be of interest to Christians in college. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions, so if you read something fascinating please pass it my way.

Things Glen Found Interesting

1. Stop Being Anxious About Your Anxiety (Russell Moore, Christianity Today): “The listener is worried because she doesn’t want to disobey Jesus, and she knows that he said, ‘Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on’ (Matt. 6:25, ESV throughout). And she’s interpreting this the way she would if she were refusing a moral command from the Lord, like to forgive her enemies. The irony is that because of that, she can’t see that these passages are not warnings but reassurances.…. Anxiety tells you that you have to secure your future. Anxiety about anxiety tells you that you have to secure even your inner life. Anxiety about anxiety wants you to hear the voice of Jesus as irritated and angry: Stop it! But the voice of Jesus is really saying, You can rest. I’m here.”
2. These science-based arguments destroyed my atheism (Sarah Salviander, Substack): “When I was an undergrad studying data for the Big Bang, everything I needed to answer my specific question—what was the chemistry of the very early universe before stars started cooking up heavier elements?—was conveniently in place. Too conveniently. A foolproof way to fingerprint every element and compound? Check. A smooth, powerful light source to backlight the most distant reaches? Check. An expanding universe that lets us rewind cosmic history just by looking at different wavelengths? Check. A transparent atmosphere so we can actually do the observations from the ground? Check. Laws of nature that don’t randomly change with time or place? Check. The list goes on. I literally could not have done the work unless dozens of these parameters lined up just right. It felt less like luck and more like an engraved invitation to explore the careful work of a transcendent Intelligence.”
   • The author was formerly an astrophysicist at UT Austin. She now leads a ministry.
3. The Church in China Isn’t What You Think (Joy Marie Clarkson interviewing Easten Law, Plough): “There’s an abiding myth that registered churches are just tools of the Communist Party, that they do whatever it demands. I want to clarify that this isn’t true. Many in the registered churches are genuine Christians. They simply have a different perspective on church and state, and they choose to navigate this relationship with the Party. They will sign the necessary documents. They will give speeches, such as on the Sinicization of Christianity. But they also take care of their congregations and try to help people walk in faith. Their approach to negotiation with this tightening control is different from that of house churches, which are resisting, hiding, and moving around.”
   • The interviewee is a professor of world Christianity at Yonsei University in Seoul.
4. Two great Chuck Norris obituaries:
   • Chuck Norris obituary: actor and martial artist (The Times): “In 1994, when Chuck Norris was starring in the TV action show Walker, Texas Ranger and at the peak of his fame, two men tried to mug him. When the Dallas police subsequently arrived, they found the duo with broken arms, knives on the ground and Norris, then 54, waiting quietly nearby. Trying not to laugh, the officers asked the pair whether they knew who they had attacked. ‘We knew who he was,’ they said. ‘We just figured that all that stuff on television was fake.’ That there was nothing fake about Norris was perhaps the key to his success and to his considerable cultural status in the US.”
     • Absolute legend. Note this is the British Times. The American New York Times did not include this or any other truly epic scene in their obituary.
   • Chuck Norris, 1940–2026 (Sonny Bunch, The Bulwark): “Invasion USA became an underground sensation in Romania, with bootleg videos of the film passed around and helping to fuel the 1989 uprising’ against Nicolae Ceauşescu, de Semlyen notes in his book. According to James Bruner, who worked on the film with Norris and director Chuck Zito, ‘They use the poster, to this day, in Romania when they protest against the government.… Ultimately, action movies are about freedom. Overcoming evil, in whatever form it may be.’ ”
5. Technology Weakens Our Minds. We Can Fix This. (Cal Newport, The New York Times): “We should consider taking as strong a stance against ultraprocessed content as we already do against ultraprocessed food. Which is to say: Most people should avoid these diversions most of the time. In the same way that you’re unlikely to eat Twinkies as a regular snack, or still believe that Pop-Tarts provide a balanced breakfast, stop consuming ultraprocessed content. Don’t use TikTok. Don’t use Instagram. Don’t use X. Their sugar-high benefits aren’t worth the costs.… [and] any use of A.I. that mainly serves to make core business tasks cognitively less demanding should be treated with caution. Here’s a simple rule that reinforces this idea: Your writing should be your own. The strain required to craft a clear memo or report is the mental equivalent of a gym workout by an athlete — it’s not an annoyance to be eliminated but a key element of your craft.”
6. Scientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers. (Catrin Einhorn, New York Times): “They found that the whales oriented to the mother during labor and to the newborn after delivery. Sperm whale calves cannot immediately swim effectively, and a core group of individuals — Rounder, her sister Aurora, and a young, unrelated whale named Ariel — spent the most time lifting the newborn. But every whale in the group acted as ‘a primary supporter’ at some point, including the sole male, an adolescent named Allan who was starting to leave the group to embark on a largely solitary life, as male sperm whales do. But he appeared at the birth. The calf was rarely left untouched, and it was usually being touched by at least two whales simultaneously.”
7. Prominent Pastor Calls for Texas Democrat to be ‘Crucified With Christ’ (Elizabeth Dias, New York Times): “The host, Joshua Haymes, said of Mr. Talarico: ‘I pray that God kills him. Ultimately that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ.’ Mr. Potteiger responded: ‘Right — we want him crucified with Christ. I want him to be — I think, Saul of Tarsus — Talarico of Tarsus. That’s what I want.’ ”
   • Recommended by an alumnus. When outsiders eavesdrop on Christian conversations we can sound pretty weird to them.

Less Serious Things Which Also Interested/Amused Glen

• After Jesus Bestows Nicknames ‘The Rock’ And ‘Sons Of Thunder’, Apostle James Bummed To Get Stuck With ‘The Lesser’ — (Babylon Bee)

Why Do You Send This Email?

In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.

Disclaimer

Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey’s agenda and we are not about the elephant’s agenda — we are about the Lamb’s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass the ideological Turing test and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say “I agree” or “I disagree” until I can say “I understand”) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I’ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent. Also, remember that I’m not reporting news — I’m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There’s a lot happening in the world that’s not making an appearance here because I haven’t found stimulating articles written about it. If this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up here. You can also view the archives.