how to be full of hope in a world of despair
Vicisti, Galilaee!
Julian the Apostate
I will build my church.
Jesus
In Today’s Newsletter
Smiling at secular threats
Verses for your heart
Quotes to fight with
Music to stir your vision
Two recent books I reread geared for men’s hearts
Two favorite poems for you
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SMILING AT SECULAR THREATS
Much has been written about the rise of secularism in our world today.
But more than at an academic level, you probably feel it at a personal level.
More and more, it feels like we have to force God into our lives these days.
His place is constantly being taken away from the table.
On a personal level, it's the pressure of daily life, the busyness of our schedules, the strain to stay connected in marriage, godless media that creates a vision of life with no reference point to the eternal, and the normalization of sin.
On a larger level, people just don’t seem interested in Jesus anymore.
God seems to be being pushed out of public conversations. Even just a few years back, Presidential candidates were asked about their personal relationship with Jesus. Now, they are asked about their plans to advance LGBTQ rights.
As a society, we are, for the most part, pleasure-seeking and anxious pagans. The gospel doesn’t seem to have much to say to the concerns of modern people set on living their own truth, values, and lives.
Statistically, they tell us that we are in a historic decline of the church, and each year, over 1 million young people walk away from their faith.
For many, this is a time of the slow suffocation of their faith, growing doubt, and fear.
I feel the dynamics of secularism acutely but don’t feel the same pressure.
I have full confidence that God is going to move and that in the ruins of secularism, Jesus will build a beautiful church.
Zooming out and knowing redemptive history can help.
Julian the Apostate was known as the last pagan Emperor.
He ruled Rome from 361 to 363 AD.
He was a relative of Constantine (who paved the way for the Christianization of the empire) who deconstructed his faith and tried to renew classical Roman religion to stem the rising tide of Christian faith. He launched a widespread campaign to remove the influence of Jesus from his world.
This included:
Bringing Back Paganism
Julian wanted people to go back to the old Roman gods. He brought back sacrifices, reopened pagan temples, and even made paganism more organized, with priests and moral rules to make it more appealing, like Christianity.
He Took Away Christian Privileges
He removed the benefits Christians had gained under Constantine. He stopped giving money to Christian churches and gave back properties that had been taken from pagan temples.
He Stopped Christians from Teaching
Julian stopped Christians from teaching important subjects like literature and philosophy in schools, hoping to weaken their influence, especially those seeking to raise the next generations in Rome with Jesus as a reference point of life.
He Stacked the Government with Pagan Leaders
He promoted those opposed to the Christian faith to important government jobs and centered pagan philosophers and writers to gain influence, trying to reduce the power of Christian leaders.
He Tried to Rebuild the Jewish Temple
In his attempt to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, he wanted to prove Christian prophecies wrong and shake their hope in their future. However, the project failed due to frustrating events like earthquakes and fires.
Despite all his efforts, Julian’s reign was short. He died in 363 AD during a military campaign against the Persian Empire.
He was wounded during the battle, and as he lay dying, he said,
"You have won, O Galilean."
Jesus did win. Over sin, Satan, death, hell, and Julian’s efforts to destroy the church.
After his death, his anti-Christian policies were quickly reversed. Christianity continued to thrive, and his attempt to restore paganism failed.
In Fighting Shadows, we discuss the metaphor of something blocking the sun that stops us from seeing God. Satan’s strategy is to make us think the light is gone.
Life in modern society can feel like it’s in the shadows. It can seem like God is gone. The light of Jesus seems blocked out by sin, secularism, and the self.
But I am reminded of what Athanasius, that staunch defender of the faith, said about Julian the Apostate.
"Julian was such a cloud… but a little cloud, it passes away."
Secularism is a little cloud that will pass away.
Most Christians have never heard of Julian the Apostate, but today, over 2 billion people are living in the light of Christ.
Men, take heart.
The Father is for you.
Christ is with you.
The Spirit is within you.
He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion.
You have been chosen and sealed by God.
Jesus promised to build His Church, and He is using you.
You can smile at the secular threats, and you can smile in the shade.
Jesus is the light of the world, and those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.
Onward.
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VERSES
Surely, the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure; they will have no fear
Psalms 112:6-8
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,
Isaiah 30:15
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret —it leads only to evil.
Psalms 37:7-8
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who, then, is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 8:31-34
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QUOTES
"Who except God can give you peace?
Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"
St. Gerard Majella
"We are drowning in freedoms but thirsting for meaning."
Mark Sayers,
"When one is convinced that his cause is just, he will fear nothing."
St. John Bosco
"I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward."
Nelson Mandela
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MUSIC FOR SOME PEACE
JÔNSI: FIRST LIGHT
This is about as good as ambient music gets, folks.
From the lead singer of Sigur Ros, it’s a wide-ranging instrumental album full of beauty.
First Light gives the feeling of being in a movie.
Stillness is pure magic.
SNORRI HALLGRÌMSSON: I AM WEARY, DON’T LET ME REST
This is dark, moody music at its best.
Before the Storm draws you into the album.
I Am at Home is the song to close out a long day.
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A COUPLE OF RECENT RE-READS
Glory Hunger by JR Vassar
This is my second time reading this. JR was a kindred pastor when he was in New York, and he will deal with your soul's longing and deficits in a challenging but hope-fueled way here.
More on the book…
Everyone wants to be significant. To a certain extent, this is natural and good—evidence of our God-given desire for meaning and purpose. However, our longing for significance can easily twist into an insatiable craving for approval, recognition, and praise—and, if left unchecked, this craving will enslave us. In Glory Hunger, pastor JR Vassar challenges Christians to reevaluate their priorities when it comes to leaving a legacy, pointing to the gospel as the key to freedom from the bondage of narcissism and insecurity. Addressing cultural obsessions such as physical beauty and the goal of cultivating a "perfect" digital reputation via social media, this book will help readers refocus on what really matters: living a life marked by the passionate pursuit of God’s glory above all else.
Experiencing Fathers Embrace by Jack Frost
This is my third time reading this book. It’s a beautiful message for men who struggle to connect their heads and hearts. It’s about God's delight in us and the experience of the Abba cry Romans 8 talks about. It's a touch dated but also timeless in its own way.
More on the book…
Experiencing Father's Embrace shows you how you can personally feel your Father's loving and comforting embrace, and points out areas that may be hindering you from experiencing a more intimate relationship with your Creator. Jack Frost, ministry leader and teacher, reveals the love that God has for each of His children. His love is not doled out by age, race, gender, politics, or denomination--His embrace is for all.
The author offers many ways to bring both new and seasoned believers closer to Him. The truths shared in this book will make a positive difference in your life, in the lives of your loved ones and especially in your relationship with God the Father---who yearns for your companionship. Experiencing Father's Embrace is not based on hearsay but on Scripture and powerful life experiences of a man whose personal testimony will encourage and inspire you to pursue God's eternal loving embrace.
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POEMS FOR HOPE
Just dropping these in again to give you a little perspective and peace.
Loaves and Fishes by David Whyte
*from The House of Belonging
This is not
the age of information.
This is not
the age of information.
Forget the news,
and the radio,
and the blurred screen.
This is the time
of loaves
and fishes.
People are hungry
and one good word is bread
for a thousand.
The Clearing by Martha Postlethwaite
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worth of rescue.
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Thanks for reading, folks.
Here with hope.
Cheers.
Jon.
I am filled with faith and hope, knowing that 700 men are carrying coals from that flame to the altar of their hearts, homes, communities, and churches.
Men, get to the altar and tend to the flame. As William Booth reminds us,
"The tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart. Anyone who has tended a fireplace fire knows that it needs to be stirred up occasionally."
Rebuild your altars. Stir the coals of encounter, sacrifice, commitment, and memory.
Repair the altar; fire is waiting to fall.
I'll join you in rebuilding and responding this week.
Cheers.
Jon.
