Issue 69 - From the Editor
By Jonathan Ho
As I wrote this, Roe v. Wade was recently overturned in the United States, ending federal abortion rights. As I scrolled through my social media, I saw both fear and celebration. For some, this was the moment of darkness, and for others, this was a moment of light. And for yet others, it’s not really clear what to think. There is not enough space in one edition to discuss this topic, much less in this letter, but one thing I’ve noticed among myself and those around me is the ease with which we grow outraged, often not at any specific incident in our lives but by what we read. In some ways we serve as slaves to the culture keepers around us and think action begins and ends at sharing our outrage and signaling where we stand. This often plays out in our politics. As Matt Reffie elegantly describes in his article, “Like, Share, Do Nothing: The Sad State of Christians and Politics” (Issue 65), political systems “suck up our time, money, and energy resources while mostly just lining the pockets of those who perpetuate them, all while seldom offering any real solutions or the willingness to do the hard work required”. He writes that we’ve become trapped as consumers, people who pass along shared outrage and new information, not based on our own experience and understanding, but based on where someone else has led us. We trumpet the latest news and indignation while often only serving the interests of the groups we follow. This is made all the easier as participants in the Age of Information.
In an Age of Information, many of us have data, stories, and experiences available to us at any time, all easily accessible through a device we carry in our pockets. We can spend hours a day poring through YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and news feeds, each moment feeling wiser and wiser, when really, we’re becoming more and more puffed up with knowledge. Not only is there a lot of information available, but we can also gain this knowledge with just the touch of a finger. The world has become more and more like a video game for many of us, a game which can be manipulated from home, where we can be isolated and protected from the people around us.
Sadly, having knowledge and ease of living do nothing to positively change our character and sin nature. While knowledge can bring power, and while convenience may bring efficiency, both are merely increased forms of power, power which still requires work for its proper use. Each of us carries a sin nature which, with its natural inward curve, seeks to turn us towards selfishness and what Satan promised in the garden: to surely not die and to be like God (Genesis 3:4-5).
It takes work to live as a citizen of God’s Kingdom. Jesus said that whoever would come after Him must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). In an age of information and ease, will we seek to join God in His work or continue to act as our impulses (or chosen subculture) lead? Will we go about our political gong banging or will we go about the hard work of loving God and loving our neighbor?
In this edition, we seek to give you insights to encourage love from a pure heart and a good conscience, one that reflects the heart of Christ. We do this by giving you tools to explore your own heart, a story to help you step into another’s world, and both a theological framework and practical steps for loving those forced out from their homes.
Charlotte describes the darkness and dangers of supporting others in their distress without self-examination and humility. I follow by unpacking the term White Supremacy, referenced in Charlotte's article, and its impact. Brandon helps us examine life together through the shared lens of the board game Monopoly, and Derek shares about what we can do to serve the refugees/forcibly displaced among us.
This edition may discomfort and bother some of us, but I pray that God uses it to mature us more fully into what it means to be a member of the body of Jesus. While life today may require less work in many ways, it also means we must walk much more determinedly than before. In an age of ease and the ability to filter what we hear, may we work to serve one another despite the cost to our pride. May we fix our eyes on Jesus and live as living sacrifices, seeking to lay down our lives both for our friends, and our enemies. May God’s love drive us past selfish living and open our eyes to what truly matters, the everlasting way. May we follow Jesus faithfully, one day at a time, starting with today.
Jonathan
P.S. How have you found yourself withdrawing from others due to the weight of events in the world? Feel overwhelmed or want to explore the ideas from the articles with others in community? Let us know how God has been shaping you and your community during these times. We’d love to hear from you and share upcoming ways to connect. Email us at hello@projectarctos.com.