How To Grow Our Faith

Sometimes when I think about my faith, I tend to dismiss the practical aspects of this spiritual discipline. It is often been said that faith is like a muscle, but in my opinion the reality is a little more complicated. 

We know from God's Word that faith is something that can grow, one of many examples of this is the story of the father in the gospel of Mark. This father approached Jesus in the hope that He could heal his son. After Jesus told him that all things were possible for those who believe, the father through his anguish and his tears cried out for Jesus to help his unbelief. But this father was not alone in his need, in fact, we are all commanded to live our lives by faith, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) But how can we grow our faith?

Tech Giants Cry Foul / Who Controls the Truth?

Most would agree that the days we are living are strange and getting stranger. Our republic is suffering from deep fissures and few agree on the most pressing issues, forget about a pathway to unity and healing. One thing is clear, we cannot fix ourselves and without real solutions soon, our country is no longer guaranteed a bright and stable future. 

Today let's examine a couple of issues that are facing our nation and impacting almost everyone on a daily basis.

This news came out of Washington D.C. this week. President Biden accused social media companies of "killing people' by allowing misinformation to be spread on their sites. (He was speaking in regard to Covid-19 information, which in his opinion, was spreading false information throughout the Internet)

Now we'll circle back to the phrase, "in his opinion", in a few moments. But for new let's examine the rather predictable reaction from the leaders of these tech companies - "We are doing the best we can" followed by the refrain, "We are not responsible for all the content on our sites."

The problem is they cannot occupy both sides of this issue . . . 

Jerry Granelli

In honor of Jerry Granelli who was the last surviving member of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. He was probably best known for playing drums on the soundtrack A Charlie Brown Christmas. Check out this video of his performance of "Linus and Lucy" in 2014. He died today at the age of 81.

The Shot Heard 'Round The World

Unveiled on April 19, 1875, The Minute Man statue, by sculptor Daniel Chester French, is an American icon and has stood guard over hallowed ground ever since. It is set near the spot where the first colonial militiamen were killed in Concord on that fateful day in 1775.

The seven foot tall bronze statue was cast from old Civil War cannons by the Ames Foundry of Chicopee Massachusetts. The pedestal base measures over seven feet tall and four feet on each side. Inscribed on the front facing is the first stanza of the poem “The Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world."