Stream Splashes: August 26–September 1 in Review
Every week, The Stream rounds up some highlights from the recent news. We call these our “splashes”: everything from insightful commentary on the week’s big events to small inspiring stories you may have missed.
Say that, five years back, I’d seen an article describing everything currently going on in the Catholic Church. I would have been pretty darned skeptical. Heck, as a Catholic, I might even have gotten offended. “Them’s fightin’ words, Mr. Jack Chick,” I would have said.
But the past five years have adjusted my expectations. So when a distinguished Catholic diplomat, the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, released an anguished letter confirming all that he’s seen happening, my reaction was different.
Have you ever said, “Things shouldn’t be this way!”? Sure you have; we all do. It’s an easy thing for believers in God to say, but not so much for others.
I’ve been thinking about this since a doctor’s visit this morning, where I found out I might have a torn tendon in my right foot. I’ve got more diagnostic work coming, so I don’t have the whole story yet. Already, though, I’ve been thinking, “Things just shouldn’t be this way.”
We say that kind of thing all the time. But why do we say it, and what makes a statement like that true?
The overhanging rock about ten feet above the ground seemed a perfect spot for a bear hang to protect our food in the mountains. So I climbed up and suspended the bag over the rock. Unfortunately, as I adjusted the rope, I slipped and fell. The landing dislocated my knee. Bad enough, but in the intense pain, I didn’t notice that when I fell over, a sharp stick pierced my back and lung.
This and other assorted problems were part of Wilderness First Responder training.
Dear married couples,
The world tells us marriage doesn’t work. People like me in our twenties see marriages that seem to prove it. Even as a Christian, I have found myself thinking negatively about being committed to someone for life.
Is marriage worth it? Will we find joy and fulfillment in it? Or will we end up disillusioned and alone?
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