What’s happening in politics right now?
The NFL Asks Players to Stand – If you read Fox (here) the NFL is backing down before Trump. If you read CNN (here) they minimize the letter sent by the commissioner’s office. The reality is the original message has been lost anyways. Few stories on this topic even discuss the original purpose of kneeling, it has become a question of rights and respect. I’m a fairly big supporter of rights, particularly when the expression is non-violent. That includes a private business’s rights as well though. At this point a lot of rights are being pitted against one another. Players’ rights to free speech, owners’ rights to run their businesses as they see fit, viewers’ rights to stop watching when they disagree, and respect of veterans and others who have defended or served our nation.
There is a lot of complexity in this issue. The one thing I can guarantee you will make an impact is your right to stop watching. I’m not going to weigh in on the owners’ rights verses the players’ rights, partly because I do not know what powers the contracts between the players and the owners give each party. And I’m not sure that I believe any of the owner committed enough to a course of action to let it affect the bottom line. But I am a big supporter of the people expressing their approval or disapproval through non-violent protests like turning the TV off or to a different channel.
A Fractured World – The world is more divided than it has been in a long time. Consider recent political events around the world: Brexit (here), the election and opposition of President Trump, the Catalan vote to secede from Spain (here), the creation of South Sudan (here), and the move to create a Kurdish state separate from Iraq (here) are just a handful of examples of this division. We live in a broken time. One of the interesting things about periods like this historically, is an incredible growth of the church. In times of trouble, people are looking for hope. If we do not give it to them, they will find it somewhere else. Find ways of getting involved in taking the gospel around the world. Check out the IMB or the NAMB to find ways you can help take the gospel to all corners of the world and our nation.
Devotional Thought – Mark 4:31 compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. It is such a tiny seed, and yet from it comes a plant large enough for birds to nest in its branches. From such a small seed comes a great plant. The Kingdom of God is capable of incredible growth even from a small seed. Please prayerfully consider how you can participate in the planting of seeds around the world and teach your family how to engage with the church around the world.
John-David M. Culbertson 