May 14, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Dora and all the Moms

She went a little farther each time. First, it was simply tunneling out of the enclosure around her rabbit hutch and quickly returning. Then it was a wider and longer exploration of the farm. Then it was regular visits to the neighbors a quarter mile away. Finally, a sighting at the neighbors a mile down the road. Each excursion seemed to embolden her and validate her name (Dora), as well as the reason our beloved Hope had chosen her name—Dora likes to explore!

As we celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, the rabbit Dora’s ever-widening adventures were an appropriate illustration. There were many moms to honor in our world, and as our family took time to remember each one, I couldn’t help but think about the common theme—each of these moms was constantly helping those in her charge navigate new terrain.

The mom of the newborn was sustaining life in nearly every way.

The mom of the toddler was safeguarding life at every moment.

The mom of schoolchildren was stewarding the rapid expansion of knowledge.

The mom of teenagers was balancing ever-increasing capacity and exposure to threats.

The mom of adult children was counseling and supporting as her children encountered new challenges in new ways.

The spiritual mom was helping spiritual children draw closer to the living God in the form of a heavenly Father.

The biological mom was sacrificing for her child, and the adoptive mom was making the mirrored and partnered sacrifice.

The act of mothering is one of the most multi-faceted things imaginable. It looks like a million different things on any given day. It requires constantly recalibrating as those within your charge venture a little farther each time into the world around them. There is never an arrival, but instead a constant task of determining the best way to explore the next layer.

It is tasking. It is demanding. At its very core, it is a commitment to sacrifice rooted in great love.

It is also why a mother’s children—be they biological, adoptive, or spiritual—“arise and call her blessed” (Pr. 31:28).

So this week, if you are mother, we honor you. We acknowledge that your work is constantly evolving, and so often goes unseen and unacknowledged. Yet it is essential. It is foundational for our ability to expand our horizons.

For each of us, take a moment to think of “all the moms” in your life. Certainly your biological mom who loved you enough to give her very being to you for nine months! But also those who mother you in other ways, guiding you both physically and spiritually as you navigate just a little farther than you’ve been before.

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, a thing of breathtaking beauty.

Who are all the moms in your world? Who is helping you explore just a little farther? Reach out and acknowledge her today!

World

Trade Deals and Ceasefires

Deals are being struck between countries all around the world. The question now is which ones will last.

- India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire after weeks of escalated fighting along the border region of the two countries, but the truce appeared immediately fragile and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it simply a “pause” in the fighting.

- The U.S. and the UK struck a deal scaling back a significant portion of the tariffs in place between the two countries. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the deal as an economic win for their respective countries.

- The U.S. and China announced a 90-day “pause” in what has been a rapidly escalating trade dispute. The centerpiece of the temporary agreement leaves in place a 30% (down from 145%) tariff on most Chinese goods imported into the U.S. and a 10% (down from 125%) tariff on U.S. goods imported into China.

Analysis and eternal perspective: It is hard to keep up. News of both economic and military dealmaking is perhaps only exceeded by news of newly forming economic or military disputes. It can be next to impossible to determine which announcements will stand the test of time, not to mention evaluate the underlying merits of each announcement.

Even so, we as Jesus followers can be confident in continuing to pursue peace (Ps. 34:14) in a temporary world where there will always be strife and conflict until the day Jesus returns to set all things right (Jn. 16:33).

The furious pace—not to mention the up and down nature of the details—of negotiations and dealmaking between world leaders is a lot to take in. But no deal, war, or rumor of war changes your primary mission of taking the Gospel into all the world (Matt. 28:16-20)!

World

Freed

The last living American hostage, Edan Alexander, has been released by Hamas. Edan Alexander was just 19 years old when he was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and he spent 583 days as a hostage before being freed in what Hamas described as a “goodwill gesture” in advance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the region.

Of the 251 people taken hostage more than two-and-a-half years ago, 58—including both living and deceased—remain in captivity. While there are no more living American hostages, Hamas has not released the bodies of four Americans believed to have died in captivity.

Analysis and eternal perspective: “We were like those who dreamed” (Ps. 126:1). It is the first thing that comes to mind every time I hear news of a hostage release or see footage of a family reunification. Psalm 126 is just six short verses, but it is packed full of the rejoicing that occurred when “the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion.”

This is not just some ancient promise, or even only a truth about modern day family reunifications (though it is both of those things). It is also a powerful reminder of how God turns your tears into joy. It is easy and tempting to rush past grieving in pursuit of joy. But true joy is so often found on the other side of long suffering. It occurs in the very place of pain. It is discovered and embraced not in the absence of tears, but rather intermingled with them and in their aftermath.

Take a moment this week to watch this beautiful depiction of Psalm 126.

World

A New Pope

A new Pope has been selected, and for the first time in history it is an American. Robert Prevost, originally from Chicago, Illinois, is now Pope Leo XIV, after a conclave of cardinals selected him to succeed Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo’s first address was delivered from historic St. Peter’s Basilica.

Analysis and eternal perspective: It is an astonishing and exhilarating—while at the same time sobering—thing for any of us to be called into service of the King. And yet, that is precisely what God is doing. He has called you by name (Is 43:1) and chosen you from out of your corner of the world and into His service (Is 41:9).

The selection of a Pope makes headline news, but scripture is full of examples of God choosing the lowly to accomplish His purposes. He desires your devotion and your obedience (Hos. 6:6; 1 Sam. 15:22), and you can trust Him to use your surrender for His glory.

As the new Pope begins a highly visible task of leading the Catholic Church, let’s each of us seek the face of God about our assignment. What is it that God asks of you today? Ask Him, and commit to obeying when He responds.

The Beautiful

No Words Required

Food and flowers both announce their presence with an inviting fragrance. They draw you—and sometimes a winged visitor or two—in with the essence of what they are. In the same way, your proximity to Jesus builds in you an essence that is experienced by those who come into proximity of you. Jesus in you draws and attracts those who are loved by Him. Often, no words are required—it is enough to simply have been with Jesus. May your life be a pleasing aroma to God, and may it draw others into His presence!

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God” (2 Cor 2:15-17).