January 28, 2026

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

The True

The Peculiar Way

“It clearly isn’t working.”

How often have you heard that—or something like it—from your friends and family in recent days? It is a constant refrain and it comes from every possible worldview and walk of life. It is abundantly clear to almost everybody that there is a tremendous amount of brokenness in our world, and that the current approaches being offered are clearly not working.

But acknowledging the hard reality above and finding the courage to chart a different path are two different things. The first requires humility because it concedes that a previous opinion or belief may have been imperfect. The second, however, requires an entirely different level of surrender, because it involves an embrace of the peculiar. It requires a commitment to a road less travelled, and one routinely mocked.

It is also the approach with the potential to radically change the world if you will choose it.

Consider for a moment how Jesus guided His disciples. The predominant and prevailing cultural postures of the day were to either follow the religious and political leaders or to rail against them. We see this illustrated in Matthew 22:15-22 when Jesus is asked whether His followers should pay the imperial tax. Jesus declines to take the bait (in either direction) and instead points out that His followers are focused on a different Kingdom altogether. He then asserts that Caesar should have what belongs to Caesar and God should have what belongs to God.

It was neither a call to disengage from culture nor a call conquer through the mechanisms of culture.

It was a call to a different—and peculiar—way (1 Pet. 2:9).

You stand at a similar crossroads today. Nearly every story or happening in your world is immediately accompanied by two competing narratives, and each of them are rooted in some truth and an absolute prohibition on giving any quarter whatsoever to any portion of the other narrative. This is the vicious cycle that is clearly not working, and my friend, it is not working because it is not intended to work. The unstated goal of the entrenched and opposing narratives is to perpetually fuel the outrage industry.

Your approach is different, because it is not only intended to work, it also has the power to work! Your approach is not to disengage and it is not to perpetuate the chaos. It is to break through the chaos with the approach Jesus modeled by engaging cultural in a way that aims for eternal impact rather than temporary conquest.

It is a refreshing and life-giving approach, and it contains permission to acknowledge there are often important truths embedded in each of the entrenched and opposing narratives. That is not to say there is always moral equivalence between the two—there often is not! But your aim is something much higher than an edge for your preferred narrative. You are aiming for eternal impact and for Truth to reach souls in a life-saving capacity! Be forewarned: Though this approach is refreshing and life-giving, it is also peculiar. It is an approach that will not be applauded by either of the prevailing narratives of your day.

So remind yourself today, how often have you recently heard, “It clearly isn’t working”?

There is a better way. It is the peculiar way.

U.S.

A Second ICE Shooting in Minnesota

Thirty-seven-year-old Alex Pretti is dead and tensions are as high as ever in Minnesota after a second fatal shooting of a civilian by federal ICE agents in recent weeks. As was the case in the first shooting, the incident was captured on camera from many different angles and perspectives. Pretti, who was legally carrying a concealed weapon, stepped in after a female protestor was pushed by an ICE agent. After a brief scuffle, multiple agents tackled Pretti and took his weapon from his holster before shooting him multiple times.

In the aftermath, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Minesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and also deployed White House Border Czar to Minnesota to take over for U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Commander Gregory Bovino.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Yet again, two diametrically opposite narratives entrenched themselves at the speed of social media. But first, we as Jesus followers pause to pray comfort over the Pretti family, protection over the ICE agents deployed in Minnesota as well as the people of Minnesota, and for a peace that passes all understanding to descend over the entire situation (Philip. 4:7).

As for the narratives, they once again seem wholly incompatible with each other. On the one hand, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and USBP Commander Gregory Bovino described Pretti as the aggressor who was seeking to inflict “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” On the other hand, Pretti’s defenders say he was peacefully and legally exercising his First and Second Amendment rights and was killed in cold blood.

There is essentially no common ground from which to start unless we start from neither of the two prevailing narratives. As we have before, we will defer to the ongoing legal process to sort these narratives out, and we will intentionally put on a different lens altogether and seek to breathe life into a story so consumed by death and destruction.

If the following looks familiar, it is because it is the same biblical framework we used for the shooting in Minnesota just a couple weeks ago. As Jesus followers, our focus should be on the following:

- Both Alex Pretti and the agents involved have souls that are precious to God (Mk. 8:35-36).

- Law enforcement officials are in a place of authority, are to be respected, and carry out a very dangerous duty (Rom. 13:1-7).

- Speech (even unpopular speech and protest) is legally protected by the First Amendment, and carrying a firearm is protected by the Second Amendment and concealed carry laws. Acts of violence are not protected, and the legal process is responsible for dividing the two.

- We are to pray for both those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2) and our enemies (Matt 5:44).

Once again, the framework above will satisfy neither of the prevailing narratives. Perhaps that is because neither narrative is fully representative of the story.

One thing is clear: The current approach is clearly not working.

Let’s you and I model the better way outlined above. It will be peculiar, and it is desperately needed.

U.S.

Winter Storm Fern

More than a dozen states made emergency declarations as Winter Storm Fern pummeled a huge portion of the United States over the weekend. A significant snowstorm was followed by sleet, freezing rain, and frigid temperatures, causing hundreds of thousands to be without power. More than half the U.S. population was impacted by the storm, and many areas remain under freezing temperatures, school closures, and limited mobility.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Check on your neighbors. It is a common refrain during a storm event like this one, and certainly good advice. It is also a biblical imperative.

Jesus, when asked which commandment was the greatest, replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). But Jesus didn’t stop there. He volunteered a second commandment to go hand-in-hand with the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:31).

We talk a lot about this as The Equipped community, but if our hearts are inclined toward God, they are going to be inclined toward our neighbors as well! So if you, like we, are still in the clutches of the ice and snow, lift your eyes and check on your neighbors. In doing so, you will be heeding the two greatest commandments.

Sports

A New Summit

American climber Alex Honnold reached a new summit this week when he climbed the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan without a harness or rope. The climb was live-streamed on Netflix and took a little more than 90 minutes. Honnold said the wind was a complicating factor near the top of his climb, and after a brief selfie from the top spire, he rappelled to a deck near the top where he was greeted by his wife.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The absence of ropes, harnesses, or any other climbing aids adds to both the danger and the intrigue of “free soloing.” One false move can mean disaster, and this reality rightly dissuades nearly everyone from attempting such a feat. While it is obviously an incredibly impressive achievement, it goes without saying that you and I should never even contemplate replicating it.

In a similar fashion, you and I are foolish when we “free solo” in life. This endeavor of following Jesus was never meant to be taken on without the support and encouragement of fellow believers. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to, “Carry each other’s burdens,” and Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us that, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

Burdens in life are meant to be shared. So are significant accomplishments—new summits reached, so to speak. We are to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Rom. 12:15).

So as you consider the skyscrapers of your life, are you attempting to “free solo?” Or are you intentionally leaning on the support of your fellow Jesus followers? Conversely, to whom are you providing support? Too often, we think of following Jesus as an individual endeavor. It is not. Scripture is clear that each person must individually yield (Rom. 10:9), but we are meant to walk—and climb—together!

The Beautiful

Through the Storm

Your world might be iced over (literally) right now! Storms (both literal and figurative) have a way of clouding and blurring your vision. They are disorienting, disruptive, and often discouraging. But your God has gone before you to prepare His beautiful plan for you.

When God prepared the promised land for His people, He called them through a storm on their way to take possession of the promise. But He didn’t call them to walk alone, or even to walk first. In Deuteronomy 31:8, God’s people were given this promise: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

The Lord Himself! Wow! Do not be afraid, for your God has already walked your path, and He has prepared beauty for you even though your current view is dim!

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