February 26, 2025

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

The True

Perfectly Imperfect

“But you have given us one another in all shapes and sizes. We do not fit together all that well, but we pray the puzzles of our lives may please you and entertain you, so that in the end we add up to be your kingdom.” – Stanley Hauerwas

We are an unusual lot, we humans. Perhaps even more to the point, we are an unusual lot, we Jesus followers.

For starters, our stated devotion and desire is to lead lives that are ultimately given over to something—someONE—not our own. If it were just that, it would be enough to earn you and me the moniker of 1 Peter 2:9: We are a peculiar people. By the way, that is a compliment! God has chosen to set you apart. He has made you different and distinct. He has done so not to isolate or alienate you—far from it! He has done so that you might be deemed worthy—under the covering provided by His son—to be called His child. Your peculiarity is an ultimate elevation of your worth rather than the socially pungent peculiarity that might first come to your mind.

Even so, peculiar is peculiar, and it comes with its challenges!

But it is not just that you and I are peculiar. It is that we are tasked—yes, even commanded (see Mk. 12:30-31)—with giving ourselves for each other. In one breath, God commands you to love Him with all of you, and in the next breath, He commands you—a peculiar person—to prioritize and love the peculiar people around you.

It would be challenging enough to be tasked with being peculiar. But how are you to manage this layer? How are you to faithfully steward and shoulder this command to fit together with fellow Jesus followers when it is very clear the fit is far less than perfect? How is that even possible?

The simple-yet-confounding answer is plainly given in John 15:12-14: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

In other words, “I know the fit is imperfect, but do it anyway, because I did it for you, and in doing it for others you will know more of me!”

My friend, you have rough edges. So do I. We don’t fit together all that well. In fact, it is not uncommon for us to annoy and aggravate each other. But Jesus gave his very life for our imperfect and peculiar beings. It was a free gift of mercy and salvation, but it is also an invitation for you and me to follow His example. We, too, are to lay down our lives for each other. We do it not because it comes naturally or fits perfectly, but rather because it is what Jesus did and what He has asked of us.

The fit is far from perfect. And yet, it is perfectly imperfect. There is no greater love, and it is yours today.

U.S.

To Respond or Not to Respond

Federal employees are in a bit of a bind as a result of mixed messages from their chain of command. Over the weekend, employees of agencies across the federal government were instructed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to report by email what they had accomplished last week, or else be terminated. However, employees in many agencies were then instructed by their agency chain of command to refrain from responding (FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard directly instructed employees of their respective agencies to await further direction). Musk responded that while employees would be given another chance, failure to respond to a second request would indeed result in termination.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The clash between DOGE and newly confirmed cabinet officials comes against the backdrop of widespread layoffs across the Federal Government. While most of the layoffs to this point have been intentional reductions in programs and personnel, the current tactic is producing uncertainty for employees across all levels at every agency.

You may or may not be a federal employee, but as a Jesus follower, you are quite likely to face situations that present a somewhat similar challenge in your life. While scripture clearly instructs us to honor (and even pray for) the authorities over us (1 Tim. 2:1-2), it is just as clear that our ultimate allegiance must be only to the one true God (Deut. 6:13).

You live in a world where these two authority structures are bound to come into conflict from time to time. You are to make every effort to honor earthly authority when those moments come, and to be at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18). But if the conflict in commands from the authority structures remain, so too must your prioritization of God’s ultimate authority.

It is perhaps less straightforward for federal employees this week. We as The Equipped community should pray for wisdom for those employees who seek to honor the authorities placed over them. We should pray also that those who are exercising that authority would do so wisely and in a fashion that guides rather than frustrates those within their charge (Pr. 11:14).

U.S.

Dueling Budgets

There may be a GOP trifecta in Washington, DC, but that hasn’t prevented the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from producing dueling budgets. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its budget resolution by a vote of 52-48, and the U.S. House passed its version on Tuesday by a vote of 217-215. While both chambers are using a legislative tool known as “budget reconciliation instructions” to advance their priorities, the U.S. Senate has chosen to focus first on immigration, border security, and defense priorities while the U.S. House advanced a larger across-the-board approach. For either approach to achieve a legislative result, the two chambers will need to reconcile their differences to move forward.

Analysis and eternal perspective: We have been expecting and preparing for this situation. While there is currently one-party control in Washington, DC, that does not mean there is agreement on substance or even strategy. Far from it. In recent days, both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have been posturing for the upper hand tactically. Speaker Johnson’s preferred approach received a major boost when President Donald Trump expressed his preference for the “one big, beautiful bill” advanced by the U.S. House. Even so, it remains to be seen which approach—if either—will carry the day.

This story is part substance and part palace intrigue. As we’ve often discussed, we are instructed to be good stewards of all that is entrusted to us (Lk. 9:10). If you are an American citizen, that certainly includes how our self-governed system levies its tax-and-spend authority, and there is ample room for personal opinion on the best way to carry out that responsibility. Even so, much of the current debate is political posturing and palace intrigue. As you thoughtfully and faithfully participate in the civic process—including the expression of your informed opinion—do so with an aim to impact the substance rather than the prevailing drama.

Finally, there are many more twists and turns ahead on this legislative road. Stay expectant of them so as not to be dismayed when they inevitably arrive.

World

German Elections

Germany has a new presumptive Chancellor and the prospect of a new coalition government after German voters went to the polls and awarded the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party more than 28% of the seats in parliament. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured a little more than 20% of parliament, followed by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) with 16%, The Greens party with 12%, and The Left party with 9%. CDU leader Friedrich Merz is now working to negotiate a coalition government agreement to accomplish a function majority in parliament.

Analysis and eternal perspective: National elections are highly visible moments that reflect societal change. Depending on the governing system, they are often trailing indicators of changes in the culture. As a Jesus follower, you should both, a) understand and acknowledge that electoral control is not your ultimate goal, and b) be keenly aware of the significant impact governments of men can have on the here and now.

This is one of the regular tensions we work to balance together as The Equipped family. We are citizens of heaven, and our ultimate devotion is to that Kingdom (Phillip. 3:20). At the same time, we are clearly charged as ambassadors for Jesus and specifically appointed with duties in the earthly realm (2 Cor. 5:20). As you hold these duties together, you should not be overly consumed by the things of this world, but you should give of yourself for those living in it. It is not always an easy thing to ascertain, much less carry out.

The governments of this world—both in your country and beyond—will come and go. But the Kingdom of your God is forever, and your place in this world is intended as a means through which others can be introduced to the everlasting Kingdom!

The Beautiful

Proximity to Variety

“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:17).

Many fruit trees benefit from, or even require, cross-pollination. They need proximity to variety in order to produce the best fruit! When you have an imperfect perfect encounter with a peculiar person this week, remember, you are peculiar too . . . in a perfectly beautiful way!