July 30, 2025

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

The True

Ryno

I met my childhood hero at the White House many years ago. No, it wasn’t the President; It was Ryno.

“Ryno” is Ryne Sandberg. He was the second baseman for the Chicago Cubs when I was a kid, and he was the player my dad and my coaches told me to emulate. He played terrific defense (unlike most great players, his statue at Wrigley Field is of him playing defense rather than hitting), hit for a high average (with some power), and was a steady presence for his teammates. I spent countless hours as a kid pretending to be Ryno and working to play like him.

Ryno would eventually become a Hall of Famer, and I was so excited to meet him. Brooke—who was pregnant with our first child, Jude—and I made our way through the formal receiving line, which included President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. I was admittedly distracted, though, because I saw Ryno was there, and I was desperate to meet him. I don’t normally collect autographs, but I most certainly got Ryno’s that day! It was a full circle moment for me—a chance to interact briefly with my childhood hero.

Ryno died this week. He was 65 years old and passed after a long battle with cancer. It feels like a strangely personal loss even though I only met him once, and very briefly at that. Ryno was not a friend, and yet his passing leaves me sad.

I think the reason is wrapped up in this inescapable truth: Even childhood heroes die.

It is a truth intertwined with one you and I have grappled with many times: We live now in temporary vessels but will live for eternity once those vessels are no more.

Perhaps you can relate, but I have at times felt invincible (at other times, I have felt very much the opposite—exceedingly fragile). But as a kid, some people seemed perpetually invincible. Ryno was at the top of that list for me, but someone else very likely comes to your mind. Someone who seemed larger than life, and whose reality seemed transcendent to you.

But the truth is this: Everyone has a coming appointment with physical death (Heb. 9:27). Hero or not, each of us will die. Your physical body will one day give out, and only your eternal being will remain. I confess much of this is beyond my finite mind, and yet it is the foundation of my greatest reason for hope, because my eternity has nothing to do with my fragile and failing body, and everything to do with the One who created me and called me his own!

So this week, let’s together reflect on what will matter into eternity. Because even childhood heroes die. You and I will one day stand before our Creator. What a glorious day that will be when, because of your belief and faith in Jesus, you will hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21, 23)!

World

Starvation

Gazans are dying by starvation. That is the conclusion drawn by most of the world, including U.N. officials and U.S. President Donald Trump, this week. While the death toll directly from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has grown, so too has the number of civilian deaths from starvation and malnourishment.

There have been a variety of efforts made to provide sufficient food to the region (including efforts led by the U.N and other foreign coalitions), but they have each faced intense difficulty delivering the food in a manner safe to the Gazans needing it and not disrupted by the ongoing war or Hamas efforts to divert it. President Trump says the U.S. and Europe will now work to build food centers to address the crisis and implored the Israeli government to fully cooperate with the efforts.

Analysis and eternal perspective: War is so very ugly. It is an inescapable reality we’ve acknowledged since the beginning of this war when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. The tolls of war go far beyond the loss of life directly related to combat, and include the devastation of civilians being displaced from homes and cut off from methods of survival. These realities are now on full display in the region.

As we continue to apply the biblical framework through which we’ve been interacting with this story, it is clear all four points are implicated in it:

1) The Jewish people continue to be persecuted

2) Gazans made in God’s image are suffering

3) Earthly governing authorities—including both Israel and Hamas—have a role to play in addressing the crisis

4) The voice and action of other world powers is of significant consequence

There is no easy solution here. That is the hard truth. Gazans are starving—an inhumane reality that must be addressed. Hamas continues its mission to eradicate Israel (including by continuing to hold hostages) and it must not be tolerated or excused.

You, as a Jesus follower, are called to the messy place of acknowledging both these truths as you persistently pursue and pray for a true and lasting peace (Ps. 34:14). As you endeavor to faithfully apply these principles to your heart and mind, pray for those who are starving and that all in the region might soon know safety from both those who would kill out of hatred and the threat of starvation.

U.S.

The Epstein Saga

Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019, but the tawdry details of his life—and the circumstances surrounding his death—continue to dominate the headlines. In brief:

- Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when officials say he committed suicide in his cell. This official position was recently reiterated by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

- The DOJ also recently interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.

- The DOJ is also denying the existence of a “client list,” though dozens of high-profile politicians—both current and former, Republican and Democrat—have known ties to Epstein.

- There is bipartisan fervor for the release of additional information in the case, but the U.S. House adjourned early for its August recess to avoid being forced to take official action in the matter.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The above is a woefully incomplete recap of this tragic (and evil) story. While plenty of the details of the decades-long saga—and those involved—remain murky, we do know this: Scores of precious Image bearers were trafficked and abused by Epstein, Maxwell, and those who “associated” with them.

Our biblical admonition for a story like this includes clear guidance to both defend the oppressed and hold the offender accountable:

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Is. 1:17).

This is one of those stories that could easily overwhelm you, because there are so many layers you cannot fully unravel or impact. But there are so many straight-forward takeaways from this one verse we so often quote you can apply to your life today:

- Commit to growing in a habit of upright living

- Come to the aid of those who are victimized

- Advocate for accountability regardless of power or prestige

- Protect—as a father or mother—your children

- Protect—as though a father or mother—those without a father or mother

The tangled web of this story will not be quickly unraveled. But your impact on behalf of the vulnerable can begin immediately. Walk upright. Defend those vulnerable to oppression. Desire and pursue equal justice.

World

More Trade Deals

The White House has announced new trade deals with both the European Union and Japan. Both deals set a base tariff rate of 15% for most goods exported into the U.S. Each deal contains additional economic agreements for specific sectors (for example, Japan is committing to purchase 100 commercial aircraft built by the U.S. company Boeing). As with any “trade deal,” implementation will be far more complicated than the negotiation or announcement of the framework (EU member countries are already objecting). World economic markets had a mixed reaction, with the Euro declining but Japanese automakers surging in the wake of the announcements.

Analysis and eternal perspective: This is yet another story with many twists and turns—both behind us and most certainly in the days ahead. Economic observers will continue to hold and assert a wide variety of opinions about the impact of tariffs, trade deals, and related economic agreements. It will be difficult for you to accurately decipher the impact on your family’s economic wellbeing.

But you can know this: Your family’s eternal wellbeing is not impacted by the economic winds of this temporal world! While God's Word is very clear that you should plan wisely and steward your resources well (Pr. 6:6-8), it is equally clear that much in this world is volatile and fleeting (1 Jn. 2:17), and that you should set your eyes firmly on the eternal world (Col. 3:2).

The beauty of this approach is that it lifts the burden of worry and stress from you, and in fact allows you to be a beacon of hope for those around you. The economic winds will at times blow in your favor, and in others they will be a stiff headwind. But if your hope is in the eternal, you can chart a steady course in all conditions!

The Beautiful

Worn Pages

What beauty there is in being the hands and feet of Jesus! In fact, Romans 10:15 declares even the feet of the faithful messenger as beautiful: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

It is a beauty derived not from its blemish-free nature, but rather one marked by the wear and tear of a life devoted to sharing the Good News.

This week’s image is of the Bible Mimi (Brooke’s mom) used for many decades. It is the opposite of pristine. It is heavily used, beat up, and worn out. That makes it so much more beautiful than if it were pristine after having been carefully preserved!

My friend, your life is not meant to be preserved. It is meant to be spent. Yes, that spending will leave its toll and its marks…and those marks are what will make it beautiful!

Don’t forget to check out the broadcast version of The Equipped on Faith Radio or wherever you get your podcasts!