The Weekly, August 5, 2024
Hi all,
Some time ago a friend of mine recalled one of the final conversations he had with Tim Keller. Keller was counseling him and a number of others on a group call about how to position themselves within our age of social tumult, anger, and upheaval. “Be the quiet evangelicals,” was Tim’s counsel.
What Tim meant by that was that if one class of keyboard warriors is marked by a constant, frenetic anger and activity, we can set ourselves apart not by arguing with them, but largely by ignoring them, staying focused on our own constructive work, and modeling better postures of engagement.
That isn’t always an easy posture to take, to be sure. It’s especially complicated if, like me, you make your living producing content for the internet. But when I think about Tim I do find that it gets easier to follow his counsel: That was a man who dedicated himself to his family and his ministry. Yes, he worked hard. Yes, he sometimes had to comment on the affairs of the day. But anyone who knew him or even simply read several of his books, would know that Tim’s great project was exulting in the riches of God’s mercy and commending that mercy to others, made possible through the person and work of Jesus.
So, a word of counsel after what was, even by evangelical Twitter’s very low standards, a very ugly week: Be a quiet Christian. Christian writers have been making a name for themselves through amoral, self-glorifying provocation forever. Don’t give them any more of your attention than their behavior merits. Instead, attend to the permanent things, exult in God’s mercy toward you, a sinner, and resolve to give your life to things worth giving your life to.
Books
Well, I finished Tinker, Tailor. What a book. I’m excited for my next Le Carre novel now. Between a personal retreat with friends the last week in July and my wife going on a retreat with a group of mom’s from our homeschool coop, my time for reading has been somewhat limited. More next week, I hope.
Articles
Katherine Johnson Martinko on modern luddites
Phil Klay on life in the age of proxy-nationalism
Elias Crim on Trumpism as grief culture
James Wood on Christian institutionalism
By the way, I have a number of pieces coming from outlets other than Mere O. In Comment I’ll soon have an essay on Tolkien, history, and the Long Defeat. Yesterday in the Dispatch I had a piece on the transformation of the post-liberal discourse. Finally, I’ll soon have an essay in a volume from the Davenant Press on That Hideous Strength. There may be a few other pieces coming soon as well. We’ll see.
Elsewhere
Simple drink but it absolutely hits on hot summer days: Soda bitters. Get some soda water, add a liberal dose of your preferred cocktail bitters, and you’re good to go. My preferred route the past week has been to use the Fee Brothers cherry bitters, which also has some really nice almond notes to pair with the cherry.
Thanks for reading!
Under the Mercy,
~Jake