The Friday Update - Kindness

Happy Friday,

It’s both World Kindness Day and Friday the 13th. I trust you’ll focus on the former. I also hope you’re aware that chrēstos—the Greek word translated kind in Ephesians 4—is less a mood than an act. 

Grace

When given a choice between getting what we deserve (justice), not getting what we deserve (mercy) or getting what we do not deserve (grace), we want grace. But accepting it is not as easy as it sounds. What we really want is to be in control of our future and indebted to no one.

Walls

The Berlin Wall fell 37 years ago this week. Given that it only stood for 28 years, we should note that walls are rarely as permanent as they appear.

Two Weeks To Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. If you start a gratitude list today—and add one line per day until Nov. 26—you'll have 14 items to celebrate. And you will feel far more thankful. That said, feeling grateful is not the goal. Expressing thanks is. Be express away this T-day. If you need inspiration toward that end, listen to this song by the Gettys.

Without Comment

1) As of October 14, the 119th Congress had enacted 121 laws—the second fewest in 40 years. The fewest? The 118th, with 106.

2) One in five U.S. adults reported getting food from a food bank or pantry in the preceding year, and 44% reported difficulty affording at least one basic necessity.

3) The Calorie Control Council estimates that Thanksgiving dinner, plus snacks and drinks, can total 4,500 calories.

4) The College Sports Commission recently announced that athletes received nearly $1.8B in revenue-sharing payments during the ‘25-26 academic year.

5) Of the 29 Apollo astronauts, 22 were first-borns.

6) The Chamber of Commerce labeled Washington D.C. the loneliest city in the U.S., with 46% of households having only a single resident. 

7) At least 23% of Americans between 18 and 34 were running their own businesses or side hustles last year, up from 19% in 2021, according to Babson College. That number has doubled over the last decade.

WOTW

Honorable mentions go to kidults (adults who like kids’ toys) and de-consecrate (a term much in use following a report suggesting that 100,000 U.S. church buildings are going to be repurposed over the next decade – i.e., deconsecrated). Full honors go to slow dopamine, shorthand for the satisfaction that comes from activities requiring patience and effort — e.g., reading a book, learning an instrument or growing a garden. Apparently, some good things still refuse to arrive overnight.

WOTY

This is your last chance to submit your nominations for the 2026 Word of the Year.

Trending

Christians outside Anglicanism are (re)turning to Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer — finding that “the liturgy works whether you have the energy for it or not.”

Logo

Which logo is most valuable? According to Brand Finance’s ’26 rankings, Apple’s bitten apple wins overall, with Toyota’s overlapping ovals leading in automobiles, and McDonald’s golden arches leading in restaurants. All of that aside—and with a nod to those who argue that the most valuable brand we manage is our name—I’m going with the cross. For all the church’s missteps, the cross unites people across continents, cultures and centuries. More remarkably, though an instrument of execution, it has become a sign of hope.

Quotes Worth Requoting

1) “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway

2) “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” — Dorothy Day

3) “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” — Seneca

4) “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” — Flannery O'Connor

Garage Sale

These two words help illustrate the challenge of Bible translation. You know that garage sales are not the sale of garages, but someone 2,000 years from now might not.

Overheard

1) If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

2) Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.

3) I’d like to ask God why he allows poverty and injustice when he could do something about it. But I’m afraid he’ll ask me the same question.

Resources

Click here to hear my sermon on Isaiah 53—one of the richest and most important chapters in a rich and important book. Click here to hear my interview with Collin Hansen, the VP of The Gospel Coalition.

Closing Prayer

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Amen.” (Attributed to Francis of Assisi - 1181-1226) 

P.S.

 If TFU has become part of your Friday rhythm—and you’d like to help us out—then send it to a friend. Preferably one who reads. But we’re trying to be hospitable.