The Friday Update - Moment of Clarity

— February 28, 2025 —

Happy Friday,

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’“

The Parable of the Prodigal
Luke 15:17

In AA jargon, “coming to our senses” is called “the moment of clarity,” and everything depends upon it. Alas, most of us go through life in some level of denial, unable (or unwilling) to see ourselves clearly. Are you blind to your blind spots? How would you know?

Related: A psychologist who had been in practice for over 40 years was asked to name the most common regret of his clients. Without hesitating, he said “Selfishness. They wonder ‘Why was I not the spouse or parent or friend or contributor or forgiver that I could have been?’”  When asked how many of his patients had come to him asking for help with selfishness, he said, “Zero. The problem most people regret is the problem most people are least likely to seek help for.”

No Longer Wayne’s World: Yesterday’s leadership gurus quoted Gretzky’s admonition to skate to where the puck is going to be. I don’t see the Great One cited much anymore. I think that’s because there are 14 pucks on the ice, a fog machine reducing visibility to 6" and we’re not always sure who’s on our team. FWIW, I do continue to hear Mike Tyson’s leadership insights: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Trending: Post-modern. Post-pandemic. Post-truth. Post-liberal. Post-Christian. Post-national. Post-Cold-War. Post-New Atheism. You’ve likely noticed the spike in postings of post. I was fine with it until I saw post-post-modernism and realized someone needs to cry foul before we get to post-post-post-modernism.

Silicon Valley Does Oxford: While at Oxford last week: 1) I learned that Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle) has purchased The Eagle and Child – the pub where C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and “The Inklings” met to discuss drafts of The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc.; and 2) Peter Thiel – the Silicon Valley billionaire who stays in the news for all manner of reasons – gave an Oxford Union address on The Apocalypse. (From what I gather, while he’s worried that tech-run-amok will launch the end, he’s more worried that it will launch the Antichrist (some version of government overreach to stop it)). 

Another One Bites The Dust: Earlier this month another public figure stepped over the line. Larry Sanger – the co-founder of Wikipedia – published a 17K word essay (i.e., nearly book length) on his move from skepticism to Christ-follower. The list of prominent / thoughtful / highly-educated people moving towards Jesus should not surprise me, but it does. Aslan is on the move.

Screen Free: Back in the ‘80s – before it was cool – I worked with friends to try to launch a Classical Christian high school. We failed rather spectacularly but it all came flooding back this week when I spoke to someone who works in one of Oxford’s only “fully screen free” schools. (Among other things, parents must pledge that no student will get a phone before they turn 13.)

Without Comment: 1) This CDC report claims teen smoking is down from 8.3% in 2016 to 1.4% today – a 25 year low; 2) Ryan Burge’s report notes that people are not just walking away from faith (and/or the church), they are walking away from everything. (If Putnam was releasing Bowling Alone today, it would be Bowling, Tweeting, Netflixing and Everything Else Alone); 3) Per Moody’s, while many Americans are pinching pennies, those making $250K+ – i.e., the top 10% – now account for 49.7% of all spending, a record since ’89.

I’ll Be Back: As previously announced, I am taking the month of March off but will pick back up in April. Expect a few changes. As the subscriber list has grown, I’ve started to incur some expenses. I plan to move the Update over to the Lakelight Institute and make some appeals for funding.

Closing Prayer: God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self-pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God, inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day, and show me my next step. God, give me what I need to take care of any problems. I ask these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow human beings. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. (Adapted from Recovery Prayers, the book, Alcohol Anonymous, p. 86.)

P.S. If you know someone who would enjoy The Friday Update, please pass it along. The referral system is down right now, but I’d still appreciate it if you spread the word.