The Friday Update - Universal Basic Capital

Happy Friday,

We must think rightly about the devil—i.e., he who is caricatured as a clown, dismissed as a myth and feared as a tempter. This means understanding he’ll try every which way to upend us, and that his accusations will be relentless. To that end, we must remember that the voice telling us not to go to God because we've screwed up is not God's voice. And we must also remember that our Adversary will one day be silenced. He has an expiration date.

The Swift Wedding

I was out of town last Friday. Your favorite news publication has already reached out to most of my friends and family seeking to know my whereabouts but they did not know where I was either. So I'll let you play Sherlock Holmes on this one. I'll also add that making your wedding a public spectacle is fine, insofar as you're as prepared for the marriage as you are for the wedding.

Without Comment

1) In 1970, only 7% of college freshmen had a high-school GPA of 4.0 or above; today it’s 40%.

2) The US death rate fell to a record low in ‘25.

3) Two hundred years ago, the chance of being born into poverty was 50%. Today it’s 9%.

4) If you sit near a high performer at work, your performance is likely to rise by 15%. If you sit next to a low performer it’s likely to drop by 30%, according to Kellogg’s research.

5) Per this study, even after controlling for beliefs, religiosity, family background, values and personality, a person’s likelihood of divorce is directly linked to the number of premarital sexual partners they had.

6) In ‘25, Romantasy (romance + fantasy) was the top selling genre. 

A Question

The Israelites needed 40 years to trudge through the desert. It took Joshua 7+ to win the promised Land. What are you doing today that will bear fruit 7 and even 40 years down the road?

WOTW

Honorable mention goes to Universal Basic Capital (the idea—endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Gavin Newsom, Steve Bannon, Sam Altman, and Donald Trump—of providing all US citizens with an ownership stake in AI companies), and psephobia (the fear of elections). Full honors go to chronocentrism (those who believe their moment in history is the most significant, and that lessons from the past have no value). BTW, I received nominees for a number of words that have fallen out of favor, e.g., granular, smitten, lackadaisical, puny, pugnacious, perfunctory, lumbago, repast and information super highway.

Quotes Worth Requoting

1) “No one is impressed with your possessions as much as you are. You might think you want a fancy car or a nice watch. But what you probably want is respect and admiration. And you’re more likely to gain those through kindness and humility than horsepower and chrome.” — Morgan Housel

2) “For love is that liquor so sweet and Divine, that God felt as blood, but we taste as wine.” — George Herbert

3) “There was once such a thing as Western civilization; but the fact is, it’s more or less behind us now... Deep down we all know it, even if it’s hard to admit: the game is up.”— Michel Houellebecq

Five Sayings for Children

5) “I am proud of you” 4) “I believe in you” 3) “I love you” 2) “Thank you” and 1) “We.”

Overheard

1) We speak of the American “experiment” as if the outcome is uncertain. That’s because it is.

2) Disclosure leads to disclosure.

3) Real friends can be inconvenient and take a lot of time. AI friends will not, which suggest that some will opt for the latter, and grow even more self-centered. 

4) Nearly 99% of people with Downs Syndrome report being happy with their lives.

VVV?

Who’s winning the Virtue vs. Vice tussle in the US? Well, we spend hundreds of billions every year on our appetites – $400B on alcohol; $72B on legal gambling (casinos, sports betting and iGaming); $30B on legal Marijuana sales and while it’s really hard to get consistent numbers on porn, a conservative estimate is $10B. That’s about $500B on vice. But last year, we gave away nearly $600 billion to charity, contributed 5 billion volunteer hours, and had 170 million people willing to donate their organs after death. The numbers suggest that vice is lucrative, but virtue is resilient. We remain capable of both extraordinary selfishness and extraordinary generosity.

Closing Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, we are so thankful you said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We are so thankful for the ease with which you walked upon the earth, the generosity and kindness you showed to people, the devotion with which you cared for those who were out of the way and in trouble, the extent to which you even loved your enemies and laid down your life for them. We believe this is a life for us, a life without lack… the sufficiency of your Father… the fullness of life… poured through you… You have promised [to give us] that same love, that same life, that same joy, that same power… Lord, slip up on us today. Get past our defenses, our worries, our concerns. Gently open our souls, and speak your Word into us. We believe you want to do it, and we wait for you to do it now. In your name, Amen.” (Dallas Willard - 1935–2013)

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.