Good literature helps us enter the world of others and see life through their eyes in ways that are otherwise impossible. Literature humanizes us and the Other.

It feels so frail and futile given what is happening in the Middle East right now, but let’s share some of the best literature written by the voices of those who have lived in or are living lives marked by this long history of hatred and violence. This list is very intriguing:

fivebooks.com/best-books/isr…

I will never, ever understand complementarian men who are weak or silent in the face of proven sexual abuse, misogyny, and disrespect toward women (qua women). I will never understand those of you promoting and praising someone whose feed is filled with vile sexual innuendo (about me and God knows who else).

Two years ago today, spring break had just started.

I was supposed to be on the other side of the country giving a keynote talk at the Conference of Christianity and Literature.

I had planned to go see the new film version of Emma with @ChristineCaine during that trip.

1/ Instead, I would stay home.

@FFWgr had been the first event to be “postponed” earlier. I would have seen so many old (and new) dear friends there.

I already knew that 2020 would be my last year at Liberty U.

I didn’t know I’d never go back, never say goodbye in person.

2/

French Nocturne (Monchy-Le-Preux)

by C. S. Lewis

Long leagues on either hand the trenches spread

And all is still; now even this gross line

Drinks in the frosty silences divine

The pale, green moon is riding overhead.

1/5 The jaws of a sacked village, stark and grim;

Out on the ridge have swallowed up the sun,

And in one angry streak his blood has run

To left and right along the horizon dim.

2/5

@LauraRbnsn Hoo boy. I am teaching a whole PhD seminar on this this semester …

Let’s see if can boil it down to Twitter-size…

What you call “boomer” is kind of the culmination of all that is “modern,” for one thing. @LauraRbnsn Inasmuch as modernity is based values rooted in on objective, quantifiable knowledge, expertise, rigid categories, progress, improvement (all of which elevates “intelligentsia” or other traditional “elites”), I think we have turned a corner. Some call that post-modern.

A thread on being complementarian and being a woman in public spaces:

For various reasons, I get attacked, criticized, trolled, and even lied fairly often by those who claim to be brothers and sisters in the faith (mainly, but not always, by brothers, by the way).

1/ Some of the reasons for these attacks are likely related to being exactly that: in complementarian spaces and being a woman.

But it’s not reasonable or fair to say it’s only that or even mostly that.

2/

Thoughts on abuse being revealed:

What’s really hard right now—and this is nothing compared to what the real victims have gone through—is all the times I’m remembering over the years where I have seen something and said something—only to be ignored, dismissed, or placated. 1/ And then when the abuse does come to light, people complain, or unfollow, or unfriend when you continue to expose it because they think you are dwelling too much on what’s past, what’s done and you’re being too “negative” .... 2/

Thread:

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about certain controversies within the church and the opposing postures we see when it comes to engaging each other and unbelievers.

These postures depend, in large part, on where we are, on the communities in which we have been formed. Christians raised within a Christian or church culture are predisposed to see “the Other” as one to defend the church against, to see the outside culture as an encroaching danger, and to develop defensive practices toward building walls and protections against “the Other.” ...

Twitter Gifts Anyone Can Give:

1. Recognize you aren’t an expert in many fields and that many fields have experts who aren’t you.

2. Ask questions to understand rather than rhetorical questions to gain points.

3. RT things you like.

4. Don’t quote tweet what you don’t. 5. Treat accounts like there are people behind them — because there are.

6. Follow someone whose point of view you disagree with but can learn from.

7. Tweet more beauty and kindness than hatred and division.