Genuine biblical Christianity is called by its founder, Jesus Christ, to be His salt and light (see Matthew 5:13-16) and to be “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:13-18). We do so by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) with the deep conviction that “He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We represent His values, His virtues and His standards. We are to be peacemakers, seeking not vengeance, but justice, mercy and forgiveness (Matthew 5:9; 5:38-48). We are not the agents of chaos, dysfunction or disorder. We love our enemies and forgive them because we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32).

I receive a daily devotional from Chuck Swindoll in my Inbox. Recently his devotional entitled, “Greatness,” focused on “we become what we think.” Indeed, Proverbs 23:7 declares, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” He writes: “The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it’s a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free . . . Our minds were originally enemy-held territories. We were blinded by the power of the enemy. The mind was his ‘base of operations’ until the light shone within . . . And what is God’s ultimate goal? To take ‘every thought captive’ . . . His plan is to transform the old thoughts that defeat us into new thoughts that encourage us.”

The Tulsa race massacre (aka the Black Wall Street Massacre, the Greenwood Massacre) took place 31 May and 1 June 1921, when mobs of white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It marks one of “the single worst incident(s) of racial violence in American history.”

More biographies have been written about Jesus than any other historical figure. The book that defines His nature, His character and His mission—the Bible—is annually the number-one-seller. No one’s teaching has had a deeper impact on culture, politics, morality, justice, philosophy, and human character than Jesus. He is habitually quoted, even by secular world leaders. Indeed, in a recent book by British historian, Tom Holland, Jesus and His movement called Christianity, are characterized as “the most subversive revolution in human history, whose legacy is the ongoing disruption of settled patterns of life.”

Central to biblical theology is the axiom of human depravity—that humans are born sinners and are capable of profound and confounding evil. The existence of such darkness affects human optimism, hope and certainty about the future. Furthermore, the current embrace of Postmodern autonomy has deteriorated into the famous refrain from the book of Judges: “Every [person] is doing what is right in his/her own eyes.” There is no longer an acceptance of absolute truth, universal ethical standards or a serious commitment to human dignity.

The intersection of digital technology and the church is a profoundly important issue in the 21st century. The COVID pandemic has resulted in an explosion of livestreaming church services, with Zoom being the preferred platform for board meetings, Bible studies, mentoring sessions, etc. Digital technology has therefore enabled the church to continue its various ministries during this deadly pandemic; we must be thankful to the Lord for this manifestation of His grace. But digital technology that accesses the various forms of social media has had a deleterious impact on the “flock” of the typical church. I want to address both aspects of the digital revolution and its impact on the church.

The darkness of Postmodern, post-Christian American culture permeates our thinking about two fundamental axioms of the Christian faith—the sanctity of marriage and the sanctity of life. Both axioms of our faith are being challenged and both confront our consistency as Christians as we proclaim the infallible truth of God’s Word to a culture that is not listening.

Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he is 70 years old. Keller is one of my favorite authors, and several of his books have had a profound influence on my life and ministry. He recently published an article in The Atlantic honestly reflecting on his imminent death.

Equality: An important and foundational term in America’s democratic–republic, central to our founding documents—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Jefferson’s triumphant declaration, “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights . . .” is complemented by the Bill of Rights, which articulates the equal rights that all citizens are guaranteed. Equality is also an important biblical concept.

Virtually everyone agrees that a democratic society must maintain a high degree of trust or the democratic institutions that undergird that society will collapse. As we begin 2021, the American democratic-republic is in a serious crisis—a crisis of trust. Trust takes many forms. People may trust each other but distrust institutions like the federal government or mainstream media, for example. Furthermore, COVID-19 is testing America’s institutions in ways not seen for decades. Trust in government in America in 2021 is fairly low compared with some other wealthy societies.