Let's Hang Out
Lake District pics, thoughts on Rationalism, and telling stories to your kids
Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:
In Praise of the Gods
Came across this essay recently [“In Praise of the Gods,” by Simon Sarris]—a warning about the dangers of rationalism, written from an (ostensibly) atheistic perspective. Great read, and an interesting (convicting, perhaps) criticism of rationalism’s invasion of the realm of religion. There’s complexity to be honored here, of course, and I obviously don’t agree with everything Sarris says, but I’d say his thoughts could lead to productive conversations both among (and between) religious and irreligious folks.
Here’s a quick excerpt:
Rational insight is a powerful tool, and one of our worst excesses. When it becomes the only tool it brings about a mixture of certainty and naivety that makes minds brittle.
Rationality has so thoroughly soaked the earth that even those who call themselves religious have persuaded themselves to experience religion through a purely rationalist lens. There is even the paradox of those who consider themselves the most religious, yet appear to be among the most rationalist, spending great energy on proof. Endless books, sermons, and forceful arguments are deployed to advocate their proof. So steeped are they in centuries of rationality that they do not notice such arguments as a positively atheistic way of pondering the divine. The divine all the while does not demand proof, but asks merely to be a mystery.
Virtue lies in giving things their proper place. To lack reason is to be inhuman. To rely on it solely is to be disembodied. This disembodied nature is the vice of the modern intellectual, in fact it separates them from past intellectuals just as it separates them from the physical world. Thinking only in the abstract, existing only in the abstract, the disembodied intellectual life becomes the destructive force of authoritarian modernism.
Again, the Truth in this space is layered. But I do believe that the siren song of Rationalism has captivated the hearts of most of us in the modern West and made those hearts, to use Sarris’s term, brittle.
If you’ve got thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them—hit reply and tell me why Sarris is wrong or right. :)
Getting a Jump on HGS Season 2
This week I’m beginning work on the last episode of Holy Ghost Stories Season 2, and I am very, very excited. Why begin with the final episode, you ask? An excellent question. But one I can’t answer quite yet. :)
This episode will tell an Old Testament story I’ve wanted to include in Holy Ghost Stories since the beginning. It’s soooo Holy Ghost Stories, and I can’t wait to get to work on it.
Speaking of Season 2, if you’re a Patron of HGS, be on the lookout for a poll—I’ll be asking you guys to vote over on Patreon as to which stories you’d definitely like to hear during this next season. Stay tuned!
Best Vacation Ever
My family and I took a long-awaited, very splurge-y trip to England’s Lake District, an area in the northeast part of the country that’s part mountainous/hilly national park, part series-of-tiny-picturesque-villages. We also stopped in Oxford on the way up and in the Cotswolds on the way back.
During our trip, the UK rolled back its COVID lockdown to the next phase of reopening allowing us to visit pubs and restaurants INSIDE. It was amazing.
Even more amazing than finally, after 4.5 months of being in England, going into a pub? The incredible place God created called the Lake District. We hiked and hiked and drove and drove and wondered and wondered. Here are a few pics:
We stopped on the way back in the Cotswolds and also made a quick detour to Stonehenge.
I’m working on some thoughts inspired by our time in the Lake District, so I’m saving some of my favorite photos for when I share those reflections with you in a couple of weeks.
Let’s Hang Out This Summer
If you’re anywhere in driving distance of these cities, I’d love to see you at The Storied Family this summer—a workshop my wife and I are putting on for parents who want to harness the power of Story in their family’s life.
Austin/Round Rock, TX
Dallas, TX
Florence, AL
Witchita, KS
Cookeville, TN
Henderson, TN
Amarillo, TX
(And if you’re nowhere near any of those places, we’re doing an online date as well.)
Here’s a quick look at the topics we’ll cover:
Essentially, we’re going to be talking about how to bind your family to God and to one another by actively rooting your kids in the story God’s writing in their life. It’ll be inspiring and practical and a lot of fun.
Here’s a quick video we put together to tell you more:
Find out more and grab tickets here:
4 Cool Things
God’s architecture > Our architecture - GIFs imagining urban centers greenified
Mariah Carey can communicate with dolphins? - And the dolphins are clearly pumped about it.
The Circles All Around Us - My good friend Brad Montague and his wife Kristi just released a picture book and you should check it out. About a week into the book’s life, they’ve already hit #5 on the NYT Bestseller list!
My Interview w/Anthony Russo on The Bible Is Funny - ICYMI last time, here’s a link to my appearance on The Bible Is Funny podcast—Anthony is hilarious and a delightful human, and we had a great time chatting together about Holy Ghost Stories and more.
What About You?
What’s something cool you’ve discovered lately? You guys are interesting people—reply and hook me up with something useful/interesting/delightful, would you?
***
Alright—that’s the latest! Hope I get to see you at The Storied Family this summer.
Gratefully,
Justin
If you’re reading because someone passed this along to you, welcome! I send this newsletter once every two weeks. Jump in if you’d like to hear about what I’m up to around the world and what’s happening with Holy Ghost Stories.
You can also follow HGS on Instagram here.