The rage of the mob is a poor substitute for real community.This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here.As Columbia University and other elite campuses erupt into protests against the United States’ diplomatic and military support of Israel’s war against Hamas, US Sen. John Fetterman denounced the antisemitic speech of some of these protesters, remarking on the social platform X, “Add some tiki torches and it’s Charlottesville for these Jewish students.”Whatever one thinks of Fetterman’s analogy or of the Israel-Hamas war, we would do well to listen to the common ring of the Charlottesville chant, “You will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!” with the one recorded this week on the Columbia campus: “We have Zionists who have entered the camp!”An observer might have asked in Charlottesville, “What Jews are trying to replace you?” The white nationalists there would no doubt have told such a person that a shadowy cabal was seeking to import immigrants, to commit “white genocide.” Just so, another observer might ask at Columbia, “What Zionists have entered your camp?” Israeli military forces? No. The “Zionists” in question are Jewish students—one wearing a Star of David—attempting to walk on campus.At one level, the video of the students chanting seems almost farcical, like a parody out of an old episode of Portlandia. The leader yells out a sentence; the followers repeat it back—even to the point of repeating back, in unison, “Repeat after me.” Does that part really have to be repeated? Well, kind of; that’s part of what happens in a chant. The message is not reasoned discourse. The rote nature of the repetition ...Continue reading...

Series like The Wingfeather Saga bring children along for the adventure of following Jesus.I picked up the first book reluctantly. Was I really going to spend my children’s nap time reading children’s fiction? But The Wingfeather Saga had been recommended to me by so many fans that I eventually joined the throngs of Christian adults and kids who’ve enjoyed the series.From the start, author Andrew Peterson captivated my imagination, building a world I could recognize while pushing the limits of familiarity. Aerwier has a bookshop with a nerdy owner; the three Igby siblings enjoy exploring its packed shelves. So normal! But just across the street is a city prison run by lizard monsters called Fangs. Not so normal.The Wingfeather books have since been adapted into an animated series; the second season premiered at the beginning of this month, with new episodes released weekly. I remember the Christian animations from my childhood—Bibleman, Psalty the Singing Songbook, and VeggieTales —as either simplistic retellings of Bible stories or moralizing lessons. These shows did a fine job of teaching me what God expected. But they didn’t captivate me with the idea of following Jesus.The animated Wingfeather, by contrast, is lighthearted and sincere, witty without resorting to gimmicks. It cultivates endearing characters without creating familiar Christian caricatures.What makes a good Christian children’s show? Here are four things The Wingfeather Saga does well that I hope would be true of any Christian program that I watch with my kids.The show invites kids along for the adventure.One of the quickest ways to bore kids is to talk at them. Shows that offer not much more than monologues, telling children what they should think and do, will rarely capture their hearts.This principle ...Continue reading...

The popular kids series reminds parents that playfulness is next to godliness.When my oldest daughter, Elaine, was four, I watched her chase a soap bubble around the yard, utterly spellbound, and it struck me as a tiny window into how God must have felt as he watched Adam and Eve encounter each of the animals in Eden. Likewise, when I discovered that my youngest, Olivia, had held a full conversation with me while cutting our kitten’s whiskers under the table, I felt attuned with God’s anger when he flung his judgments at Israel through the prophets.These kinds of moments, and a thousand others, make raising kids and building a family spiritually illuminating tasks—especially when they ask theologically stimulating questions like “Does Jesus wear undies?” And although the creators of Bluey, an Emmy-awarded animated kids series, seem to have no overtly religious leanings, the show unexpectedly taps into unseen realities.If you haven’t yet discovered Bluey, let me catch you up. The series, streaming on Disney+, centers around a family of Australian blue heelers: six-year-old Bluey, her younger sister Bingo, Mum (Chilli), and Dad (Bandit). Each episode is less than 10 minutes long and targets a preschool audience—but the popular show draws all ages, and, in 2023, was the second-most acquired streaming program with 43.9 billion minutes consumed.When the producers announced that a longer episode was slated for season 3, the public grew panicked that the show may be ending (thankfully, it’s not!), revealing just how deeply the series meets a need in our culture—and I think it’s worth exploring why.The Heelers are just your average Australian family, with no superpowers or high-stakes problems to solve. But through their ...Continue reading...

HBO host Bill Maher prompted silence from his audience on Friday's episode of "Real Time" when he acknowledged that abortion is murder while suggesting he's "OK" with it because there are enough people on the planet.

By Money Metals Exchange In this episode of Money Metals’ Midweek Memo, host Mike Maharrey discusses the perceived ineffectiveness of the prevailing political strategy in...How Money Metals Exchange is Challenging the System: A Call for Sound Money and Grassroots Advocacy

The latest faith-based TV series is County Rescue, the first episode of which launches on Great American Pure Flix Feb. 23 and Great American Family Feb. 26 and follows the story of EMT trainees who are competing for one job opening.

“It was clear in the episode that you believe in God. But I just don't understand how that is possible .

In this episode of The Wild Way, we head out on the boat for our first fishing trip of the year. We're in search of large fish such as king mackerel and sailfish.

In this episode of The Wild Way, join our good friend Olivia Swan as she shares her story and what God has taught her over this past year.

Lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails with us for a 12-mile, round trip hike in the Mission Mountains, located in the Flathead National Forest.

Climb aboard a kayak with us as we head out on Holland Lake, bound for Holland Island, and check out the scenery in this episode of The Wild Way.

We are heading out for an early-morning trip in the bayou before church with our good friends, the Swans, in this episode of The Wild Way.

We reflect on our Montana fun in this episode. Join us as we help prepare deer and elk meat for jerky before we head downtown to grab some ice cream.

For our next two episodes of The Wild Way, we reflect on some of the fun adventures we experienced earlier this year.

Our cousin, Logan, has been visiting with us recently, so we're heading out to the beach for a fishing contest in this episode of The Wild Way.

In the latest episode of The Wild Way, check in on the newlyweds and see where they are living now, and get an update on the rest of the family.

The latest episode of The Wild Way finds Asher behind the wheel of a car as he prepares to earn his driver's license.

Meet the newest addition to the family in the latest episode of The Wild Way!

We are all under the weather in this episode of The Wild Way, but this time has allowed us to work on a project we've been wanting to tackle for a while.

In this episode of The Wild Way, Hudson spots an alligator—the bayou beast—and he heads out on the water to see how close he can get.

It might be April now, but join us back in December as we hunt for the perfect Christmas tree in this episode of The Wild Way.

We made it up to the Mentoring Timothy property in this episode of The Wild Way, and we are heading out to gather wood for the property's fireplaces.

Head out into the water with us on the Don Treader, our new boat, in this episode of The Wild Way.

Go on a 15-mile hike through the Florida trails with Asher and Kian and their good friends, (tall) Asher and Jonathan in this episode of The Wild Way.

We've added a sister to the Wild family! In this episode of The Wild Way, we reflect on the wedding of our oldest brother, Morgan, and his new bride, Alyssa.