“The Weekend Wanderer” is a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media on the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend. Wander through these links however you like and in any order you like. Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with all the views expressed within these articles but have found them thought-provoking.
“A Life of Prayer and Holy Obedience in a War-Wracked World” – Richard J. Foster at the Renovaré blog: “Considering the relationship between the life of prayer and holy obedience in a war-wracked world is a massive task. In an existential sense, prayer brings us into the holy of holies in the Christian life. We move from the periphery to the center. Edward Payson said, ’Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, the third thing necessary to a minister. Pray, then, pray, pray, pray.’ Sir Thomas Buxton wrote, ’You know the value of prayer; it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect it.’ William Penn said of George Fox, ’Above all he exceeded in prayer.’ Archbishop Tait said, ’I want a life of greater, deeper, truer prayer.’ Martin Luther declared, ’He who has prayed well has studied well.’ Most pertinent of all are the words of William Carey, ’Prayer — secret, fervent, believing prayer — lies at the root of all personal godliness..’ Our task is to see how prayer opens us to this personal godliness and to meditate on that reality within the wider social context of war and peace.”
“As Aleppo’s Christians face new ordeal, Church leaders call for courage and faith” – ACI MENA in Catholic News Agency: “The Syrian city of Aleppo, whose name has long been associated with war, began the Advent season under a new shadow. Jihadist factions, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, advanced in the city, pushing Aleppo into a new phase, now with different rulers, ideologies, and flags. Last week, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a militant faction affiliated with extremist groups, launched its largest operation in nearly nine years against Syrian government forces in the western Aleppo countryside. The offensive claimed several villages and towns, blocking the main international highway between Damascus and Aleppo. The attacks also targeted Aleppo’s university dorms, killing four students and wounding 10 others. Then on Sunday, Dec. 1, Terra Santa College in Aleppo run by the Franciscans was hit by a strike. No casualties were reported. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is a jihadist faction often described as an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Syria. It was formed in 2017 from a merger of five groups, including Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly Jabhat al-Nusra.”
“Why It’s Traumatic at the Top” – Abby J. Perry interviews Nicholas Rowe and Sheila Wise Rowe about their new book Healing Leadership Trauma in Common Good: “Here’s the thing about leadership: It’s possible to be receiving accolades and applause while also feeling tremendously overwhelmed, or even fully burned out. Leaders walk a thin line when it comes to how much they feel they can share with others. When the needs of the people around you are great, it can become hard to say ‘no’ to meeting them — especially when everyone expects you to be the capable one. And we haven’t even touched the deeply painful relational, professional, or mental health challenges many leaders face. In Healing Leadership Trauma, leadership professor Nicholas Rowe and counselor Sheila Wise Rowe welcome leaders to face their pain, to process their emotions and experiences. They emphasize five themes — invitation, attachment, remembrance, healing, and reconnection. The Rowes spoke with Common Good about what leadership trauma is and what healing from it can look like.”
“The world gets its first glimpse inside Notre Dame Cathedral after 5 years under wraps” – Thomas Adamson at AP News: “Five years after a catastrophic fire reduced Notre Dame Cathedral to a smoldering shell, journalists got a first glimpse of the Gothic masterpiece’s fully restored interiors during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron. The transformation is nothing short of breathtaking: light dances across brilliant stone, gilded accents gleam anew, and the iconic monument’s majesty is reborn. From Dec. 8, visitors will once again marvel at the cathedral’s blend of history and craftsmanship.”
“The Book Screwtape Feared Most” – SJ Murray in Christianity Today: “Some 27 letters into his correspondence, Screwtape stages an intervention. At all costs, the senior demon of C. S. Lewis’s classic Screwtape Letters tells his apprentice devil, Wormwood, do not let your human ‘patient’ pray about his wandering mind. The patient is in love, Screwtape notes, and this presents a perfect opportunity to ensure that he never thinks of God (or, as the devils call him, “the Enemy”). Distraction is hell’s greatest asset, and if the patient had the wherewithal to lay his distraction before the Enemy in prayer, it would inch him along in sanctification. At least one human author, Screwtape notes, has realized how this works. He’s ‘let this secret out’ and threatened hell’s plans. That author is Boethius, the sixth-century theologian whose works were obscure in Lewis’s day and even less known now. Our modern neglect of his classic book, The Consolation of Philosophy, is a grave loss for the pursuit of Christian wisdom.”
“My Smartphone Was Ruining My Life. So I Quit.” – August Lamm in The Free Press: “Five years ago, I was sitting on the tile floor of a rental kitchen, trying to take a photo of myself to share online. It was not an easy photo to take: The lighting was harsh; the walls were a weird pink color; and I had become so focused on taking the photo that I was no longer crying. I needed my sadness to be visible—runny nose, blotchy cheeks, shiny eyes—and I needed it in a 9:16 aspect ratio. How else would my followers know I was truly suffering? I set down my phone. In an attempt to get more tears flowing, I thought about my circumstances: single, alone in a foreign country, recently diagnosed with a degenerative spinal condition. I was renting a cramped yet expensive apartment, and quickly running through my savings. I had built a whole career as an art influencer but, since my diagnosis, I could no longer produce the drawings required to keep my online audience engaged—the pain made it so that I could hardly write my own signature, let alone draw. As I considered all this, I began to cry again. I reached for my phone and this time, I got the shot. I posted the crying selfie, which I hoped would tastefully walk the line between tragic and attractive. I refreshed my inbox for sympathy, and I got it. But I was still alone on the kitchen floor. These strangers were my whole world, but to them, I was just one tear-soaked face in an endless stream of images. I stood up and, before the impulse could leave me, I disabled my Instagram account. I had 170,000 followers and no one to call.”
Music: The Porter’s Gate (feat. Liz Vice, Paul Zach & Page CXVI), “Isaiah (O Come),” from Advent Songs
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Matthew Erickson 