Category Archives: thoughts

What’s the new national pastime?

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multi-tasking

As someone who teaches “Western Culture” to Asians living in China, I often have to think and evaluate things that normally I might just take for granted.  For example, if I was taking a test on American Culture and they asked: “America’s national pastime is __________” I would quickly fill in “Baseball” and wouldn’t even re-think it for a second! But is that really true?

I came across an article on CNN’s website that suggested that baseball has not been America’s National Pastime since the 1950′s!  Hmmm, interesting – he might be right!

He ended up talking about the explosion of ‘choices’ that Americans have to occupy their time, especially with the popularity of portable devices that serve up limitless amounts of distraction.  He asked the question: “Do today’s Americans simply enjoy the screens they carry with them, or are they psychologically addicted to them — is it a pleasurable pastime, or are they hooked?”

So, what do you think?  If you were helping me prepare my lecture on “American Culture” that I will teach my students next semester, what would you suggest I tell them is “America’s National Pastime”?

What's America's "National Pastime"?

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Why now? Why this much? Why this often? Why this way? Why these people?

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A timely reminder in the wake of tragic events in Japan;

Author: John Piper

One of the reasons God rarely gives micro reasons for his painful providences, but regularly gives magnificent macro reasons, is that there are too many micro reasons for us to manage, namely, millions and millions and millions and millions and millions.

God says things like:

  • These bad things happened to you because I intend to work it together for your good (Romans 8).
  • These happened to that you would rely more on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1).
  • This happened so that the gold and silver of your faith would be refined (1 Peter 1).
  • This thorn is so that the power of Christ would be magnified in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12).

But we can always object that there are other easier ways for God to accomplish those things. We want to know more specifics: Why now? Why this much? Why this often? Why this way? Why these people?

The problem is, we would have to be God to grasp all that God is doing in our problems. In fact, pushing too hard for more detailed explanations from God is a kind of demand that we be God.