The sublime ecstasies of jazz
That television has done more to destroy the virtues of culture than any technology ever created
The profundities of The Book of Ecclesiastes
The depth, the wisdom, the beauty of the classically conservative political tradition. (I do not mean the Republican Party of today.)
The plight of the chronically ill and how to ameliorate their suffering (or at least not add to it)
That the classroom is a sacred space, an offering to God, a place that should not ape the sensibilities of popular culture.
Lament as a mode of being in the world
That no one should step into the pulpit without the fear of God and the love of learning and of oratory
That Africa must not be ignored
That manners matter
That literary memory is more important than cultural consumption
That silence--before, under, and with God--heals, disturbs, and is a tonic to much that ails us
That modesty is a virtue
That a market and a field of eternal souls are not the same thing
That architecture matters for worship
The loneliness that suffuses postmodern existence
That there is no Christ-ianity without the Cross of Christ.
That the Holy Spirit is not optional for ministry. (An observation of a Korean Christian after attending many religious services here: "It is amazing what they can do without the Holy Spirit.")
That Calvinism is not a cold, heartless, abstract system of doctrine devoid of biblical support, evangelistic zeal, and spiritual nurture.
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(Of course, there are dozens or hundreds of consequential things I do not understand, as my family, friends, and students would tell you.)
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