For all the new readers, get to know this guy.
For everyone else, Rashid Faisal wrote a book about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You can buy it here, and when I close this page I am going to.
A brief editorial note. The world is a hard place, right? It seems like every time I hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. mentioned, even in church yesterday, it is always with the parenthetical well-you-know-he-wink-wink. And this isn’t even about King. Every time I hear any social leader mentioned, it has a parenthetical lately.
And I am wondering about that reflex. Why, when things are hard enough, we cannot just let good things stand without parenthesis. EVERYONE has parenthesis. What’s the point of the caveat?
Last note, and the Rhys Moore podcast is almost post production and will launch this week. I just wanted you to know that when I interviewed rock star Marshall Crenshaw on my other show, I wore a white OCBD. We even talk a little fashion at the beginning. The show is here if you are interested. Marshall Crenshaw has had a remarkable career, a 45 year marriage, and now that we are friends, I am going to turn him Ivy.
Maybe to honor good work of any sort, today, just take it easy with the parenthesis.
“Why, when things are hard enough, we cannot just let good things stand without parenthesis.”
Hmm. Maybe “everyone” does. Surely some more than others, though. And lots of parentheses are bigger — more damaging and painful (to others)– and thus more needy of redemption and repentance. If the parentheses nudge a person to fall prostrate at the altar and ask prayerfully for forgiveness, then they serve as a Call to Confession. A good thing.
I’m not a fan of holier-than-thou judging/condemning, but even Jesus demanded repentance following an assurance of pardon (“Go and sin no more”). Also, for all the Reformation (thanks, Luther) stuff about grace, both Jesus and Paul concurred with the older tradition that we’ll all (each of us) be judged according to our works: what we’ve done and left undone. One’s life as a whole. No one’s a position to condemn but this should prevent us from pointing out parentheses’ vapor trail of pain and suffering.
When Paul spoke of justification by faith through grace (not works), he was referring specifically to Mosaic interpretations of three laws: circumcision, laws regarding food, and the observance of Sabbath. He was not referring to “good works” or “good deeds” more generally. Protestants, especially Reformed and Lutheran, often get this wrong.
It is a “hard world,” JB. The world is a great deal more difficult (harder) by the too-easy willingness to look past many parentheses–to pretend they’re not there. They’re there. “These days, we need fewer ‘great men’ and more truly good men.”
I look at it the other way. From the religious context, which I try to stay away from here, I will say only this – ALL of the judgement is in the future and not by man. From the secular perspective, if you can point out a recent circumstance where a great act was not followed by a parenthetical, it would hearten me.
* Romans 2:6
Excellent! Rashid always looks dapper, and I look forward to reading his book. I also enjoyed your 2020 interview with him. And… good advice, let’s be kind to one another.