Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [Galatians 6:9]

Don’t grow weary in doing good—if you are caring for an elderly parent.
Don’t grow weary in doing good—if you have a special needs child.
Don’t grow weary in doing good—if your vocation is in the helping profession.
Don’t grow weary in doing good—in giving to or serving others in need.
Don’t grow weary in doing good—if you volunteer at your church or a non-profit.
Don’t grow weary in doing good—in loving your spouse, your teen, your siblings, your neighbor as yourself.

“God of This City” by Bluetree
An appropriate song, I think, for the tone of today’s blog.

Fraser or Fake
I have always been a bit of a Christmas tree snob. For many years, it was only Fraser firs for the Sartarelli home. Nothing less will do. I have a confession to make: This year I have been thinking about caving from my convictions and considering a fake tree (is there a more dignified name to call them?). My daughter, who succumbed to the fake tree convenience when she got married, was aghast when she became aware of my thinking. But lo, as Sue looked up the price for high quality fake trees, I balked. I have another confession: I can be cheap. So for this year it’s a real Fraser fir, baby, all the way!

Jesus On the Big Screen
The Chosen has surpassed 200 million viewers. I have not seen a minute of the series. I am not judging it or those that watch it. I admit, I do get a little weirded out at the anecdotes of extra-biblical content (like St. Matthew has OCD. Really?). Hopefully unchurched, spiritually uncommitted people are watching and developing an interest in the Savior. An interesting update on The Chosen can be found here. 

This looks promising. The King of Kings, a new animated film about the life of Christ, is set to be released in spring of 2025. The film is an adaptation of The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens. Actor Oscar Isaac is the voice of Jesus. Several years back, he exquisitely played the role of Joseph in the film The Nativity Story,  a delightful movie that Sue and I watch every Christmas season.

For Life
The tag of being pro-life is often associated exclusively (in America) with a position that opposes abortion. While that is part of it, there are other dimensions where the global church has given its clarion call in favor of life. The bishops of the Roman Catholic Church have long articulated their Consistent Life Ethic which speaks into issues such as euthanasia, war, capital punishment, poverty, and certainly abortion.

The evangelical churches of the UK recently wrote a letter to members of British Parliament, strongly urging them to vote down Assisted Dying Bill 330-275. “This bill, in our view, undermines the value of life and lacks the safeguards needed to protect those most at risk from being coerced into premature death,” they wrote. This past Friday, members of Parliament voted 330 to 275 today in favor of the bill to legalize assisted suicide for people who have six months left to live, and who have mental capacity to make the choice. Yikes!

And then there are the clear words of one of my favorite theologians, Australian Michael Bird. Contrasting a recent finding (that Neanderthals cared for their children with Down Syndrome) with the heartless position of Australian “ethicist” Peter Singer (who says that parents should be able to euthanize infants with conditions like Down syndrome, spina bifida, hemophilia, and other disabilities that make “the child’s life prospects significantly less promising than those of a normal child”), Bird writes: “Neanderthals looked after Down syndrome children, whereas the Nazis believed in killing them. If you believe in abortion or infanticide for Down syndrome infants, your ethics are less than Neanderthals but very close to Nazis.” Read Bird’s article here. 

Big Ol’ Churches
One of the things I love doing in Europe is visiting the beautiful churches there. Large or small, they are architectural and artistic beauties that honor the greatness and magnificence of our triune God. Maybe because I know it so well, the Cathedral of Milan (The Duomo) is my favorite. On top of being mesmerized by the immenseness and ornateness of the structure, it is significant historically, for in Duomo’s basement, there is still remnants of the church and baptismal font where Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in the fourth century!