Pray for New York
The annual CU New York Yacht Cruise late last month was spectacular – a cool vintage yacht, gorgeous weather, and a collection of sixty of the most fun people to hang out with. From recent grads to grizzled veterans of the Big Apple it was an afternoon of fun and fellowship, followed by an after-party at The Park.
For the past few days ten of us have been participating in a conference on global affairs – geopolitical and economic trends and what they mean. Topics range from China’s Grand Strategy to Cyber Security to the Fintech Revolution - and the people gathered for the conference have been equally fascinating as they range from business and financial executives to academics to government policy makers around the world.
| 2018 | 2009 | 2000 | |
| Church/organized religion | 38% | 52% | 56% |
| Supreme Court | 37% | 39% | 47% |
| Congress | 11% | 17% | 24% |
| Big Business | 25% | 16% | 29% |
| Newspapers | 23% | 25% | 37% |
The list of institutions surveyed goes well beyond these few but the trend is similar – that we trust our institutions less as being capable, in our best interests, and as foundational to our societal well-being. While the Gallup poll does not break this down by faith commitment, I would be surprised if there was much difference between those of faith and those not of faith.
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed piece finance titans Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett, respectively chairmen of JP Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway, advocate for doing away with quarterly earnings-per-share guidance. Why? Because this guidance “often leads to a focus on short-term profits rather than long-term strategy and growth”.
If you’re a newspaper reader as I am, mornings can sometimes be a challenge for my equilibrium. Bad news makes the front page and does its best to assault my conviction that God is sovereign in this world. There is great value being rooted in the scriptures, and in understanding the times. 1 Peter reiterates for us the truth that our joy and hope is rooted in what we know to be true of God and his working in the world – from day one to the day when all things are made new in Christ. In that light I can rejoice.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice”, Philippians 4:4.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is full of joy and thanksgiving – he used his own thankful heart to teach and encourage the church to live joyfully in light of the gospel. Even, and perhaps especially, in challenging times. This season of Lent is a time of reflection and repentance that leads directly and unequivocally to an unencumbered joy in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have an abundant new life in Christ, and the hope of all things being made new.
September is a funny month; while working professionals no longer have summer breaks we nevertheless continue to lean toward the academic calendar. For those older with children, the September ritual of school starting remains a family focal point. For those just out of college, well, old habits die hard and September remains the month of new beginnings. This is true as well of Christian Union New York.
The National Intelligence Council produces a report every five years which looks at global trends and how they will shape the following decade. This report makes for fascinating reading for those interested in causes and effects on a global scale – determining trends, assessing their causes, and extrapolating their probable outcomes.
Vaclav Havel, in his essay Politics, Morality, and Civility, shares his thoughts on how society is established to produce a flourishing culture. Having come out of a dark period of communist rule that chose many of the tools and structures of a democratic system and turned them to other ends Havel knew well that structures ultimately rest on something much more fundamental. They rest on morality – our understanding of good and evil, and the willingness to pursue that which is good. Havel calls “living in truth”.
