“A new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has accumulated data for the past 47 years from 9 million young adults, reveals that college students are more likely than ever to call themselves gifted and driven to succeed, even though their test scores and time spent studying are decreasing.”
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Hannah Farver has published an excellent piece dealing with that feeling we’ve all had: incredible smallness.
I’ve never looked at Facebook before and felt small. Bored, annoyed, intrigued—yes. Never small. But as a couple hundred diverse lives updated their statuses on my feed, I suddenly felt, working from my couch, that my life was very unimportant.
Businessmen in Korea are signing deals in right now. Children in Saudi Arabia are scurrying to school, as some hikers are probably lost in the woods somewhere in Wyoming, and some boat is probably taking on too much water while tuna-fishing in the Bering Sea.The world is like one gigantic beehive, with all our lives crammed together, humming away. I sit here, simply breathing, as lights flicker on And I am very, very small.
It’s not so bad. I don’t mind being small. The whole spinning universe looks all the more magnificent when you know you’re an unnecessary part.
But there’s the catch. Knowing we’re unnecessary doesn’t exactly give the warm fuzzies.
This is well worth taking the time to read as you consider the difficulty of “being small” in such a large world.
It’s always good to look back on 2012. There are great gains to be had and exciting things ahead for 2013. Here were my top five blog posts from 2012. Apparently we’re all into reading, iPhones, and gender roles. Don’t worry, we won’t stop talking about those things in the coming year.
1. Essential Books for High School Seniors
Absolutely one of the most popular blog posts I’ve ever posted on the blog. I’ll try to update the list over time, especially after some fantastic new books that have come out in the past year.
2. I Learned Feminism From Jesus
It’s worth the read. There should be many more blog posts this coming year dealing with gender roles and human sexuality.
3. My Favorite iPhone Apps and Why I Use Them
I love my iPhone and I love my apps. My phone has changed dramatically from the time I wrote that post, but there are some great iPhone apps listed there.
Because I love reading. Made it through most of those books and more!
5. Challies’ Disagrees with Piper about Christianity’s “Masculine Feel”
A short post that highlighted a disagreement “in the ranks.” I added some of my favorite responses.
I may regret posting this tomorrow morning, but here are some wise words from Kevin DeYoung:
I’m thankful for the Electoral College. You may not agree, especially if you live in Texas or California or Alabama or Vermont. There’s no “Christian position” on the Electoral College. But I’m grateful that our presidents have to go to every little hamlet in Ohio and Iowa. I’m glad that the election does not come down to voter turnout in the same megacities every four years. I’m glad that because of our confusing process, the most powerful man in the world has to make inroads with people from all over the country. He can’t simply be a regional candidate who promises the Northeast lots of goodies at the expense of the South. He can’t win the White House by racking up 80% of the vote in a handful of states. The President has to be attuned to the needs and desires of the most politically diverse places, not the most politically homogenous. This seems like a good thing to me.
One thing of the Lord desire, for all my life hath miry been –
Be it by water or by fire, oh, make me clear, oh, make me clean!
So wash me now, without, within, or purge with fire, if that must be,
No matter how, if only sin die out in me, die out in me.
–Unknown
Fascinating, and I think helpful, additions to the discussion from Tim Challies. Challies writes:
John Piper sparked quite a storm with his biographical message on the “frank and manly” J. C. Ryle. One of his conclusion was that Christianity is meant to have a masculine feel to it… I find that I do not agree. For those of you who are given to over-reaction, just breathe—I am allowed to disagree and I’m sure Piper is just fine with people disagreeing. If you don’t have a category for charitable disagreement on secondary matters, you need to develop one! I still love the man, but want to offer an alternative to his masculine Christianity.
Read the rest here. (HT: Denny Burk)
This also reminded me of the opposing view and conversation led my one of my favorite writers Douglas Wilson.
“It’s as if being famous has become a right. One of the rights to being American is the right to become famous–at least for an hour, maybe a day. If you don’t have people asking who you are, you’re nobody.” – The Narcissism Epidemic
