I was going through my social media feeds this morning and realized that it was just a bunch of disconnected thoughts with no coherence. I wondered why I even bothered. Then I remembered posting about seeing a movie last weekend and the ensuing conversation on Micro.blog and I had my answer. There is value in bonding over a shared appreciation for certain media.

I’ve continued to be fascinated by The Shakers this week after viewing The Testament of Ann Lee. Not only have I been listening to the soundtrack (mostly because “Beautiful Treasures” gives me goosebumps), but I’ve been reading pieces about the movement and what is left of it. This article in Commonweal Magazine, in particular, was interesting. It focuses on the two Shakers still left at Sabbathday Lake, in Maine.

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My pen-pal Adam thought I would enjoy this video and he was right. The short combines my love of fonts and of prayer books.

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The Pope is so hot right now. Everyone is discussing the long-awaited Magnifica Humanitas papal encyclical regarding artificial intelligence from the Roman Pontiff. It makes sense. In a world where much of the responsibility for moral leadership has been abdicated, we are in much need of a figure who can provide that leadership with reach and authority. Enter Pope Leo XIV, who took his name when he ascended to the papacy from the previous Pope Leo XIII, who dedicated much of his time to helping the world come to grips with industrialization.

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Richard Beck writes about his experience with Bram Stokers’ novel Dracula.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a very Christian novel. I would even say that Dracula is one of the greatest Christian novels of all time. Christianity suffuses the book. Faith is the air the novel breaths. Fans of the novel, of course, are aware of this, but the pious devoutness of the story caught me by surprise.

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Tim Challies writes about All Creatures Great and Small, which he dubs “the most pleasant show on television.”

So much of today’s entertainment is violent or edgy, provocative or profane. So much of it is a thinly-veiled veneer for identity politics as if that message is so important that no other quality really matters. It’s unpleasant—and if it’s unpleasant in the middle of the day it somehow seems even more so at the end of a day.

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I’ve long been a little allergic to brandishing symbols of my Christian faith. When I was a youth, I had a beloved cross that I used to wear around my neck. The chain for it was broken whilst I took a thrashing at the hands of a playground bully in the sixth grade. For many years afterward, I refrained from adorning myself with anything that reflected my beliefs.

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Maybe it’s a bit early to be making New Year’s resolutions. Though this used to be a popular practice, many now don’t even believe in setting stretch goals just because the calendar changes. I confess that I have waxed and waned in my observance of making annual resolutions. This year, though, I have something lined up that I think will actually improve my life in meaningful ways.

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The election is, whether mercifully or unmercifully, in the rearview mirror. Like some others, I want to turn my attention away from the day’s news, so closely coupled as it is with political events. Before I read about Kid Rock being appointed ambassador to the U.N., I mean to spend some time with my head in books. Standard Ebooks has inspired me by making the barrier to reading well-produced classics low and ebooks free to obtain.

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