262 Epiphany 6: Pawns and Parables – The Journey is Rarely a Straight Line
“The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” ~ Psalm 1
Pawns and Parables – The Journey is Rarely a Straight Line
A single pawn is weak. A wall of pawns is impenetrable.
The Pawn’s journey isn’t about individual glory. It’s about holding the line.
This is the Body of Christ. Many members, one purpose.
Pawns are the vertebrae of the backbone, the formation of the frontline, the foundation of the court that allows the Knights, Bishops, Rooks, and Queen—whomever God chooses above or below—to play their dangerous game.
The humble bear the weight of the Kingdom. Without the plebeians, the bourgeois cannot be.
Few like the Pawn because few see the Pawns. When the battle begins, but every master knows: the game is won or lost by the steadfastness of the rank and file. The wall of the meek holds back the chaos.
“A sower went out to scatter seed…” (Matthew 13:3)
Pawns don’t choose their place. They ARE placed. They don’t advance by will or even hope but by necessity. Their presence, as purpose and sacrifice, secures the King’s reign.
“Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
Pawns are not reckless. Their strength is in their unity. The first Pawn to break formation weakens all the others. The Enemy will exploit every gap.
“The last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)
The Pawn does not seek power, but when he endures, he is transformed. The weakest becomes the strongest. The servant is crowned.
This is the Good story hidden in nature—Christ, the suffering servant, lifted above every name. It is on the only path. It is the real game.
A rogue Bishop in the wrong place is a liability. A Pawn on the job is a wall. The Church isn’t sustained by lone warriors but by those who hold the Kingdom together.
We, together, are the wall, the shield, the quiet strength and fortress, the Church moves as one.
The path is slow but sure. There is no turning back.
But why would you want to do that?
“With your shield, or on it.”
“I count all things loss for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus.”
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
R.J.M.F
On the Radar
Russia Agrees to Talk
Speaking from a meeting in Brussels, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined Washington’s stance on the Ukraine-Russia war. SecDef Hegseth said it was unrealistic for Ukraine to expect to have its annexed territory returned, and that it should not expect NATO membership any time soon. He also said that America would not send troops to keep the peace in Ukraine when the war is over. Hegseth toned down his forceful comments after backlash from European leaders and fellow Republicans.
President Trump also created a lot of excitement after revealing that he had had a lengthy phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin who he says agreed that the war must end. Critics noted that Ukraine’s President Zelensky was left out of the negotiations but the President said he wanted to confirm that Russia was interested in a settlement before he checked in with Ukraine. US and Russian representatives are set to meet tomorrow in Saudi Arabia.
President Zelensky has indicated he would be willing to trade occupied territory with Russia as Ukraine still holds the strategic region of Kursk. He also agreed that the USA should benefit from Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Debate has flowed as to what this all means. Some said the Trump administration had given away the store by being so open about its intentions before negotiations have even started, but “a lot depends on what Ukraine and the Europeans do next.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent interview that the Biden administration had given Ukrainians “false hope” that the country could beat Russia back and return to 2012 borders. US government sources estimate the conflict has claimed around 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers and more than 300,000 Russians.
A thought: In the face of international turmoil and events so far out of our hands, it’s awesome to remember as Proverbs says that the hearts of rulers are in the hand of the Lord, He turns it wherever He wishes. Daniel also reminds us that despite the plans of men, it is Jesus who removes kings and raises up kings.
Trump’s Tariff-ic Trade War
President Trump announced last week that he would match any other nation’s tariffs on American goods with reciprocal ones on theirs. One German lawmaker even pitched the idea that Europe should consider 0% tariffs on imported US goods. Teh UK’s government is reviewing its online censorship bill, which would allow it to penalize American tech companies for violations. China is not flinching though, announcing a bunch of tariffs on various products imported from the US, including coal and some farming equipment.
Skepticism remains about President Trump’s tariffs, but one former European finance minister believes the shock and awe plan for the global economy may even work. “Central to this new global order would be a cheaper dollar that remains the world’s reserve currency — this would lower US long-term borrowing rates even more. [Trump] knows that the markets will never deliver this of their own accord. Only foreign central banks can do this for him. But to agree to do this, they need to be shocked into action first. And that’s where his tariffs come in.” Buckle up!
Section shortcuts: Life, Law, Immigration, Politics, Finance, Technology, Culture, Health, Philosophy, Creation, Religion, Science, War, World
The Blitz
Life
Birth, Death and Marriage
A new study from JAMA claims that infant mortality increased in states that enacted pro-life laws after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision. Dr Michael New says the claims are false, with the study using national data, not state data. It also reflects the fact that children who have abnormalities and would previously have been aborted are now given a chance at life, even if that life is short. (JAMA, LifeSiteNews)
Texas is suing a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills for a Texan resident. (WNG)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has been urged to rescind medals awarded to men who won in women’s events. (WNG)
Crime and Punishment
Courts, Law and Policing
The US justice department has ordered federal prosecutors to drop the fraud case against NYC mayor Eric Adams, with the President denouncing it as nothing more than lawfare. The US attorney who oversees the Southern District of New York which is prosecuting the case, resigned, saying she cannot in good conscience ask for a dismissal, as none of the evidence against Adams has changed. Danielle Sassoon suggested that President Trump should pardon Adams if he wants the case dropped. (BBC, Epoch Times, Red State)
Experts say that the FBI is taking seriously the President’s order to declassify documents relevant to the assassination of JFK. The Bureau has discovered thousands of records, reports and pages which were so far undisclosed. (Just the News)
US police are investigating a violent vegan anarchist cult, whose members are linked to 6 murders. The leader is a trans-identified man. (AP)
Tribes and Tongues
Immigration and Race
Border chief, Tom Homan says leaks about the location of immigration officers likely came from within the FBI. He said the leaks placed lives at risk and are being investigated. (New York Post)
Twenty-seven churches and religious bodies are suing the Trump administration to prevent immigration officers from coming on their premises. (WNG)| The leadership of the LCMS has issued legal advice for such an event. (Rev Fisk) | Pope Francis has written to US bishops condemning the Trump administration’s mass deportation. (WNG)
A young Texan man who says he was bullied for being white and for his Christian faith by students and staff at state schools hopes his case will go to the Supreme Court. (The Federalist)
Metropolis
Politics and the State
The US Senate has confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr as head of Health and Human Services and Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence. Both former Democrats were grilled during confirmation hearings. A Senate committee has voted along party lies to advance the nomination of Kash Patel who is the pick to lead the FBI. (Daily Wire, Daily Wire, AP)
Farming advocates say the Trump administration’s funding freeze is affecting the agricultural sector. (Investigate Midwest, MSN)
US travellers will require a Real ID by May this year. (Thrillist)
Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has returned Fort Liberty to its former name. He avoided some controversy by naming it not after the Confederate general, but after Roland Bragg, a WWII private who served with distinction. (Not the Bee)
Treasure
Money, Markets and Jobs
DOGE found $59 million to pay for illegal immigrants to stay in New York hotels was authorized by FEMA just last week. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she has recouped it.(ZeroHedge, Red State) | Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has reported that DOGE has unearthed nearly $3 trillion in government payments to ineligible recipients over the last 20 years. (PJ Media)
GOP lawmakers in Senate and House are wrestling with how to make President Trump’s proposed tax cuts without increasing debt. (Semafor)
President Trump has directed the US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing cost. (CBS)
The Trump administration has ordered staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to halt all work. The administration maintains that the CFPB, which is tasked with protecting consumers from fraud and scams, has been distracted with activist causes. Critics warn that pausing the Bureau’s oversight of mortgage lenders and other financial institutions will lead to “absolute catastrophe”. (The Hill)
Elon Musk was mostly right – scads of Americans’ retirement documents are kept in an old mine in Pennsylvania. (Washington Examiner)
Reality Bytes
Digital Technology
Google will not automatically populate its calendar with dates celebrating LBGT events nor indigenous and black histories. The company said the plan to change things up was hatched last year and is not a response to any of Present Trump’s executive orders. (The Epoch Times, Pirate Wires)
Google and Apple have restored the TikTok to their app stores after President Trump said he would not prosecute them for doing so. The Chinese-owned app now has less than 50 days to break away from its parent or face a ban in the US. (CNN)
Elon Musk and a consortium of financial backers has made an unsolicited offer to buy OpenAI. The move may undermine Musk’s lawsuit against the ChatGPT maker since its premise is that OpenAI should remain not-for-profit and not be sold for “private gain”, but Musk said he will back off if OpenAI promises to drop its for-profit aspirations. (TechCrunch)
Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth says that employees who want to leak to the media because they disagree with sweeping policy changes at the company should resign. (TechCrunch)
Heritage
Arts, History and Sport
“The possibility of having read everything worth reading vanished centuries ago.” But, argues Brad East, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start! Our culture needs to learn to be literate. “When I look at twentysomethings on their phones, I see a mass of refugees hungry for knowledge, desperate for culture, and open — if not now, then later — to doing the hard work necessary to gain it.” (Mockingbird)
Saturday Night Live is in its fiftieth season. (The Guardian)
Last week in history:
1914 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is founded to help musicians make money from their compositions. (History)
Health
Medicine and Food
The researchers of a new study out of China believe that eating out of plastic takeout containers is linked to heart disease by messing with gut biome. (The Guardian)
A new tool helps identity processed foods at the grocery store. (ZeroHedge)
Covid five years on: most Americans say the pandemic drove the country apart. (Pew)
Meat-based plants? (Ambrook Research)
Hearts and Minds
Philosophy, Hacks and Human Connection
Teenagers are falling in love with AI chatbots: “AI companions are a new type of storytelling tool. They are spinning a seductive tale of companions who agree with you endlessly and on demand.” We need to teach our kids what love looks like. (The Conversation)
Six disciplines of strategic thinking. (Big Think)
You may not be the only parent finding it hard to keep up your kids’ slang. (MSN)
The Elements
Natural World
An updated paper says efforts to implicate farming as an unacceptable source of methane are based in pseudoscience. (Cornwall Alliance)
Marine biologists are baffled by the sighting of an adult abyssal humpback anglerfish in broad daylight and near the ocean’s surface. The elusive deep sea fish only survived a few hours. (Oceanographic Magazine)
The world’s biggest underground thermal lake has been discovered at the bottom of an abyss in Albania. (LiveScience)
The mantis shrimp has a clever way of shielding itself from the shockwaves caused by its famous punch. (Northwestern Now)
The cooling system for a Florida nuclear power plant is a refuge for crocodiles. (PBS Terra)
Religion and the Church
A town for Muslims, that aims to be run according to Sharia law, is being planned outside of Dallas, Texas. (Nevada News, Not the Bee)
A new Barna poll shows young people are interested in hearing about Jesus. (Not the Bee)
Knowledge
Science and Data
Scientists have discovered the most “energetic” neutrinos under the sea off Sicily. (The Conversation)
Argentina has designed the first gene-edited polo horses, with scientists using CRISPR technology to “increase explosive speed” from the genes of a champion mare. The horses would be banned in many world competitions, but the scientists argue they are not really doing anything different than breeders have historically – taking the best of their parent’s genes. The researchers hope that after a number of generations, these super ponies will seen as naturally fast. (Reuters, Irish Examiner)
Large crowds behave a little like liquids. (Phys)
War and Rumors of War
Conflict and Weaponry
Elementary teacher Marc Fogel has been released from Russian prison after being “wrongfully detained” for carrying a small amount of cannabis, which Fogel uses for chronic pain. A Russian cyber criminal was traded for Fogel’s return. (The Independent)
Jordan’s King Abdullah met with President Trump in Washintgon to discuss current conflicts in Middle East. The king agreed to take sick Paletsitnian children into Jordan but “steadfastly opposes” any resettlement of Gazans, insisting a two-state solution is the only plan he will support. (NBC)
World
Stories From Far Away
🇬🇧 British chip designer, Arm has said it will make its own chip rather than just selling its blueprints to manufacturers. Meta has signed up as a customer. (TechCrunch)
🇬🇧 Two British workers' unions have joined the ranks of opposition to the Starmer government’s proposed “assisted dying” bill, noting that there are no guardrails against abuse in its current iteration. (WNG)
🇨🇳 China’s marriage rate has dropped to lowest since 1986. (NBC)
🇬🇧 The case to deport a man from the UK has fallen through in part because his son doesn’t like foreign chicken nuggets. (The Telegraph)
🇩🇪 Vice President J D Vance has challenged European defence leaders to think about free speech, warning that they should not be afraid of their own people. (The Blaze)
🇩🇪 An Afghan national with a work permit has driven into a trade union march in Munich, injuring 30 people. A woman and a child have died from their injuries. The Taliban have said they would be willing to take deportees but on condition of having a consulate in Germany. (Die Welt, Yahoo)
Quickhits For The Eyebuds
🇯🇵 Japan’s amazing underground anti-flood “cathedral”
💸 A British programmer is tossing up the idea of buying landfill from a city, where he believes a discarded hard drive is located. James Howells lost BitCoin keys are now worth $700 million
🐋 Kayaker swallowed (briefly) by a whale
🇬🇧 A Gen Z script to save a boomer pub
⭐ Starbase TX?
🎻 “Anybody order a string quartet?”
👀 3-D graffiti optical illusions
🌀 Higher-than-normal water levels in a California reservoir have triggered a mesmerizing drainage whirlpool
⛽ The price of gas around the world
🤔 A 14 year-old human calculator
Good Word: Starfall 2029
Did you hear? The newly-discover 2024 YR4 asteroid could collide with Earth in 2032. Well, if you listen to Starfall, you’ll be well-prepared! Catch Rev Fisk on YouTube or Rumble, or listen here.
Sweetness YouMay Have Missed:
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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