271 Resurrection Sunday: Because Jesus is Alive
“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” ~ Psalm 31
On the Radar
Pope Francis has Died
Pope Francis has died from stroke and heart failure at the age of 88. The Vatican reported that the pontiff died at his home on Easter Monday. Francis was the first Jesuit pope and one of the few who was non-European. Church observers say it was hoped that Francis would help arrest the church’s decline, perhaps by modernizing Roman Catholicism. The Pope’s focus on social justice certainly created excitement among liberals around the world, although he largely affirmed ancient church teachings when pressed. Fundamental and global political changes during his tenure could not have been foreseen, but the desire among Catholics to return to traditional practices seems to have risen, despite the pope’s tilt towards activism. “Francis envisioned a socially moderate church that would accommodate liberal Western attitudes…while appealing to the global South. Yet now the Church has an unexpected opportunity to evangelize the West anew using the very opposite strategy, if the cardinals select a pope as different from Francis as Francis was from the conservative Benedict XVI.”
Systemic Rhetoric
The murder of Texas teenager, Austin Metcalfe has sparked increasingly bitter and divisive rhetoric across America. Although many have called for the incident not to be “racialized,” a spokesman for the family of the accused, Karmelo Anthony, stated at a press conference last week that he is “reminded all the time” that he is a “black man in America.” An organization representing the Anthony family blamed “organized hate” and “systemic racism” for the harassment and threats they say they’ve received. In an unusual move, a judge released Anthony from jail, reducing his bail from $1 million to $250,00. Jeff Metcalfe, Austin’s father, also asked that his son’s death not be politicized. He quietly attended the press conference to hear what would be said, but was chastised and removed by police. Hours later, Metcalfe’s home was “swatted”—a dangerous prank involving a false emergency call to police. He has publicly offered forgiveness to his son’s murderer, saying the death is not a political thing, but a “human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever." Both fathers have reportedly had to take leave from their jobs due to harassment of their employers.
A thought: This terrible event is a reminder that some are keen to stoke racial tensions, all the while making it an act of bigotry to notice any differences between cultural groups. As believers, we are called to see the spirit of the age for what it is: a manipulative evil which works on sinful hearts, to divide, destroy and kill. Whether it takes the form of the deadly actions of a teenager or the poisonous words of cultural elites, the pride of man tends only to add evil to evil. We must be peacemakers, truth-tellers, and agents of grace in a broken world. In a culture eager to assign blame, may we be eager to pray: for comfort to the grieving and justice for the wronged. And to repent! The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and He is not blind to any injustice.
The Blitz
The Bride And The Counterfeits
Religion and the Church
President Trump has declared the truth of Christ’s resurrection in official White House Easter greetings, wishing Christians joy. The Holy Week statement from the President was also not the usual vague presidential fare, with a clear Gospel message: “Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness—signaling that death does not have the final word.” Amen, Mr President. (Presidential Message, White House)
Easter changes everything: “The entire pagan account of where the world came from, emerging kind of accidentally out of chaos via successive episodes of violence and strife — an account shared rather closely by modern secular cosmology and anthropology — is fundamentally in error.” (The Critic)
Crime and Punishment
Courts, Law and Policing
An important piece from Commentary highlights the problems that arise when progressive policies prevent the collection of data about crimes committed by transgender individuals. “We are not systematically collecting or analyzing stats for trans offenders. Apparently, it’s too politically uncomfortable to call attention to transgender people as anything but victims.” (Commentary)
A shooter at Florida State University has claimed the lives of two people and injured six others. The young man was described by class mates as having “extreme” far right views and reports say he had a tumultuous upbringing. (CNN)
A man has turned himself in following the firebombing of the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion last weekend. Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were in the home, asleep when it is alleged that Cody Balmer scaled a fence and smashed windows to throw Molotov cocktails into the house, raising questions about how security measures failed to apprehend him sooner. Balmer was reportedly angry about the plight of Gaza, perhaps targeting Shapiro because he is Jewish. (CBS)
Tribes and Tongues
Immigration and Race
Democrat senator, Chris van Hollen, flew to El Salvador last week to visit deported Salvadorian man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia telling media outlets he is doing what he can to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the US. Appearing on network Sunday shows, Senator van Hoollen admitted he never asked Abrego Garcia whether he was member of MS-13 and said the flight had been paid for by taxpayer money, “like every other [Congressional] trip”. A domestic violence order issued by Abrego Garcia’s wife in 2021 was also uncovered last week along with preorts that he was “credibly implicated” as participating in human trafficking. (Just the News, The Federalist, Red State, Not the Bee)
The Supreme Court of the USA has paused the deportation of some suspected illegal migrant gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. The justices want a chance to think a bit more before they rule further on the matter. (Daily Signal)
Metropolis
Politics and the State
US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, announced a civil lawsuit against Maine last week. AG Bondi said the state was failing to comply with Title IX of the Civil Rights Act by allowing men to compete in women’s sports. Bondi also put other states on notice that unless they change their policies, they will also face lawsuits. (Fox)
The Trump administration will halt the construction of a massive offshore wind project currently being constructed in waters off New York, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum saying a wide-ranging review of existing permits for offshore wind farms is underway. (Washington Free Beacon)
Health
Medicine and Food
The White House has revamped its covid website, featuring a new report detailing how public health officials covered up evidence that SARS‑CoV‑2 virus leaked from a Chinese lab. While ZeroHedge conceded that the wait for “any semblance of accountability” continues, “today's disclosure from the White House is a breath of fresh air over a 'theory' that [conservative] sites…were punished for suggesting.” Corporate news outlets berated the move, saying valuable public health information has been replaced by a theory, insisting “the weight of evidence favors a spillover event” from an infected animal. (ZeroHedge, The Guardian)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has come under fire from parents and advocates representing those with autism for recent comments about the condition. Secretary Kennedy said he is determined to find the cause of rising rates of diagnosis, suggesting that environmental factors were likely playing a role. Disabilty groups said Kennedy is spreading disinformation and “harming” people by characterizing the condition as debilitating, saying his “remarks were inelegant and didn't reflect the diversity of autistic experiences”. (Not the Bee, ABC News)
In a world first, surgeons have transplanted a still-beating heart from donor to recipient. Usually the donated organ is chilled but avoiding this stage may reduce the “risk of heart damage and rejection once it's transplanted into a recipient.” (New Atlas)
Treasure
Money, Markets and Jobs
The European Central Bank has lowered interest rates for the third time this year, to combat sluggish growth and the effects of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. President Trump was unhappy about the news, criticizing the head of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, for being “always too late and wrong” when it comes to dropping interest rates. (The Guardian)
China’s fast fashion giants, Temu and Shein, have announced upcoming price increases in response to tariffs imposed by President Trump. A new executive order also eliminates the existing duty exemption for imported goods valued under $800. While the Biden administration had previously narrowed eligibility for this “de minimis” provision, the Trump administration has now excluded Chinese goods altogether. (AP, MadPxM)
From the Mad☧Tank
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The Wretched of the Curse
News came recently that the US Attorney General is seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealth Care CEO, Brian Thompson. After the senseless and brazen killing shocked America just before Christmas last year, pundits everywhere
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Learning
Homeschooling, Education and Classrooms
Harvard University and the Trump administration clashed last week over $2 billion in frozen federal funding. The university refused to comply with a letter from the Department of Education that demanded it abandon diversity-based hiring and admissions policies, and take stronger action against antisemitism on campus, as conditions for continued funding. However, the White House has since claimed the letter was “unauthorized” and issued in error. (Washington Examiner, CNBC)
While rising ADHD diagnoses among schoolchildren may benefit teachers and pharmaceutical companies, doctors warn that the long-term effects of Ritalin—routinely prescribed as treatment—remain understudied. (The Federalist)
Heritage
Arts, History and Sport
The oldest known scroll of the Ten Commandments is on display at the Reagan Library. Moving the fragile document around is quite an involved process. (Ronald Reagan Library)
Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona’s famously quirky architect is on a path for beautification. (CBS)
A new mag-lev vinyl record player should take bumps and skips out of the LP listening experience. (The Verge)
Hearts and Minds
Philosophy, Hacks and Human Connection
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to today’s CIA, issued advice for sabotaging enemies in 1944. Some of the tips include promoting the worst workers, working slowly and turning everything over to committees! (Kottke)
Middle-of-the-night thoughts might be worth noting down. (Fast Company)
“Societies that fail to develop the hypocrisy norm risk falling prey to crises of trust in which potential cooperators cannot reliably identify those who share their norms.” (Futurity)
And an important observation from Rev Fisk:
The Elements
The Natural World
The Internet is excited about the first footage of a baby colossal squid, chilling in its native habitat deep in the sea. (Schmidt Ocean Institute)
Video shows adult elephants at San Diego Zoo move to encircle calves during an earthquake. (CBS)
That’s prepping! Aerial photos of a Tennessee home show in stark clarity how a levee border protected it from floodwaters. At least 21 people have died in the series of storms which hit the Midwest last week. (Daily Mail)
War and Rumors of War
Conflict and Weaponry
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said last week that the US will “move on” if Russia and Ukraine don’t strike a peace deal very soon. (Just The News) | Russian leader, Vladimir Putin declared a one-day ceasefire over the Easter weekend, but Ukraine says it was still taking hits. (ABC)
Israel has said it will keep armed troops in buffer zones around Gaza, regardless of the outcome of the war. It is also pausing aid from being moved into Gaza to pressure Hamas to hand over hostages. Reports suggest Hamas has been seizing aid as it enters the Strip, selling it to locals to raise money for their war effort. (BBC, Times of Israel) | The Maldives has become the latest nation to ban Israeli passport holders from visiting. Bangladesh has banned its citizens from visiting Israel. (Die Welt)
The US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing criticism once again for a leaked Signal chat, where he reportedly disclosed military plans to family members. The news also comes as the Pentagon has fired three staff members allegedly for leaking documents to the media. (The Guardian, The Hill) | Details of Israeli plans for attacks against Iran’s nuclear program may have been leaked by American journalists to the New York Times. (Jerusalem Post)
The US Department of Defense has said what many are thinking: when it comes to military might, diversity is not our strength. (DOD via X)
Stories From Far Away
World News
🇬🇧 The United Kingdom’s highest court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman restricted to biological sex. (Not the Bee)
🇸🇩 Around 400,00 people have fled a displacement camp in the Dafur region of Sudan after the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control, according to the United Nations. (Die Welt)
🇿🇦 A US missionary has been rescued by police in South Africa, after a shoot out with kidnappers. (WNG)
🇨🇳 China is buying a record amount of crude oil from Canada. (Business Insider)
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City has banned evening tutoring in a bid to ease student stress. “The intense pressure to succeed academically, driven by challenging examinations, has fuelled the demand for extra lessons, causing additional financial strain for less affluent families.” (South China Morning Post)
Quickhits For The Eyebuds
🛗 Jobs from the 1950s which you don’t see any more
🚫 Stuff you shouldn’t store in your garage
🔒 The ancient art of letter locking
🌕 Hey, why not use the moon to set up a supercomputer?
🇪🇸 Spain’s octogenarian skateboarder
🇫🇷 An American visits Costco in France
👑 Never-before-seen Cartier jewellery goes on display at London museum
🛝 A whimsical architectural playground
📢 One weird trick could help you hear better in a noisy room
Good Word: Starfall 2029
There was no podcast this week, but Rev Fisk published a Subscriber Update if you want to know what’s been happening:
Sweetness You May Have Missed:
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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