On Fridays I share articles/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my way.
Things Glen Found Interesting
- Elite Colleges Have Found a New Virtue for Applicants to Fake (Alex Bronzini-Vender, New York Times): “[There is] a new question: ‘Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?’ It’s known as the disagreement question, and since the student encampments of spring 2024 and the American right’s attacks on universities, a growing number of elite colleges have added it to their applications. Caroline Koppelman, a private admissions consultant, has called it the ‘hot new it girl’ of college essays. There’s no evidence that civility mania will improve campus discourse, but it seems poised to widen the inequalities that already plague hyperselective college admissions. The trouble is that the disagreement question — like much of the application process — isn’t built for honesty.”
- Nobody Has a Personality Anymore (Freya India, The Free Press): “Today, every personality trait is seen as a problem to be solved. Anything too human—every habit, every eccentricity, every feeling that’s too strong—has to be labeled and explained. Therapy-speak has taken over our language. It is ruining how we talk about romance and relationships, narrowing how we think about hurt and suffering, and now, we are losing the words for who we are. Nobody has a personality anymore.… This is part of a deeper instinct in modern life to explain everything—psychologically, scientifically, evolutionarily. Everything about us is caused, categorized, and can be corrected. We talk in theories, frameworks, systems, structures, drives, motivations, and mechanisms. But in exchange for explanation, we lost mystery, romance, and lately, ourselves.”
- Recommended by a student.
- Huckabee threatens to declare Israel does not welcome Christians, as visa row blows open (Lazar Berman, Times of Israel): “Given Huckabee’s longstanding support for Israel and close ties with the current government in particular, the rhetoric in his letter represented a shockingly quick deterioration. But the issue at hand — the ability of Christian groups to tour Israel — is close to Huckabee’s heart, given that he has led countless such trips as an evangelical pastor over the past half a century.”
- Recommended to me by a student. Quite interesting.
- My health and my politics walk into a doctor’s office… (Kim Fellner, New York Times): “The vision of a diverse, equitable and inclusive democracy that seems the best of America to me and my community is locked in an existential battle with a MAGA counter-vision that elevates Whiteness and Christian nationalism, and that seems to be colonizing institutions and culture at warp speed. I did not anticipate, however, that the personal and the political would collide in my doctor’s office.… Over a series of written and in-person conversations, we have been sharing some of the tenets of our respective faiths and the implications for how we navigate the world. She and I have sharply divergent views about when life begins and what happens after we die. She believes that the only true salvation lies in accepting Jesus as one’s savior.”
- A Stark Reminder That Sex Differences Matter in Elite Sport (James Smoliga, Persuasion): “The goal was for Kipyegon to become the first woman ever to run a sub‑4 minute mile. Nike set her up with the very best conditions that any athlete could ever expect. Kipyegon ran a mile in 4:06—a remarkable performance by any measure, and a personal best, but well short of the sub‑4 minute goal. While Kipyegon wasn’t directly racing her pacers, they were there to pull her to a time that hundreds of male athletes have already achieved. Rather than charging down the final straightaway alone, leaving the best women in her wake, as she so often does, we saw Kipyegon straining to hang on behind a group of male runners who weren’t even near their limit, as they turned around to cheer her on. This race matters because it offered something exceedingly rare: an honest, direct comparison of male and female performance at the highest level.”
- Israeli Researcher Says Stanford Shunned and Sabotaged Him After Hamas Attack (Maya Sulkin, The Free Press): “[Former IDF officer] Laps alleges that the research assistant in the Danny Chou Lab told Laps during their first interaction on his first day never to speak to her. She allegedly delayed his orders for lab equipment, made him sit elsewhere at lunch, and reassigned her custodial duties to him. Colleagues followed her lead, ostracizing him from the lab community, the suit claims. The most explosive allegation is that the same research assistant, Terra Lin, tampered with Laps’s research.”
- The lawsuit has not been adjudicated, and likely some claims will be substantiated and others not. Sharing because of the Stanford connection.
- The legal complaint is here: https://brandeiscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Stanford-Complaint.pdf
- What YouTube Can’t Teach Students About Jesus (Dylan Musser, Christianity Today): “‘Who (or what) has shaped your faith the most?’ As a campus minister, I have asked this question to many college students over the years. Lately, I have noticed a shift in their answers. This past fall, I sat across from Luke—a freshman at Vanderbilt University. We were chatting over tacos when I posed the question. I watched the gears spin in his head. Would it be a church from back home? A great book? An older mentor who discipled him? Maybe his parents? He leaned back. ‘Youtube.’ I stared blankly, trying my best not to show my surprise.”
- The author leads the Navigators at Vanderbilt.
Less Serious Things Which Also Interested/Amused Glen
- The Joy of Cooking Your Sprite (Jenée Desmond-Harris, Slate): “After a day walking around the dusty grounds, riding a giant swing, and dressing up for old-timey photos, we made it back to the car exhausted and thirsty. And in the back seat (I don’t know if it had been purchased as part of post-outing lunch or was just rolling around back there) was a six-pack of Sprite that had been, well, cooking all day. We each cracked one open, and that’s when I realized something important was happening. It was so good! The soda was hot but somehow still refreshing. The sweetness was softened and the bubbles felt bigger and more luxurious—not like the sharp, sneeze-triggering ones you get when it’s cold. We locked eyes and smiled mischievously. It felt rebellious (look, we were very sheltered kids) and wildly innovative. ‘Cooked Sprite’ was born.”
- What Is ‘Aura Farming’? This Tween Will Show You. (Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times): “On Tuesday, the government in Riau, citing the impact of the video and the fact that he had been ‘inspiring local kids to embrace and preserve their traditions,’ named Dika as a tourism ambassador for the province, and its governor, Abdul Wahid, awarded him a scholarship for 20 million rupiah (around $1,200) for his education. Dika also performed a rendition of his dance along with Governor Wahid and other officials.”
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In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.
Disclaimer
Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey’s agenda and we are not about the elephant’s agenda — we are about the Lamb’s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass the ideological Turing test and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say “I agree” or “I disagree” until I can say “I understand”) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I’ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent. Also, remember that I’m not reporting news — I’m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There’s a lot happening in the world that’s not making an appearance here because I haven’t found stimulating articles written about it. If this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up here. You can also view the archives.