Unpop Culture

The winter months have not been kind to our family’s health. Sicknesses of numerous kinds have wreaked havoc on our weekly schedule, taking up any writing time I might otherwise have had. Through all the complications, we are still aware of God’s provision and favor. Lord willing, I can return to a weekly blog writing schedule soon. Thank you all for your patience and prayers. UPDATE: Now that we are home from the hospital and the most dangerous of Elanor’s pertussis symptoms have subsided, life is beginning to return to normal. This blog will once again be updated every week, starting this coming Tuesday.

Eliot wasn’t your typical baby. That became obvious in utero. In fact, the doctors told his parents, Matt and Ginny, that Eliot might not even make it to birth. He did make it to birth, but without his feeding tubes and constant supply of oxygen, he was still in danger of dying. Matt and Ginny took shifts so that one person could sleep at night while the other kept watch over Eliot. Even with such dedicated attention, his life remained incredibly fragile. You see, Eliot had a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18 . Only half the children who have this disease are born alive, due to “heart abnormalities, kidney malformations, and other internal organ disorders.” The story of what happened after Eliot’s birth is beautifully captured in what is probably my favorite YouTube video of all time: 99 Balloons , by Igniter Media . It is a poignant and life affirming story. You can watch the six minute film below. Okay, don’t ignore the video and keep readin...

I can take even the smallest incident and use it to prove my own superiority. When Shannon and I got sick a few weeks ago, I was tempted by the thought that I was a better person because I got over my sickness more quickly than she did. Chivalrous, right? My heart wanted to turn a normal life event into a competition—all so that my self-esteem could get a little pick-me-up. Maybe you don’t use innocuous circumstances for one-upmanship, but how do you act when faced with a hotly debated topic like abortion? Let’s say you’re of the conviction that unborn children are distinct entities that have been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights , including the right to life. Such a stance is, I believe, true to science, logic, and biblical teaching. Nevertheless, it is a stance based on knowledge that must be used rightly. Truth was never designed to be a weapon of mass destruction, but that’s how we often treat it. It’s too easy to turn a healthy exchange of ideas i...

I have a problem: I want to be famous. As a college student studying film and video, my “famedom” took the form of wanting to win an Oscar for my amazing abilities, purportedly for the glory of God. Hindsight is 20/20, and I can more readily see how my aspiration was really for the glory of Cap. To date, I haven’t produced an Oscar-winning film. And even though that ship has been unmoored (it’s getting ready to set sail), I still find in myself a desire to be publicly lauded and appreciated. To a certain degree, I think we all want that. (Yep, I’m dragging you all down with me on this one. I don’t want to hang out in this dirty pit alone, so welcome to the club.) Which brings us to the example of C. S. Lewis. This past November marked the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death. A recent national conference, The Romantic Rationalist: God, Life & Imagination in the Life of C. S. Lewis , sought to explore the key to Lewis’ influence. To begin with, though, conference host John Pip...