It's Not Too Late to Start Lent | When Is War War?: The Galli Report

[Liberal Sports Writers? | Which College Degrees Produce Financial Responsibility?] Also: Liberal Sports Writers? | Which College Degrees Produce Financial … | [View online]( [ChristianityToday.org]( [Donate]( [The Galli Report newsletter]( Friday, March 03, 2017 [It's Not Too Late!]( Lent started two days ago, and if you're like me, Ash Wednesday caught you by surprise. I hadn't given a thought to what, if anything, I might give up for Lent. It's a strange and archaic practice in some ways—giving something up, or taking on a new discipline, for Lent. But it does have a way of confronting one with one's weaknesses, and if it doesn't lead to perfect reform, for me it leads to a more perfect repentance. Anyway, if you're looking for ideas, [check out our news story on what people typically do to observe Lent.]( [When Is War War?]( That is not as easy a question to answer. In the age of terrorism, the rules of war, and the rules of peacetime, blur. Particularly since September 11, 2001, the line between war and peace has blurred. The "war" on terrorism that President George W. Bush chose to declare was very different from, say, the confrontations between large national forces of World War II or even traditional counterinsurgency battles on a nation's own territory. Al-Qaeda is a shadowy organization, many of its offshoots and successors even more so. The global and decentralized threat posed by the self-declared Islamic State presents a further complication. [This review]( of Rosa Brooks's [How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon]( helped me think more deeply about the issues involved—and some small steps that might be taken to help those having to make these fine distinctions, in which the lives of men and women hang in the balance. [Liberal Sports Writers?]( I found [this piece]( tendentious, but convincing as far as the argument goes. Something to think about as we enter the season of March Madness—which is another of a series of sports events that punctuate our annual calendar: Super Bowl, NCAA basketball tournament, baseball's opening day, NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs, World Series, and so on. If there is an ideology that permeates sports reporting, it is an ideology that will be "preached" many, many times a year. As I said, something to think about and pay attention to, to discern if it's as true as Michael Brendan Dougherty thinks it is. [Which College Degrees Produce Financial Responsibility?]( [This article]( looks at college degrees by the graduate's eventual credit score, credit card debt, auto loans, home loans, and graduation year. MBAs don't come out looking as well as might be expected. It is the sinful man, the proud man, who believes. But in believing he has nothing more to do with his pride, with himself as the proud man he is.—Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV I page 616 Grace and peace, [Mark Galli](mailto:GalliReport@christianitytoday.com) [Mark Galli](mailto:GalliReport@christianitytoday.com) [Mark Galli](mailto:GalliReport@christianitytoday.com) Editor in Chief, Christianity Today More froM Christianity Today [An Army of Conservative Women]( Women played a surprisingly prominent role in early fundamentalism. [By His Wounds the World Is Healed: a 40-Day Resource Leading Up to Easter]( 40 days of visual inspiration to lead you to show & share the love of Jesus as Easter draws near [The Story Behind the World's Most Complete Graphic Bible]( A conversation with the Kingstone Comics editor who oversaw the massive effort to adapt sacred Scripture into comics form. Follow Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Subscribe to this newsletter]( IN THE MAGAZINE [Current Issue]( [The Benedict Option's Vision for a Christian Village]( [Gene Yang: A Graphic Novelist Caught Between Two Worlds]( [In the Image of Our Choosing]( [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( Related CT Newsletters [CT Connection]( The official newsletter of the global media ministry. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Entertainment]( Reviews and perspectives on movies, TV, and music. [Sign Up Now]( //lists.christianitytoday.com/t/498665068/23299277/584566/0/ [The Galli Report]( Delivered via email to subscribers weekly. [Subscribe]( | [Email Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org]( Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.