THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn
The images in a new video produced by the North American Mission Board serve as reminders of how devastating were the tornadoes that ripped through Illinois, Indiana, and other Midwest states Nov. 17.The two-and-a-half minute clip also tells how Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and local churches, like FBC Washington, helped residents begin to pick up the pieces.
“I don’t know what we would have done, honestly,” says one storm victim helped by DR volunteers. “And it’s such a blessing.” Read more about tornado relief efforts in the Dec. 16 issue of the Illinois Baptist, online here.
Other stories:
Race, religion and Santa Claus
Fox News’ Megyn Kelly stirred up controversy when she said on air that Santa Claus is white – and Jesus is too. Her comments, made in response to a story on Slate.com, have revived a national conversation on the intersection of faith and race. Kelly’s reference to Santa got plenty of press, probably more than her statement about Jesus’ race. But culture writer Jonathan Merritt says it’s important to remember the Bible is mostly mum on the Messiah’s appearance.
“As some historians and theologians have posited, the silence of the Scriptures on the issue of Jesus’ skin color is critical to Christianity’s broad appeal with people of various ethnicities,” Merritt wrote for The Atlantic. “In a world where race often divides communities and even churches, the Biblical depictions of God’s son positions him as one who can bridge those divides.”
View Kelly’s response to the controversy on foxnews.com.
Bible reading tips for everyone
“Stress the simplicity of the Bible, and the people you are hoping will read the Bible next year may begin to wonder if they’re just too dumb to understand it,” says LifeWay’s Trevin Wax. On his blog, he offers advice on “How to get people to read the Bible without making them feel dumb.”
Thousands leave jobs for restaurant gigs
Not really, but @tipsforjesus probably has some considering a change of vocation. Across the country, people are leaving huge tips for restaurant servers under that tag line. The gratuities – some for thousands of dollars – haven’t yet been linked to a specific group or organization, but some believe former Pay Pal executive Jack Selby is behind the generous tips. Read the full story at ChristianPost.com.
Jesus is most successful meme ever
Two researchers have named Jesus the most successful meme in history, based on an analysis of Wikipedia entries about Him. Wondering exactly what a meme is? We were too. Merriam-Webster (via Wikipedia) defines is as “an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”
Steven Skiena and Charles Ward have compiled their findings in a book, “Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank.” Following Jesus on their top 10 list: Napolean, William Shakespeare, Mohammad, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Aristotle, Alexander the Great and Thomas Jefferson.
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