Adoption as Plan-A

There is a renewed interest in adoption among Evangelical Christians--not just as a Plan-B fallback in cases of fertility, but as a wholistic application of the Biblical worldview. This is no small matter--indeed, the Evangelical groundswell has attracted the attention of the Wall Street Journal. Naomi Schaefer Riley explains that adoption is now a "hot topic in the Evangelical community" as Christians begin to understand adoption to be a theological issue, a sanctity-of-human-life issue, a mercy, justice, and humility issue.

Page 69 Test

Have you ever tried the Page 69 Test? I learned of this interesting theory about how to decide if a book is actually worth reading while following the footnote trail--or more accurately, the hyperlink trail--from 43 Folders, to the Christian Science Monitor, to the London Guardian, and then finally to the Page 69 Test itself. Quite an informative journey—and a fascinating exercise. Now, I'm going to try to track down the original Marshall McLuhan source.

Hentoff on Palin

This past spring, Nat Hentoff recommended the little known governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as perhaps the best choice John McCain could make for his running mate. No one paid much attention to Hentoff's Washington Times op-ed piece or to his recommendation. No one except John McCain that is.

Faith and Science

Are faith and science compatible. "Yes, absolutely," says P.J. O'Rourke in his hilarious opinion piece in Search Magazine.

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The March on Washington

The 1963 March on Washington attracted an estimated 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans. Participants walked down Constitution and Independence Avenues, and then—a century after the Emancipation Proclamation—gathered before the Lincoln Memorial for speeches, songs, and prayer.

Televised live to an audience of millions, the march provided a number of dramatic moments—but the most memorable of all was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s stirring I Have a Dream speech. Far larger than any other previous demonstration for any other cause, the march had an obvious and immediate impact, both on the passage of Civil Rights legislation and on nationwide public opinion. It proved the power of mass appeal and inspired imitators in the Anti-War, Pro-Life, and Environmental movements.

As early as 1941 Philip Randolph—international president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, president of the Negro American Labor Council, and vice president of the AFL-CIO—had discussed the possibility of such a march. Thus, he was seen as the chief organizer. But because the march was also sponsored by five of the largest civil rights organizations in the United States, planning was complicated by dissention among the groups. Known in the press as "the big six," the leaders included Randolph and King as well as Whitney Young, president of the National Urban League, Roy Wilkins, president of the NAACP, James Farmer, founder and president of the Congress of Racial Equality, and John Lewis, president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In the end though, they were able to iron out their differences.

On August 27, the marchers began arriving. They came in chartered buses and private cars, on trains and planes—one man even roller-skated to Washington from Chicago. By mid-day on the 28th, more than 200,000 had gathered by the Washington Monument, where the march was to begin. It was a diverse crowd: black and white, rich and poor, young and old, Hollywood stars and everyday people. Despite the fears that had prompted extraordinary precautions—including pre-signed executive orders authorizing military intervention in the case of rioting—the marchers walked peacefully to the Lincoln Monument.

Dr. King, the last speaker of the day, was introduced by Randolph as "the moral leader of our nation." His speech, eloquent on the page, was electrifying. With the passionate, poetic style he had honed in the pulpit, King stirred the audience and built to a extemporaneous crescendo, "I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

As marchers returned home, the organizers met with the president, who encouraged them to continue their work. By all counts, the march was a success. But just three weeks later, the bombing of the Sixteenth St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama—which killed four young girls—reminded all Americans that the dream had yet to be realized.

Past and Present

"Ask counsel of both times—of the ancient time what is best, and of the latter time what is fittest." Francis Bacon

The Past As Future Orientation

"The recollection of the past is only useful by way of provision for the future." Samuel Johnson

On the Nightstand

Truths that Transform

A talk I gave a few years ago, Muslims in Our Neighborhood, will be rebroadcast nationwide in September by Truths That Transform, one of the radio outreaches of Coral Ridge Ministries. The audio files of this very down-to-the-brass-tacks evangelistic message will also be streamed directly on the Coral Ridge website on Thursday, September 11 and Friday, September 12.