The Galli Report: 10.30.20

Jeane Dixon! Patriot Christians! Essentials! Bad Decisions! Prayer! The Pope! The Welder-Poet! All in one edition!!

Not Your Typical Election Links
It’s hard to avoid relentless commentary about Tuesday’s election. But nearly every piece is about what might happen if this or that happens. It’s not news. It hardly qualifies as opinion. It’s mostly speculation. Or prophecy, sometimes of the Jeane Dixon variety.

I’m dating myself. Some of you will recall that back in the day, she predicted the assassination of President John Kennedy, and was consulted by President Nixon as well as Nancy Reagan. Some years before her 1997 death, she predicted that in 2020, we would see the beginning of the end of world. We’ve certainly seen, thanks to COVID19, the end of a world as we know it. So she got at least a couple of things partly right.

At any rate, instead of the usual fair, here are election-related links that are, to me anyway, a little more interesting.

The first is a report (not an opinion!) by my friend at The Washington Post, Sarah Pulliam Bailey. What I like about the piece is that, instead of just shouting “Some evangelicals are nationalists!” she actually went out and found some people and churches that are—and took the trouble to interview them. You know, like a journalist does.

Moving from the concrete to the philosophical, here is a list of different things that wise people have said is the one essential for holding society together. The list itself suggests that maybe there isn’t just one thing. Maybe you’ll find something you heard your favorite candidate say….

“Common Causes of Very Bad Decisions” is offered by me as a playful way to analyze decisions of our leaders, as well as give us pause as we enter the polling booth!

Finally, I give real help. During a season when it’s hard to stay focused, especially in prayer as we worry about who will get elected or what initiative will or will not pass, here is a “prayer to cleanse your mind from distracting thoughts.”

What Does the Pope Think?
Especially about global issues that should concern Christians at this moment. It nearly goes without saying that when the Pope speaks, even Protestants listen, if not always agreeing. I think this analysis by journalist John Allen sums up the encyclical well and its possible import in the years ahead.

The Welder-Poet
Finally we move on to one of those things that beautifully transcends this uber-political moment: poetry. Don’t stop reading! Instead, watch this video about “The welder-turned-poet who fell in love with words in a Glasgow shipyard.” It helped me think more deeply and carefully about words. (HT to B. Scoles).

Grace and peace,

Mark Galli
markgalli.com