The Daily Article

Selma Esther Ryan died last week from coronavirus at an assisted living facility in Austin, Texas. She was 96. Her older sister, Esther, died at the age of five from the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

In related news, the AP reports: “For a generation, mid-April has delivered some of America’s most cataclysmic moments," like the Oklahoma City bombings.

In these fearful days, it is tempting to look for hope in the wrong places. But Christians know the source of true hope.

THE DAILY ARTICLE FOR APRIL 21, 2020

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of his state's declining coronavirus cases, "God did not do that." Today's podcast discusses his statement, some paradoxical news from the Holy Land, and a surprising path to lasting joy.

ABOUT THE DENISON FORUM

The Daily Article is a daily biblical commentary on the news of the day by Dr. Jim Denison.

To learn more about the Denison Forum, visit DenisonForum.org or email us at [email protected].

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of his state's declining coronavirus cases, "God did not do that." Today's podcast discusses his statement, some paradoxical news from the Holy Land, and a surprising path to lasting joy. To receive The Daily Article via email, subscribe at TheDailyArticle.com.

Candy Land is one of the most popular children’s board games of all time, selling an average of one million units a year. I played it for hours with our kids and have begun doing the same with my grandkids.

But I did not know the story behind the game, a narrative that is remarkably relevant to our time.

One of the fears we all face every day is that our lives won’t count for something significant. None of us wants to leave the world the way we found it. Each of us has a God-given desire to make a difference that matters.

As I was reading Acts 20 recently, I found it to be a powerful model for maximizing our impact in these challenging days.

Candy Land is one of the most popular children’s board games of all time, but I did not know the story behind the game, a narrative that is remarkably relevant to our time.

One fear we all face is that our lives won’t count for something significant. None of us wants to leave the world the way we found it. Each of us has a God-given desire to make a difference that matters.

As I was reading Acts 20 recently, I found it to be a powerful model for maximizing our impact in these challenging days.

THE DAILY ARTICLE FOR APRIL 20, 2020

John Krasinski's online prom is one example of ways we can serve that we could not serve before the pandemic. Today's podcast discusses this theme and invites us to make present-tense decisions with eternal consequences.

ABOUT THE DENISON FORUM

The Daily Article is a daily biblical commentary on the news of the day by Dr. Jim Denison.

To learn more about the Denison Forum, visit DenisonForum.org or email us at [email protected].

John Krasinski's online prom is one example of ways we can serve that we could not serve before the pandemic. Today's podcast discusses this theme and invites us to make present-tense decisions with eternal consequences. To receive The Daily Article via email, subscribe at TheDailyArticle.com.

A Canadian rapper, a heavy metal band, and an Italian opera singer are making news today.

Andrea Bocelli, Drake, and Metallica are all creating headlines for their musical efforts to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

But our victory over COVID-19 depends on women and men whose names we do not know but whose sacrifice is essential to our lives and future.

And, of course, the One whose strength we need most to defeat this invisible enemy is the One who is himself not visible in our fallen world. 

Read more at http://www.denisonforum.org

A Canadian rapper, a heavy metal band, and an Italian opera singer are making news today. Andrea Bocelli, Drake, and Metallica are all creating headlines for their musical efforts to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

But our victory over COVID-19 depends on women and men whose names we do not know but whose sacrifice is essential to our lives and future.

And the One whose strength we need most to defeat this invisible enemy is the One who is himself not visible in our fallen world.

President Trump announced yesterday the White House’s three-phase plan for easing social distancing measures, a subject I intend to discuss in this afternoon’s Special Edition. For this morning, however, let’s shift from news about the coronavirus pandemic to focus on a surprising way to respond to news about the pandemic.

I’m reading Edward Achorn’s Every Drop of Blood, which masterfully sets Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address in its historical context. I have long been a student of Civil War history, but I did not realize the depth of personal rejection and suffering our sixteenth president endured as he tried to lead the nation through her most perilous days.

And yet, Lincoln was famous during the war for his quips and down-home humor. He would often respond to criticism and anger with a story that changed the entire tone of the moment. He once explained his strategy: “With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die.”

The act of increasing and then decreasing our heart rate through laughter is calming and tension-relieving. Laughing can even release stress- and illness-reducing neuropeptides, boosting our immune system.

So, it would seem that finding ways to laugh during a crisis like the Civil War or the coronavirus pandemic is good for us socially and medically.

My point is not that we should always respond to crisis by finding something humorous in it. 

My point is that we should respond to crisis by looking for something transcendent in it.

Read more at http://www.denisonforum.org