Relating to a narcissist: Ed Welch with a thoughtful and empathetic treatment of a growing concern, “Diagnostic labels have their benefits and liabilities. They can help you see certain behaviors. They can also blind you by leading you to believe that everything is a result of the diagnoses, which it is not. For the person who wears the label, the word can be meaningless or offensive. It will not help.”
6 kinds of hearers of God’s Word: Brian Najapfour pulls his list straight from scripture. For instance, “She knows that she has blemishes, but she is afraid to face them. Like someone who avoids the doctor for fear of a bad diagnosis, Mrs. Afraid resists the conviction of the Word. She does not want to be confronted with the cost of repentance.”
A misunderstood grief: Kirsten Black begins, In many ways before losing my son to cancer, I misunderstood grief. I believed that having a right theology of suffering, having a solid understanding of Scripture, and having hope in Jesus would somehow lessen the pain of loss. I believed that the greater the faith meant the greater the hope and because of hope, the less painful grief would be. I realize now that I was sorely mistaken.”
AI and the threat of mutually assured boredom: Trevin Wax ponders, “What captures my attention is a deeper anthropological question: not “What will AI do?” but “What will AI do to us?” In asking that second question, I’m not picturing Terminator-style battles with hostile robots. Instead, I’m wondering about the subtle effects of AI on our humanity. How will these technologies shape our understanding of ourselves and others? How might they alter our self-perception as creatures made in God’s image?”
The 23 best beaches in the USA: Lonely Planet weighs in. What is the best beach you’ve ever been to?

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash