Who’s up for a round-up? Here are some of the best things I’ve read recently:
1.
When the Earth was flat: a map of the universe, according to the Old Testament
So interesting! Very similar to C. S. Lewis’ Perelandra, too (no accident, I’m sure). As a visual thinker but a sloppy reader, I’m always grateful to people who take the trouble to render accurate diagrams of worlds we’ve read about.
2. Will suffering make your marriage better or worse? Someday, I will read something I don’t like by Jen Fitz, but today is not that day. This is actually an old post, but it’s oh-so-worth another read.
3. Modesty and the Ontological Shaming of Both Women and Men My sister, Abby Tardiff, wrote this excellent piece about modesty and ontological shaming for The Personalist Project. If you’ve gathered the impression that we can correct the misogyny of the modesty police by coming down hard on men who are, by their nature, all piggies, then this short essay will recalibrate your thinking. On behalf of my sons and my husband, I’m grateful for this piece, and I’d love to see more understanding between sexes on what ought to be a shared struggle to learn how to treat each other well.
4. The always-entertaining Deirdre Mundy gleefully delves into the Church’s long history of body-snatching, still (um) alive and well in the highly unspiritual tussle over Fulton Sheen’s remains. I have a hunch Sheen would be vastly amused by the whole thing, even though I know the last few years have been painful and discouraging for the people who just want to see him canonized already.
5. Again, not new, but worthy of another read: a heartfelt, moving piece by Tom McDonald on the day his beloved father died after a long illness.
6.And speaking of links, here’s a mesmerizing GIF of a machine making a chain. So that’s how!
My 7-year-old saw this and said, “Wow! I need that! I wonder how much it costs. Think of all the things I could do with it! . . . Actually . . . ”
Okay, stop looking at the chain thing for a minute, if you can, because I have one last thing:
7. Today is Amazon Prime day, which means there are sales on all kinds of items. If you’re thinking of buying something today, please consider using the link of my friend Jennie Durran, who could really use a boost this month. Just click on this link and it will take you straight to Amazon, and you can shop as usual — but every time you buy something, Jennie gets a small commission. Effortless for you, potentially a big help for her! Thanks so much.
