Sunspots 601

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Relevant tells us five things we need to know about prayer.

(and History) National Public Radio reports on how Martin Luther went viral (in 1517!).

A Relevant article favors sexual abstinence before marriage, but points out that this doesn't mean that a couple will have "great sex" on their wedding night.


Food: National Public Radio reports on a truffle auction. Would you believe 6 figures for a truffle?

History: ListVerse on why many of us think things are really bad (for example, that our children are less safe than in the past) and why we shouldn't think so.

ListVerse also discusses the craziest (and most violent and fraudulent) Presidential election in U. S. History. It wasn't the one in 2016.

Humor: National Public Radio reports (in verse!) on sculptures created by Dr. Seuss.


Politics: The Oxford Dictionary has made "post-truth" (!) the word of the year. Relevant and Sojourners react to that choice.

Science: Scientific American tells us why skaters don't get dizzy when they spin.

Scientific American also has photos of Ceres, a dwarf planet. Here's the Wikipedia article on Ceres.





Image source (public domain)

Looking back to the good old days

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this. (World English Bible, public domain)

We often say, or think, about the "good old days," before there was so much traffic, or when money was worth more, or our health was better, and when, we often think, people were less nasty and sinful. I've done it myself.

I'm not sure how far to take the advice of the writer of Ecclesiastes, whoever that may have been, to stop doing that. It's pretty clear that the book takes a dim view of a lot of things! It is also true that the Israelites were often reminded, in various ways, that they were better off when they were worshiping God as they should have, and that they should return to that attitude. But at least one aspect of the statement quoted is true. We can't go back. Even if the old days were better than our present circumstances, we aren't going to be able to live in them again. Things and people decay and disappear. Things and people change. We change. We can learn from the past, we are deeply influenced by it, we can even be inspired by it, but we live in the present, for the future.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your present, and live for your future.