When Donald Trump trademarked Ronald Reagan's "Make America Great Again" slogan in 2012, his marketing strategy was intentional and insightful. For older conservatives who had lived through the Reagan years, the slogan hearkens back to an era of supply-side economic policies and the restoration of national morale after the Vietnam War. For younger voters and those unfamiliar with Reagan's speeches, the slogan is less historical than it is rhetorical. In the interest of understanding where this rhetorical power comes from, let's break the slogan down one word at a time, starting with "Again." 

Again: The dictionary definition is fairly obvious: “once more; relating to a previous position or condition.” Again is nondescript, unspecific, and precisely because of that, inspiring. It rallies supporters to charge bravely towards something once held, like King Henry V rallied the troops into battle:
                         Once more [again] unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
                         Or close the wall up with our English dead.

Jesus said it, but before him Confucius said it too. So did the Roman stoic Seneca the Younger: "Do to others what you would have them do to you." So enough talk about closing our borders and building walls. This is the principle that led Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. to lead nonviolent revolutions, and I hope it continues to shape our individual, communal, national and global ethos.

It means trusting others and taking the long view of human nature, trusting that even if someone takes advantage of you at first, eventually, you'll win them over. And in Canada this week, we see the results:

The holidays threw me out of the habit of writing, but I promise to have regular posts again soon. In the meantime, watch this video from Evelyne Reisacher. I studied under her during my M.A., and she became one of my favorite professors for her compassion and insight.

Dr. Reisacher is professor of Islamic studies and intercultural relations, and this video (from an evangelical conference) is a must-watch for Christians concerned about the future of Christian/Muslim relations, Islam and the West, or Muslims in America... especially this election season.

​​In Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis points out that westerners have been largely spared an age-old experience regarding our legal system. 

In the dark about the Syrian refugee crisis? Here's a short video explaining how it started and what it means: