Prolegomena to Re-entry

Nancy and I just got back from a two-week vacation in Ireland late last night. We had a glorious time, and I wanted to register just a few thanks before we get back to a semblance of normal around here. And you know that by “normal,” I means posts that address the overpopulated monkey cage that is the current state of our public discourse. But let’s put that off another day, shall we?

First, we wanted to thank the congregation of Christ Church for giving us the gift of such a wonderful vacation. I thank God for such a wonderful group of thoughtful saints — “I thank my God upon every remembrace of you” (Phil. 1:3).

Second, we wanted to thank the people of Ireland. What a consistently cheerful and friendly group of people! From waitresses to people volunteering to help with a flat tire, and from those folks to just about everybody else, warmth and friendliness was the characteristic note. In a place where American tourists must be about as rare as the green bushes are, the consistent and genuine interest in what we were about was striking.

And third, we were blessed to meet up with some like-minded Christian folks who are fighting the good fight. In every place, God has people who can follow the argument, who “get it,” and we were impressed with their courage, grace, warmth, and hospitality. Our thanks to them as well.

Before we left for Ireland, someone in the congregation sent me a copy of Johnny Cash’s song about Ireland called 40 Shades of Green, which we think was a gross understatement. What a marvelous island.