Invade it, says Christopher Null in Wired. In “I Monitor My Teens’ Electronics, and you should too,” he says when he gave his teens cellphones when they hit sixth grade. He laid out a number of rules:

And this rule was above all else: The devices all belong to me and my wife, and we are entitled to see anything and everything on them.

When Did the Modern World Begin?

At the crucifixion of Jesus, argues Tom Holland in his new book, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. We all should probably read this book, but it is 624 pages. So maybe this fine book review by Matthew Rose will suffice to grasp the book’s argument:

Today, we view human beings as individuals defined by their abilities to reason and to choose, capacities that endow them with moral equality. Holland tells us there was nothing natural or inevitable about this perspective; it is the result of a metaphysical earthquake, two millennia ago, that slowly altered our perception of human life. The idea that God died on an instrument of torture, that the Eternal could be revealed through humility and suffering, did not change human history overnight. But it suggested the possibility, dimly understood at first, that the world might be utterly different than it had seemed to be. Perhaps it is not the victors but the victims who are closest to the divine.

A Mother’s Grace and Courage Under Pressure

January 27 was the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Lots of good pieces surrounding that occasion, but this one I found especially moving: The letter my mum left for us - moments before she was killed at Auschwitz.

To Tax or Not to Tax, that Is the Question

CT’s January/February cover story argued against exempting churches from taxes—uh, it was controversial, as expected. The article itself ran a sidebar, arguing the opposite, to suggest that the main article was not necessarily CT’s point of view but that this is a conversation the church ought to be having. Michael Wear, chief strategist for the AND Campaign, offers a strong rebuttal in CT’s Speaking Out department.

Evangelical Integrity in the Public Square

Aside from our duty to proclaim the gospel, the other thing expected of us—even by unbelievers—is that we’ll be consistent in our moral pronouncement and behavior. This is my argument in a recent Los Angeles Times op ed.

Greatest. Quarterback. Ever.

Okay, so I’m biased as a 49ers fan. At any rate, as the 49ers and the Chiefs head toward the Super Bowl, a look at Joe Montana’s greatest games (in both uniforms!) is worth a look. Here’s a short version. Here’s a longer version.

Grace and peace,

Mark Galli

Markgalli.com