One way to go through life is to turn away from the things that are hard. You can take the easy way, forgoing difficulty whenever possible. Or you can choose to see hardship as an opportunity, as a test or a trial, rather than as an obstacle. It offers a chance to make yourself smarter, stronger, and better. The Apostle James put it this way: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of...

From the book: “Resident Aliens – A Provocative Christian Assessment of Culture and Ministry for People Who Know That Something is Wrong.” By Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon. The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason (1685-1815), radically reoriented European and Western politics, philosophy, science, and religion. Thinkers of the time questioned traditional authority and embraced the notion that humanity could be improved...