Jason Locke's Blog

An important attribute of wisdom is that it attunes our ear to the cry of the needy. You aren't yet a wise person if you don't do these two things. First, you must have an ear for wise reproof (Prov 15:31-33). We could speak about this for a while, but today I'm more interested in the next part. Second, you must have an ear open to those who are really in need (Prov 24:10-12). If you turn a deaf ear to those who are struggling, you will get no help when you need it (Prov 21:13). This assumes growth in your ability to discern between real needs that truly require your attention and the so-called "needs" of those who should stop being a mooch. Wise individuals are those who correctly hear the needs of others and act upon what they hear. By contrast, fools are self-centered and unable to hear the voice of others. Some foolish people "serve" others, but they do so in self-serving and self-promoting ways. Other foolish individuals pretend...

The pen is mightier than the sword. This old adage has been put to the test lately. Before Christmas, Sony Pictures pulled its farcical comedy about an assassination plot on North Korea’s dictator. Cyber-attacks along with additional threats struck fear into the hearts of Sony's higher-ups. After public pressure from the White House and from various free speech advocates, Sony rethought its stance and released the movie. This week, two terrorists stormed the offices of Charlie Hedbo , an irreverent yet serious weekly paper in France. Their scathing critiques of politics, society & religion provoked a broad range of responses from across French society: fandom, laughter, scorn and apparently hatred. Their depictions of Muhammad were a lightning rod for Muslims. They repeatedly poked fun at Muhammad and at Islam. This so angered radicalized Muslims that multiple threats had come to the editors of Charlie Hedbo who were under constant guard. The terrorists were st...