Losing respect for the Bible?

^{Anti-religion campaign against Christians and Muslims in China}

Recently while reading articles written by PhDs in a Christian University publication, I noticed how these writers who assert their Christian faith and are considered experts in their field of study, do not capitalize the word, biblical. Apparently, not using an uppercase ‘b’ for that particular word is trendy and academically driven by citation/formatting sources such as CMOS, APA, CSE, ASA, and the like.

For the sake of this discussion, biblical used herein refers to the Bible, known as the collection of writings containing both the Old and New Testaments.

I’m also noticing that the pronoun ‘he’ when referring to Jesus Christ is no longer capitalized in contemporary literature, academic writings, and in modern translations of the Bible. In the following passages of Scripture, note the America Standard Version (ASV) versus the New American Standard Bible (NASB) which is considered to be the most rigorously accurate translation of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Biblical sources.

You are to give him the name Jesus; he is the one who will save his people from their sins. Mathew 1:21 ASV

She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 NASB

Do you remember how in old editions of the Bible, the words of Jesus were printed in red ink? Between the caps used and print colour differences, there was never any confusion as to what was being said by/or about whom.

Why no cap on Biblical?

A general reason given for not using uppercase on the word biblical is that capitalizing words is somewhat of a new invention.

AFTER THE STORM – Talking Trees!

Seven weeks following the May Ice Storm, what many consider was the storm of the century . . .

^{Sculptor & Location Unknown}

Damaged tree limbs continue falling because of the wind, heat and subsequent dryness. A sprinkle of rain amid calm hot days restores temporary quiet to our woodland.

The scorching hot days, tornado-like winds, and the smoke-filled air from northern forest fires had given me permission to postpone mowing the lawn and the pathway through our woods. Today, there’s not even a breeze to scatter the haze hanging on the horizon.

Expecting to slice through lengthy grass and thick weeds, instead the mower’s blades are searing off the tops of seedlings, some small, but most well established, leafy and flourishing. In the course of the three hours of mowing, it becomes clear that these seedlings have sprung out in direct line to the few hundred trees that were damaged during the May ice storm. My little grey cells are buzzing… for every bent or broken bough is a carpet of seedlings!

GUNFIRE & ICE

_{^{Photo Credit: Unknown}}

Gunshots? Rapid succession… like a machine gun? Can’t be!

Pull back the drapes. Glistening in the early light of morn is an icy gloss coating trees that shout transformation. The green of leaves is barely visible through the weighty wet glass that covers them along with their now encumbered branches.

Crack! Screech! Thunderous crash! Old trees flip out of the earth, baring long, gnarly roots as their thick trunks collapse on the ground.

Incessant popping… the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard… all are meagre attempts to describe the cry of limbs long and full splitting from trees and smashing lifeless to the frozen floor of the woods.

Fifty-plus trees uprooted
_{Photo Credit: A. Riley}

THE ART OF AGING – Part III: Change

CHANGE… one word that pretty much describes aging—physical change, mental change, emotional change, location change, career change, spiritual change, relationship change… Even our goals change as we journey through the later years of our lives.

Aging often entails the need to make changes, and that the types of changes older people must consider are particularly pressing.ⁱ

Some of us handle change well, and some of us don’t. Why is that? Can managing change in a wholesome manner be learned? Can change be avoided?

THE ART OF AGING – Part V: Friends

A Friend In Need

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge 1903

Friends come, they go, and they stay. There are instant friends—you know, the ones you click with on first meeting. There are passing friends—the ones you connect with on an overseas trip or special work project, and even though you stay in touch via technology, the friendship link soon dissipates. Maintaining long-distance friendships is difficult at the best of times. One also can’t ignore that with aging comes changes in our friendships.

And, there are the friends that some people have that become part of their forever life.