Contending for the Gospel

  We're bombarded, aren't we? A constant stream of "better" – better status, better success, a better image, all validated by the fleeting applause of likes and shares. Every notification promises something shinier, something more. But if you're anything like me, amidst all the digital sparkle, there's often a nagging sense of…emptiness. That's why William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair," written centuries ago, still resonates so deeply. It cuts through the noise and speaks directly to that quiet ache in our hearts. More than just a witty satire of 19th-century British high society, "Vanity Fair" is a stark warning. Read it with a discerning eye, and it becomes a mirror, reflecting how easily we fall into the very traps we claim to despise. It exposes the seductive power of the "fair" – the marketplace of worldly desires – that pulls us away from what truly matters. Thackeray cleverly borrowed his title from John Bunya...

  Faulkner's  The Sound and the Fury … it's a tough one, right? It's not exactly a feel-good story, and you certainly wouldn't call it a straightforward, "Christian" novel. The writing is all over the place, the timeline jumps around, and the characters are just… broken. They're weighed down by so much sorrow, selfishness, and a whole lot of unspoken pain.      But here's the thing: even with all that darkness, there's something else going on beneath the surface. A thread, almost hidden, that resonates with biblical truths. For those of us who follow Jesus, this book isn't just a literary masterpiece (which it is, of course). It's like holding up a mirror to our own souls, forcing us to confront some uncomfortable realities. And it's a powerful canvas for seeing the gospel in a fresh, maybe even unsettling, way.      Let's be honest, it's not a light read. But then again, neither is the cross. And sometimes, it's through t...