Friends of Christ,

In a culture as politically and philosophically polarized as ours, one of the things to be most highly sought after and most highly prized is reliable sources of information. When I say reliable, I simply mean sources that strive to be truthful and complete in their rendering of the facts AND which are honest regarding the philosophy or ideology through which those facts are filtered, as they inevitably will be.

With that in mind, I’d like to offer several informational sources I have found to meet those criteria of reliability. This is not to say I agree with everything published on these sites, though I do find them to be consistently thoughtful and well-grounded in Scripture. It is by no means an exhaustive list.

1. The Minnesota Family Council’s “Family Beacon Podcast.” This is a weekly digest of state and national news related to the issues of life, marriage and sexuality, and religious liberty. Find it at the Minnesota Family Council website under “podcast.”

2. “The Washington Stand” is produced by the Family Research Council and provides timely articles dealing with current news and matters of public policy from a Christian perspective. Find it at washingtonstand.com.

3. “Breakpoint” is produced by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and offers a daily commentary on one facet of our American culture. It is a five minute or less read and is consistently well written. Find it at www.breakpoint.org.

Also, for those who want to pursue a deeper understanding of our cultural moment that goes beyond the surface news of the day, there have recently been a series of fine book-length analyses. The following are books I have found to offer a handsome reward for the time invested. These include:

1. “Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children’s Rights Movement” by Katy Faust;

2. “The New Abnormal: The Rise of the Biomedical Security State” by Aaron Kheriaty;

3. “The Psychology of Totalitarianism” by Mattias Desmet.

At a time when cultural challenges to the Christian faith are rapidly intensifying, congregational members and those in the broader community are looking to the Church and its pastors and teachers to help them understand the true nature of these challenges and their long-term implications. More than any time in recent history, the pastors and teachers of the Church are being called on to be that person who can provide not just the counsel and comfort of Scripture (clearly their primary calling), but also the person to provide the prudent insights needed to help them live as responsible, Christian citizens, guarding and protecting the welfare of their neighbor, as is our calling in Baptism.

It is my hope that, even if these kinds of cultural issues are not generally “your cup of tea," the kinds of subjects you gravitate toward, you would please consider making an effort to become better informed, so that you can, in turn, be more helpful to those around you. As we live in a culture clearly showing “cracks in its foundation,” one of the ways we show our love for Christ and for our neighbor is by doing our part to build a stronger civic culture. God grant that we might be so motivated.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

In Christ,
Rev. Fredric Hinz
fred.hinz@mnsdistrict.org

Public Policy Advocate
Minnesota South and North Districts   
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod