The Great (and Lonely) Gatsby

“I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others—young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.”

—The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless classic, The Great Gatsby, reveals a mystical tale of a man (Jay Gatsby) infatuated with opulence, obsessed with reliving the past, and secretly engrossed in loneliness.

 

How Do We (and Our Kids) Know God Is Really There?

It’s common for RTB to receive book recommendations, manuscripts, and review copies of books. For the most part we’re unable to review them, but now and then someone on staff will spare some time to check out a book that catches their eye.

That’s precisely what happened with Melissa Cain Travis’ How Do We Know God Is Really There? (Apologia 2013).

 

42: The True Story of an American Legend

Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York, April 15, 1947 — “The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind.”¹

On this spring afternoon, a young baseball player sporting the number 42 would take first base and change the history of the game forever. The support and criticism following Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the “color barrier” in baseball served as a microcosm of the racial tension that persisted across the country in the 1940s. Nearly 66 years later, Jackie Robinson’s story unfolds onscreen in the feature film 42.

 

A Review of HISTORY’S The Bible

***Sandra and Maureen are taking a week off from blogging fun. They’ll be back to their usual schedule next week. In the meantime, please enjoy this guest post by RTB’s Dean of Online Learning (and former film reviewer) Krista Bontrager.***

 

DNA and Proteins’ Excellent Adventure

Perhaps you remember this scene from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure:

Bill: The truth is, Wyld Stallyns will never be a super band until we have Eddie Van Halen on guitar.

Ted: Yes, Bill. But I do not believe we will get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video.

Bill: Ted, it’s pointless to have a triumphant video before we even have decent instruments.

Ted: Well how can we have decent instruments if we don’t really even know how to play?

Bill: That is why we need Eddie Van Halen.

Ted: And that is why we need a triumphant video.

Both: Excellent! *air guitar*

At first look, this scene might not seem relevant to a discussion on the origin of life. But when you’re trying to explain mutually interdependent systems to a 16-year-old, you take what you can get.

 

For Your Consideration

Cinephiles everywhere will salivate this Sunday as they tune in to watch the 85th Academy Awards. Part of the fun for viewers is picking a winner worthy of a tiny golden man.

While we here at RTB might never win an Oscar for feature-film endeavors, we do have a few new podcast features to offer for your consideration.

 

Grand by Design

It’s as busy as Grand Central Station. This New York landmark, correctly referred to as Grand Central Terminal, is often thought of as the epitome of chaos. Rightfully so. I happened to be there on its 100th birthday, February 1, 2013. The terminal teemed with performers and cameras, with local commuters undeterred from their path, and with overwhelmed tourists trying to soak it all in. Displayed above the chaos: an astronomical mural framed by intricate architecture.

I exhaled slowly and thanked God for the quiet reminder of his handiwork. Then I looked with new eyes at the hectic scene on the ground.

 

Demystifying Prayer

Technology begets humility. Just ask my coworker and I how long it took us to sync a new keyboard to my Mac. What should have been a quick setup took a few phone calls to our onsite Mac guru and a lesson on how to find the power button. (We’ll take some whipped cream with that humble pie, please.)

As it turns outs, syncing new equipment isn’t as complicated as we make it out to be. Sometimes the solution is right in front of us waiting to be examined.

 

Why Would God Allow Natural Disasters?

No one likes natural disasters. They can devastate entire areas and cause human suffering and death, leaving people to wonder why God would allow such calamities. If God created the earth for the benefit of humanity, why is it sometimes inhospitable to its inhabitants?

 

Christmas Reflections from Take Two

Songs of Joy to Come

Lunchtime conversations at RTB run the gamut from comics to Christian doctrine to the qualities of a good churro. Recently, we shared what our favorite Christmas carol is. Digital Outreach Director Phil likes “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” even if its lyrics are a bit creepy. Copyeditor Elissa admits N Sync’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” is her favorite because it brings back wonderful childhood memories. And blogging cohort Maureen likes “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” In particular, she loves the third verse, which declares that Christ was “born to raise the sons of earth.”

My favorites are “O Holy Night” and “Someday at Christmas.” The latter doesn’t mention the first Christmas specifically, yet both songs hint at the joyful hope we have in Christ.