The Faith of Jackie Robinson

A NEW FILM about Jackie Robinson, titled 42—the number he wore during his historic career—tells the triumphant story of how the Civil Rights icon integrated professional baseball by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But there’s a mysterious hole at the center of this otherwise worthy film.

The man who chose Robinson for his role, and masterminded the whole affair, was Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford. In their initial meeting, the cigar-chomping Rickey makes it clear that whoever will be the first African American in major league baseball will be viciously attacked, verbally and physically. So Rickey famously says he’s looking for a man “with guts enough not to fight back.” He needs someone who will resist the temptation to retaliate. Robinson agrees to go along with it.

But where did Rickey get that crazy idea and why did Robinson agree? The film doesn’t tell us, but the answers to these questions lie in the devout Christian faith of both men  To cont. reading, click here…

Here’s the video of Os Guinness at SITC!

If you care about America, Os Guinness’s talk at Socrates in the City last week was profoundly important.  Please click here to watch the video! SITC is thrilled to offer it to the general public at no cost for a limited time.  Please share it as widely as you like!  And please do get a copy of Os’s book, “A Free People’s Suicide:  Sustainable Freedom and the American Future.”  Finally, for my Breakpoint commentaries on the book, click here.

Please pray for Chuck Colson

This past weekend I had the privilege of emceeing my friend Chuck Colson’s annual Wilberforce Weekend in Lansdowne, Virginia.  After I introduced him last Friday, Chuck spoke, but within a few minutes he became seriously ill.  An ambulance took him to a nearby hospital and on Saturday morning, doctors operated to remove a pool of clotted blood on the surface of his brain.  The doctors are now “cautiously optimistic,” but Chuck is in critical condition and he desperately needs our prayers.

As Chuck recuperates, I have the honor of guest-hosting Breakpoint, the daily cultural commentary that Chuck has been doing for nearly two decades.   Chuck has been a hero and mentor to me for many years.  I love and respect him more than I can say, and I ask your prayers that I might do Breakpoint justice until he returns to the mike.  May it be as soon as possible.

For a Christianity Today update on this story, click here.  To visit the Colson Center website and for updates on Chuck’s condition, click here. To visit Breakpoint, click here. And for a superb column (”A Nixonite Redeemed:  Colson’s Rise and Fall”) written by my friend, National Review editor Rich Lowry, click here.

L@@K! 2011 Canterbury Medal Speech Videos!

Receiving the Becket Fund’s 2011 Canterbury Medal for Religious Freedom was a humbling honor.  Soli Deo Gloria! For an article excerpting the speech, click here. For more photos, click here. For PART I of the speech video, click here. For PART II, click here.  For PART III click here. For Chuck Colson video, click here.  For the Pres. George W. Bush video, click here!

George W. Bush is reading Bonhoeffer!

In remarks yesterday, Laura Bush said George W. Bush was reading my biography of Bonhoeffer!  To see The Hill Blog, click here! For today’s Politico article, click here! For the C-Span video, click here! Her comment comes at the 25-min mark.  And here’s the Washington Post mention!

Do You Know Michael Craven?

I met Michael and his family this past summer at Camp-of-the-Woods.  (below), which, by the way, was absolutely fantastic!  In fact, I’ll be back  there to speak next July.  But the best part of it all was meeting amazing people, and Michael is at the top of that list.  He heads the Center for Christ & Culture in Dallas, which you must visit immediately, by clicking here. (Do yourself a big favor and sign up for his weekly commentaries!  If ten more people sign up, I’ll win a ten-speed bike!) Ahem.  I’ll be speaking at Michael’s church in Dallas this week — Oct. 22nd.   If you know anyone in the area, please let them know! For info, click here. I’ll also be speaking the next morning in Grapevine at the Wingmen’s Fellowship.  For details, click here. Hope to see you there!  For Michael’s latest commentary, click here.

Eunice vs. Teddy

To read Ross Douthat’s latest NY Times column, click here.  It’s a wonderful column, and it’s extraordinary to think that their deaths were separated by a mere thirteen days.  For more on the “pro-life Kennedy” click here.