President Obama delivered his final State of the Union address last night.

If you have images disabled or have trouble viewing this message, please view in browser. Also: Forward this email to a friend.  President Obama delivered his final State of the Union (SOTU) address last night. He described his administration’s accomplishments while addressing our fears about national security and terrorism.

The lasting value of the annual SOTU is not primarily legislative. Since 1965, only 39.4 percent of SOTU initiatives have been passed at least in part by Congress. The larger significance of last night’s speech is more visceral. The president sought to articulate a message of hope and optimism, seeking to unify Americans around a vision for the future.

However, The Washington Post noted that “the gulf between his vision of a unified America, one he has trumpeted from his earliest days on the national scene, and the political reality has never seemed wider.” The Post lists guns, immigration reform, Middle Eastern refugees, the Iran nuclear deal, the opening to Cuba, and war and terrorism as issues over which we are more divided than ever.

Continue reading Denison Forum – WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF OUR UNION? →

Last night’s college football championship game made history. Alabama had already won more titles than any other team. By beating Clemson, which was ranked number one in the country, the Crimson Tide added another trophy to their remarkable collection. (For more on the game, see Mark Cook’s 3 Aphorisms that Explain the Clemson Alabama Game.)

We want to leave a legacy. We want to build something that outlives us to show the world that we were here and our lives mattered. The builders of Babel are in the Bible because their story is our story: “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4).

God dispersed them, not because he opposes our leaving a legacy, but because he wants to build it. In the next chapter we find his promise to Abram: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. . . . in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2, 3). The people of Babel wanted to build a city—God wanted to build a nation.

And not just any nation, but a people through whom he could bring the Messiah who would bless “all the families of the earth.” If you’re a Christian, you’re part of “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Continue reading Denison Forum – ALABAMA WINS AGAIN: HOW TO LEAVE A LEGACY →

The Golden Globes were presented last night. The Revenant won for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor, Drama. The film tells the story of one man who overcomes enormous odds to avenge his son’s death. (For more on the film, see Ryan Denison’s review.)

The Martian won for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor, Musical or Comedy. It tells the story of one man who overcomes enormous odds to return to life on Earth. Steve Jobs won for Best Screenplay, Motion Picture. It tells the story of one man who overcomes enormous odds to create a company that revolutionized the computer industry. Jennifer Lawrence won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture. She portrayed Joy Mangano, who overcame enormous odds to establish a business empire.

Do you see a pattern here?

Continue reading Denison Forum –What the Golden Globes tell us about us →

The Powerball lottery is played in forty-four states, Washington, D.C., and two U.S. territories. The drawing to be held tomorrow has grown to over $700 million, the largest in history. Every hour, between $5 million and $10 million in Powerball sales are expected in California. Clearly people want to be part of such a huge jackpot.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Show is continuing through tomorrow. It seems appropriate that the show is in Las Vegas, since so much of what is being revealed is a gamble—for inventors, producers, and consumers. A robotic dog, a smart ski airbag vest, and an alarm clock that wakes you by using scents are among the inventions unveiled so far. Companies must think we want ever-smarter technology, because that’s what they’re creating.

In Teach Us to Want, Jen Pollock Michel reports on a new field of psychology called “wantology.” According to her, “A wantologist helps clients verbalize their latent, unrequited desires and moves them toward achieving happiness by identifying the ways they can satisfy those desires. The goal of wantology is to help clients connect the dots of desire: what do they want, and how do they get it?”

Continue reading Denison Forum – POWERBALL NOW $700 MILLION, LARGEST JACKPOT EVER →