Last week, we asked you what your favorite Intersect articles were. And boy did you respond. You flooded our inboxes with your favorite picks. Most of you stuck with more recent articles. Others went back and found one that resonated with you from earlier in the year. All in all, you nominated 59 different articles.
Without further ado, here are your top 5 Intersect articles of 2018.
1. The Inconsolable Longing of Christmas
A sense of anticipation and longing shrouds Christmas Eve. Shelly Durkee paints a picture of what that longing looks like for her, and she points us to the One we’re longing for. Here’s why this article resonated with so many of you:
This article touched the soul of Christmas for we have a deep longing not just for Christmas but for the child of Christmas and the joy, peace, hope and love he brings. Shelly has captured it very well. You feel you are there with her after the service closed and the music was done. There is the desire for more and the assurance that there is more. It is a great article.
— Bob D.
This article moved me to tears! Such rich writing to reconnect me to the miracle of Christmas. It really touched my heart.
— Jill F.
2. God and the Creative Impulse: A Tribute to Stan Lee
Spider-Man. Hulk. Iron Man. The X-Men. Stan Lee was a brilliant artist who created these (and other) infamous characters. Jarryd Bowers penned a tribute to Stan Lee after his passing, and this article resonated with many of you. Here are some of your comments.
Growing up wasn’t easy. I would escape life within the walls of a library or bookstore. Books became a great escape. Comics even better; and when Stan Lee started to come into my life, I tried very hard to read everything he wrote/designed. Only now, after accepting my Savior, do I realize that he was constantly pointing us to that need within ourselves. Thank you, Stan Lee!
— Jenn B.
I’m a comic lover. I enjoy the characters and their stories, and in this article I could see how comics, in an imperfect way, show the need we all have for a Savior. Stan Lee created a fictional world with heroes full of imperfections that we all appreciate. God created the real world which received the perfect Savior that many despise.
— Edward C.
I loved that the article communicated (better than I ever could) a truth I had long believed and attempted to share with others: that as image bearers to the ultimate artist/creator, we as humans are co-creators and that our art, our creations, are ultimately for His glory.
— Lesli C.
3. Spending Time with a God Who Loves You
God loves you. Have you ever considered what an amazing truth that is? Ashley Dannelly invites us to spend time with this loving God, and you found her words deeply encouraging.
As a pastor we can get caught up prepping and reading the scriptures to feed our congregation and forget about our own soul. This article reminded me ofd the important of feeding my own soul.
— Ryne F.
Spending time with God is one of those disciplines I often find myself doing to “check the box” but not really sitting at Jesus’ feet in worship.
— Austin M.
4. (Tied) How the Grinch Steals Christmas
Doug Ponder brings his trademark insight to the Christmas season with this popular Intersect article. Here’s what you said:
I like this article because I can sometimes be “the new Grinch in town.” In an effort not to be swept away by the consumerism of Christmas, I find myself rejecting the good common grace gifts and experiences that God gives during the holiday season. The last two paragraphs are refreshing reminders of the goodness and freedom of the gospel.
— Aaron S.
I love how this article connects one of my favorite secular stories to the true meaning of Christmas and expands upon it.
— Nik B.
4. (Tied) Seeing the World for What It Could Be: Playfulness and Christian Culture Care
Brandon Terry is a part of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture’s Mentorship Program. In this post, he reflects on the importance of playfulness and culture care. Here’s a reason you enjoyed this article:
I love that the issue of play is discussed in a Christian article. [I like] the line, “Playfulness is where art and morality meet.”
— Phillip S.
Beyond the Top 5
Not every article that you nominated made the top 5. But many of you uniquely resonated with other articles, and we wanted to share some of those comments.
Several of you nominated Demystifying My Depression by Casey Evans. Here’s why Sunjay A. appreciated this article:
I, like Casey Evans, struggle with depression and know that many Christians are not equipped for dealing with it. I am glad that a fellow brother was bold enough to address the issue of depression and work to demystify.
Ruth W. appreciated If We Want to Love the Poor, We Must Be Near Them by Annie Lavi.
This year, I discovered the ideas of Christian community development, and it reignited my hope that there was a way that Christians could do something positive in impoverished and/or underprivileged communities. While we’ve at least started to realize the well-meaning Christians who go on short-term mission trips or simply give money to people in economic need can often do more harm than good, I think Annie Lavi’s article tells us that we are really the ones in need of a new worldview. Rather than addressing need and poverty as something alien to ourselves and as other, we should share the needs and burdens of others as though they were our own. We need to be near the poor, just as Jesus was, and we need to incorporate them better into our life as the Church.
Sheldon Bleiweiss penned a powerful retrospective on the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, The Night That Paved the Way for the Holocaust. Brian S. was haunted by Bleiweiss’ words.
I didn’t – like – this article in the usual sense (it isn’t entertaining, or uplifting, or even remotely a ‘fun’ article to read), but in the spirit of answering the question “why did you like it [the article]?” It was a powerful , eye-opening, and convicting article, especially since I wasn’t aware of what Kristallnacht was. I think the last paragraph summarized the article’s intent and its significance and power for me better than I could, so:
“The Holocaust did not start with gas chambers. It started with politicians dividing the people into ‘us’ vs. ‘them.’ It started with intolerance and hate speech. It continued when people stopped caring, became desensitized and turned a blind eye. Our choices in response to hatred truly do matter. If we are sincere when we pledge ‘liberty and justice for all’ and truly believe in and practice the Golden Rule, we can help fulfill the promise of ‘Never Again.’”
Nathaniel S. appreciated Dayton Hartman’s piece, You Don’t Need a “Calling” to Do the Work of God. He said,
This article hit home with me. For the longest time, I have been. As someone who serves in full-time ministry, I have had multiple people call me out because of my “calling.” Scripture mandates ALL believers to take the Gospel to a broken and dying world.
We could go on and on with your comments. But we’ll conclude with Allison S.’ response to Questioning the Self-Care Movement by Yana Conner
When Girl Wash Your Face hit the scene, I was really concerned about how many women at my church and in my community we’re praising the ‘truth’ Hollis offered. Conner’s article didn’t directly address the faulty thinking in the book, bit she did offer helpful dialogue in talking with friends who fell in to the self help trap.
Which article was your favorite, and why? Tell us about it in the comments.
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