By Stan Friedman

CHICAGO, IL (January 16, 2015) — Many Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos with one another that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.

Africa’s Quiet Solar Revolution

Much of Africa went from having no telephones to using cell phones. Now places where it was just assumed people would have to live without electricity are experiencing better lives thanks to a growing movement of people using solar power, a relatively cheap source of energy.

Through its Congo Clinic Initiative, the Paul Carlson Partnership hopes to raise enough money to provide solar panels for all 108 medical clinics operated by the Congo Covenant Church.

 

Why You Should Tell Your Kids How Much You Make

I love the story that leads this article. The author says it’s more important than ever for children to know the value of money, and a seemingly radical suggestion helping them learn just might make sense. If we don’t tell our kids, we probably should ask why not. Could it be we put too much of our self-worth on what we make?

David Brooks: Building a Better Secularist

David Brooks is one of my favorite columnists, including when he writes about faith. The thrust of his main point here is good, even if the descriptions of the other faiths is more what we aspire even if we fall short. From the article: “It seems to me that if secularism is going to be a positive creed, it can’t just speak to the rational aspects of our nature. Secularism has to do for nonbelievers what religion does for believers — arouse the higher emotions, exalt the passions in pursuit of moral action. Christianity doesn’t rely just on a mild feeling like empathy; it puts agape at the center of life, a fervent and selfless sacrificial love. Judaism doesn’t just value community; it values a covenantal community infused with sacred bonds and chosenness that make the heart strings vibrate. Religions don’t just ask believers to respect others; rather each soul is worthy of the highest dignity because it radiates divine light.

 May Love, Like McDonald’s Burgers, Last Forever

I don’t know what is scarier – that this McDonald’s hamburger is on display at a museum and not decaying, that thanks to a livestream from the museum, people can watch it not decay, or that anyone’s life would be so empty they would spend more than a curious moment watching the burger remain as is. You can bet McDonald’s corporate executives won’t be pointing people to the site since they are trying to turn around a business that lost a net $4.76 billion in 2014 and is the middle of a much-maligned promotional campaign. The “Pay with Lovin” promotion gives free food to randomly selected customers who demonstrate an act of love to another customer. Yet there may still be opportunity here. I suggest a tagline like “May your love last forever – just like our burgers.” If you want to know the science behind why the burger never decays – and isn’t covered with mold – then visit this science link.

Before You Abandon Those Resolutions, Read This

So it’s just over a month into the New Year, and you’ve quite likely already broken every promise to yourself, but resolutions might have been the wrong way to begin 2015 anyway. You might be better off asking yourself one simple question. It’s not too late.