<p class="button-wrapper"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://bit.ly/Crux-Community"><span>ALL ACCESS FOR $8/YEAR</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://ccda.org/celebrations-of-empire-are-not-new/" target="_blank"><div class="image2-inset"><source type="image/webp" /><img alt="green grass field near brown concrete building during daytime" class="sizing-normal" height="2003" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1630199179552-3d4dbb495940?fm=jpg&q=60&w=3000&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8Mnx8YW1lcmljYW4lMjBmbGFncyUyMGluJTIweWFyZHxlbnwwfHwwfHx8MA%3D%3D" title="green grass field near brown concrete building during daytime" width="3000" /><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg fill="none" height="20" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="1.5" viewBox="0 0 20 20" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2" fill="none" height="20" stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="pullquote"><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not represent those of my employer, any affiliated organization, or any institution with which I am associated.</strong></em></p></div><p>“A local real estate agent put American flags in our yard last week. We found them after a quick trip to the grocery store. My daughter pulled them up after words that communicated a mix of wonder and disgust. Things that I have said and done taught her to do this. She is a living mirror of my deepest theologies. She does not already have a conclusion in her nine-year-old heart about the idols of this country, but she knows what mine is.” </p><p><a href="https://ccda.org/celebrations-of-empire-are-not-new/">Read the rest of my reflections on America’s 250th Birthday on CCDA.ORG!</a></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>A NOTE ABOUT MY WORK</strong><span>: I started at </span><a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA">AROCHA USA // Center for Beauty and Resistance</a><span> on July 1. Caring for God’s creation, teaching others to do likewise and nourishing whole people and fruitful communities is aim, goal and calling. If you </span><a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA">DONATE</a><span> you will be made a founding member. And if you’d like to learn, grow and serve alongside us, click </span><a href="https://bit.ly/Lets-WorkTogether">here</a><span>!</span></em></p><div class="digest-post-embed"></div></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><strong>Let me know what you think! I look forward to the conversation and comments because our screens make us into lonely consumers but God made us to be a vibrant, liberative community.</strong></p><p>In Christ and for His Glory,</p><p>jonathan</p><p class="button-wrapper"><a class="button primary" href="https://thecrux.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://bit.ly/IVPBeautyandResistance" target="_blank"><div class="image2-inset"><source type="image/webp" /><img alt="" class="sizing-normal" height="1500" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Sao!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18a9ddfc-62b1-4d8b-ba7f-ee2907e48450_971x1500.jpeg" width="971" /><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg fill="none" height="20" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="1.5" viewBox="0 0 20 20" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2" fill="none" height="20" stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div>