the YALE LOGOS
an undergraduate journal of Christian thought.
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Dead Come to Life
April 16, 2017 | By Chris Kim BK ‘20
We often like to think of ourselves as untouchable, living as if we are able to choose the day death arrives on our doorstep. We don’t realize the gift of life, and we take for granted every breath we take. For the first time in my life this past spring break, however, death flashed before my eyes, and I was reminded of the incredible fragility of life and the importance of centering our focus on what is truly important in life, which is to seek truth. Granted, I have faced near death experiences before; in Japan, my mom, sister, and I almost got hit by a motorcyclist. Another time, our car was totaled on a crowded freeway in Los Angeles. While both of these experiences could very realistically have ended in my death, I was either too young or the event too short-lived for me to truly ponder the possibility of me dying. This past week, however, I confronted death in a way that I never have before.
"Is Anything Worth Believing In?" The Veritas Forum with John Lennox
April 2, 2013 | by Travis Reginal BK '16
On Saturday, February 23rd, John Lennox rolled onto Yale’s campus for the first time to speak on the question “Is Anything Worth Believing In?” It was part of the widely popular Veritas Forum that brings speakers to campuses in the Northeast to speak on the big issues. Yale lecturer in philosophy, Greg Ganssle, helped to facilitate John Lennox’s argument for Christianity by clarifying some of the claims Lennox made and at times pushed back on them. The event was very much anticipated in the Christian community, as a way to bring skeptical friends to hear someone discuss religion logically, and for the skeptical community it was an opportunity to see a moment where John Lennox may falter and give them a reason for their unbelief.
Jesus: Friend of Sinners
Feb 2, 2016 | by Nicholas Dacosta, DC '18
Jesus Christ has been one of the most influential and controversial figures in history. Embodying a message of radical love and a system of values antithetical to that of his day, Jesus’ teachings were contentious and unpalatable in a world where legalistic obedience and worthiness were inextricably linked. The church, as conceived after the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry, was intended to be the extension and manifestation of Jesus’ message of divine reconciliation here on earth. Historically, however, the church has been a source of division and derision, often creating a dichotomy of us-versus-them between believers and non-believers. This separation between the ecclesiastical and secular flies in the face of the message of the Gospel. Looking closely at the life and teachings of Jesus, we see that isolating oneself from those who are perceived to be “unclean” is completely contrary to the Gospel. Jesus Christ, rightly understood, has always been the defender of the downtrodden, the champion of the disinherited, and a friend of sinners.
Hope and Horror in the Cross
Jan 25, 2016 | By Tori Campbell MC '16
As a child, I grew up both terrified and fascinated by the sculpture of a dying man that hung on the wall of my grandmother’s church. As the priest evenly intoned through the mass, my gaze would slide up to the statue, darting back down when I saw the nails in the statue’s wrists. A few moments later, my eyes would inch their way up again. Invariably, I would end up having nightmares that night, related to the wrongly-accused Jesus hanging on the cross. After a few years, this image of the cross became somewhat sanitized in my mind; it gained the somewhat more dignified title of “crucifix.” Overall, the genre of statue seemed more artistic, somehow more tragically romantic, than frightening. There may, however, be some wisdom in my childhood fear. In fact, the biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ actually has more in common with a horror movie than a romance. That said, in the midst of the cross’ darkness, God’s justice and love for humanity becomes clearer than ever before, and the object of horror becomes a beacon of hope.
Mad Men’s Beatitudes
Oct 27, 2013 | By Evy Behling TC '17
Thanks to Netflix and my (non)existing free time, I’ve recently started to watch Mad Men. The show, if you haven’t seen it, presents a compelling portrait of the dark side of the early 1960s, when America’s consumer culture was coming into full fruition. The main character is the continually frustrating Don Draper, portrayed by Jon Hamm. Don seems to be searching for a purpose beyond his grey-flannel-suit job as an ad man on Madison Avenue. He’s pretty disillusioned, between his difficult childhood and his participation in World War II as a soldier. Even when his long-lost brother tracks him down, Don pays him off to stay away. He is so clearly running away from his past and from himself. Advertising, to him, is a path to happiness:
A Reflection: Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Sept 16, 2016 | By Pedro Enamorado ES '17
I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee
My heart melts with the beauty of this confession. I, a creature of clay and breath, can lean on the Lord of Glory. It makes me pause. It makes me sigh tenderly in delight. What is it like to stand on an immovable rock while the earth around you trembles? I am small and frail. And while the seas rage and the winds blow, and the world crumbles into itself, I stand unshaken on the Rock. Greater is my Lord's healing comfort than those of my mother's arm when I knew that her love would ease my fevers. And as my father's prayers cast away my terrors in the night, His intercession pours courage into my trembling bones. Great is His strength.
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