News From the Frontlines: September 26th, 2026
Welcome, my friends, to another edition of News From the Frontlines! This week, you’ll find recommendations on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Netflix’s new Narnia adaptation to an apology for animal suffering to a reflection on what the Bible has to say on the topic of angels and demons. Enjoy!
News From the Frontlines:
Recommended Reading, Listening, & Watching
“There is a peculiar kind of misery in disordered wantings, when the good thing you are wanting is sought for or hoped for in less than holy ways. The object itself may be perfectly innocent. But the appetite underneath it is where we see the cancer. For instance, there is nothing evil in wanting a larger house, nor anything sinister in hoping for a happier marriage. Money, health, children, influence, meaningful work, even the respect of others are not inherently wicked things. God has made a world almost embarrassingly crowded with good things because He is a good Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. But no good father gives his child a present with the expectation that the child will thereafter prefer the present to the father.”
May we never abandon a high view of Scripture; for in doing so, we foolishly abandon ourselves to a low view of all those things which matter most, God’s glory chief among them. “The Reformers understood the magnitude of Scripture for faith and practice. They saw it as our unchanging ‘rule of faith,’ to be depended on as ultimate truth and authority, being inspired, sufficient, and inerrant. Although it was costly, they held the authority of Scripture supremely above any other authority, whether it be papal authority or church tradition.”
“And that brings me to the forthcoming film adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books. These films are being adapted and directed by Greta Gerwig, who established her directorial credentials with hits like Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie. The first of them, The Magician’s Nephew, is expected to arrive in theaters in early 2027 and land on Netflix shortly thereafter. For several months, we heard rumors that Aslan might be voiced by a woman, and sure enough, in a preview of a feature for Empire magazine, Gerwig confirmed the role has gone to Meryl Streep.”
“God loves us too much to indulge our delusions. He surprises us with suffering. We encounter the humiliating shock of betrayal. Our financial position declines. Relationships unravel. We fail spectacularly. Something goes sideways, and suddenly we are no longer the respected leader but the subject of suspicion.”
This piece from Seth Lewis reminds me of an observation from C.S. Lewis (no relation), where he says that if you choose to love another, even just an animal, hurt and worry will accompany that decision—and yet it will always be well worth it. “One way to stop worrying would be to stop caring about anyone, and anything. Go find a comfortable spot and keep to yourself. A few acquaintances might be workable, but be very careful not to make any real friends—you’ll end up worrying about them, eventually. Avoid marriage, romance, and commitment of any kind. Stay as far from children as possible. Only gather possessions that you can keep very close, and very safe. Don’t attempt anything that might not succeed. Reduce your expectations.”
This is another interesting video by Gavin Ortlund, wherein he responds to atheist Alex O’Connor’s rejection of the existence of God on the basis of the seemingly pointless suffering that animals endure.
This article by Trevin Wax is a nice companion piece to Ortlund’s video from above. “But in the circles I run in, I think we make too little of angels. I’d like to see more exploration, especially in connection with theodicy and the angelic fall. I think even fantasy writers like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, who understood something of the ancient mind and the medieval conception of the cosmos, have insights to offer in how we think about the primeval world. I believe we have solid scriptural reasons, backed up by theologians and scholars throughout history, to see angels as active stewards and guardians in the world, and we find clues to help us guess at how their oversight is implemented and hierarchy arranged.”
Photo by Sam Knight, Unsplash
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