When Yahweh created the world, His Spirit hovered over the waters to transform the empty waste into glory and beauty. When Yahweh re-created the world in the tabernacle, His Spirit hovered again, this time over the craftsmen Bezalel and Oholiab, to whom He gave wisdom to make things.
The Spirit overflowed to everyone. Skilled women spun purple and scarlet material and prepared coverings from goats’ hair. Wise men constructed the furniture of God’s tent.
The Spirit continues to re-create through us, by granting us the wisdom to glorify the world and each other.
The Spirit gives skill to teach and to lead and equips people for what may seem to be lesser tasks – service, generosity, mercy, help, administration. Whatever the Spirit equips you to do, do it; and watch the new creation take shape under your hand.
No one is left out of this work. No one can take a pass. There are no spectators. Each of you has unique wisdom for this work of new creation. There is no room for envy: “The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you.” Nor is there room for despising your own gifts. When we despise ourselves and envy others, we despise the Creator Spirit.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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