“And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.”
–Gospel of Mark 1: 10 (NRSV)
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
–Gospel of Matthew 28: 20b (NRSV)
To see you, child, to gaze into your face,
Is to discern more than yourself alone.
For you are gift to us, oh, little one,
Come from the Father of all life and grace.
Here once again we’re called in faith to love,
Drawn to the mystery of this two-fold birth,
The one from heaven and the one of earth:
The one below made whole by that above.
As we renew our vows in this same place,
We sense once more the Holy Spirit move—
Eyes raised to see the white, descending dove.
And you are born again, Savannah Grace.
Here, now—as then—He comes to bring us aid:
This is the promise that the Lord has made.
—Thomas H. Hubert
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.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
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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