Lord have mercy on my son for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire and ofttimes into the water.
—Matthew 17:15
The devil is a man, not unlike
a father who has his faults.
He can’t help but take hold
beneath the blue flame of vein and skin.
He will not be moved, divided from the body
he has made his own image.
Once in fire to forge a dagger,
Once in water to still this breath,
Yet the stink of life lingers.
We cannot kill what we do not own,
fighting for repossession, dying
to save the self, to be set free.
There is always a man waiting, our father,
wanting the way a father wants:
to cast, to reel, fisher of men.
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.
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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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