Framed to Maximize Outrage: A Forgotten Paperback and a Civilization in Crisis

Last week, I traveled to Hayden, Colorado to visit my daughter and son-in-law. It’s a quiet town nestled in the Yampa Valley—unassuming, peaceful, and easy to love. One afternoon, we stopped by the local library, where a table of worn paperbacks was labeled “Free to Good Home.” I picked up one I’d never heard of before: The Fixer by Bernard Malamud. The title was intriguing, and the spine was cracked in a way that suggested it had been read more than once.

I didn’t expect much. But as I flipped through the pages at various times and places (morning coffee- Denver airport), I was surprised—not just by how well-written it was, but by how uncomfortably relevant it felt. Set in 1911 Kiev, The Fixer follows Yakov Bok, a Jewish handyman falsely accused of a ritual murder in a case eerily modeled after the real-life Mendel Beilis trial. 

What begins as a tragic historical novel quickly becomes a mirror reflecting modern dysfunction—framed accusations, tribal narratives, and outrage engineered to divide.

Later, I learned the book had been banned in some circles—too graphic, too unsettling. But maybe that’s why it hit me so hard: not because it was inappropriate, but because it was too appropriate.

The Anatomy of Outrage

In The Fixer, a grieving community is manipulated into rage. The accusations against Bok are framed to maximize emotional reaction and political utility. A corrupt system doesn’t just allow it—it demands it.

 As I read, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’re living out a modern version of this script in 2025.

Consider the public treatment of figures like Elon Musk. From labor disputes at Tesla to moderation controversies at X, narratives are selectively shaped to generate maximum outrage. 

A 2024 Media Research Center study showed that 60% of Musk-related news was negative, disproportionately emphasizing scandal over success. Much like the authorities in Bok’s case, today’s media culture often seeks not the truth, but the narrative that draws the most attention—and outrage.

We see this dynamic playing out globally. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for example, is reduced online to tribal soundbites, with nuance sacrificed for slogans. Platforms like X amplify emotion over reason, collapsing centuries of complexity into 280-character pogroms.

A Civilization in Crisis

What we’re witnessing isn’t just poor journalism or platform dysfunction. It’s a deeper sickness—a civilization losing its grip on truth. 

In one scene in The Fixer, a priest’s pseudo-religious theories (so called 'blood libel myth') to a baited crowd are treated as gospel, leading to state-sponsored persecution. Today, conspiracy theories and ideological dogmas do the same—dressed in the garb of activism or authority.

Whether it's the nationalist fervor of the Black Hundreds in Kiev in 1911 or the hashtag crusades of digital tribes today, the root is the same: illogical and unrelenting scapegoating. 

And the results are equally devastating. 

As Proverbs 18:17 reminds us, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” But we’re losing that second examination. We’re losing the tools of discernment, or as long form podcasts remind us.... the follow-up question that few in legacy media are willing to ask.

That’s why I keep returning to the metacognitive tools I’ve developed over the years—things like the Bias Barometer, which helps me weigh claims with Scripture and logic. It's not just about staying informed—it's about staying sane, and faithful.

A Call to Rise Above

Malamud didn’t write The Fixer just to expose antisemitism. He wrote it to show what happens when society replaces truth with tribalism. The book ends with Bok clinging to hope—not because he sees justice, but because he believes in it. His faith echoes the realism of Ecclesiastes and the hope of 2 Corinthians 5:7: “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

In this age of algorithmic outrage, the church has a rare chance to be something different. Not louder. Not trendier..... Truer. The gospel isn’t a tribal chant—it’s the invitation to grace and truth. But we must choose it, daily, in how we respond to the noise.

Let’s challenge poor ideas with reason. Dismantle tribalism with love. And remember that even a forgotten paperback from a small-town library can be a timely prophet. The cycle may be old—but our response doesn’t have to be.

What are things we have forgotten that are foundations and cornerstones of our civilization? I think the biggest ones are God, the value of human beings, and the beauty of the gospel message. I'm tired of the cold dark air.... let there be light!

Time is Ticking Toward the Cross

An Easter Journal

Holy Week is a slow, deliberate journey—and now we feel the pace quicken. Yesterday, shadows began gathering; today, the clock speeds toward the darkest and brightest moments of all time.

Spy Wednesday: The Betrayal Set in Motion

Yesterday, we remembered the chilling events of what is often called "Spy Wednesday."

Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16
"Then one of the Twelve — the one called Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over."

Conspiracy. Betrayal. Greed. Hate. All the darkest forces of the human heart came together. Judas, a trusted companion, gave in to disillusionment or greed (or perhaps both) and agreed to sell out the Savior for the price of a slave.

But even here, the Sovereign Hand of God was at work. Evil thought it was winning, but God was weaving redemption.

Some Methodists celebrate a Tenebrae Service- The word "tenebrae" is Latin for "darkness" or "shadows"- and they tend to include a dark service with candles that are extinguished.

Maundy Thursday: The Final Evening Before the Cross

Today, Maundy Thursday, the clock ticks louder. Jesus spends His last full evening with His disciples, and each moment is packed with eternal meaning.

1. The Last Supper:

Scripture: Luke 22:19-20
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

At the table, Jesus transforms the ancient Passover into a new covenant meal. The bread and cup become living symbols of His body and blood, soon to be broken and poured out for the sins of the world.

2. The Washing of Feet:

Scripture: John 13:14-15
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

In a breathtaking act of humility, the Lord kneels to wash the dirty feet of His disciples. The King of Kings chooses the role of the lowest servant, teaching us that greatness in His kingdom always looks like love in action.

3. The New MANDATE:(Maundy)

Scripture: John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The "Maundy" of Maundy Thursday comes from "mandatum" — mandate, command. Love is not optional for those who follow Christ. It is our mark, our mission, and our testimony.

4. Gethsemane:

Scripture: Matthew 26:39
"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus' raw anguish. The weight of the coming cross crushes down, yet He chooses obedience. His yes in the garden undoes the no of Adam and Eve.

5. The Betrayal and Arrest:

Scripture: Luke 22:47-48
"While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, 'Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'"

The traitor acts. The soldiers seize Jesus. The long night of trials, mockery, and torture begins.

Here is Jesus- washing MY feet, Drinking the Cup of MY deserved wrath, Giving His body to be broken for ME!

Is it too much to ask for me to simply love Him and love others?

Time is Ticking

Every moment carries us closer now — to the scourging, the nails, the cry of abandonment, the final breath.

But every moment also carries us closer to victory.

Stay awake. Stay near. The cross is coming—and after it, an empty tomb.

From Hero to Villain, and the One Who Never Changed

An Easter journal- 

There’s a quote from The Dark Knight that’s haunted me for years:

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

When I first heard it, I thought it was just a clever line. But the older I get, the more it feels like a mirror.

I didn’t set out to be a villain.
I just kept living.
And life, as it turns out, has a way of changing you.

Somewhere along the road, you gather enemies just by existing.
You make choices you regret.
You lose your innocence in bits and pieces—rarely all at once.
And eventually, you start to wonder if you’ve become what you once feared.

That’s when I stumbled across Nietzsche’s words:

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster.
And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

And I knew exactly what he meant.

Because the longer in my mind.....I think I am fighting to stand for what’s right, the more I’ve seen shadows form around me—outside, yes, but also within.

I’ve grown harder. Less trusting. Less patient.
I see through illusions quicker now—but I miss the comfort of having them.

There’s an enigmatic dichotomy at work in me.
I want to be good, but I see more clearly how often I fail.
I want to be a light, but I’ve been shaped by darkness, too.
And somehow, through it all... 

Jesus becomes more radiant.

He’s the only One I’ve ever seen stare into the abyss and come out pure.

Not bitter. Not jaded. Not compromised.
He walked through betrayal, cruelty, injustice, abandonment, and death itself—and He never became the villain.
He stayed tender.
He forgave when I would’ve cursed.
He trusted the Father when I would’ve run.
And when He rose, it wasn’t with vengeance, but victory.

As I age and see more of the world’s ugliness—and my own—I find myself drawn not away from Easter, but toward it.

Not because I’ve become stronger or better.
But because I finally understand just how much I need resurrection.

The promise of eternal life doesn’t feel abstract anymore.
It feels necessary.
And the grace of God?
It’s not a sweet idea—it’s 100% oxygen.

So yes, I’ve lived long enough to feel more like the villain.
But I’ve also lived long enough to know this:

Jesus never became one.
And because of that, there’s still hope for someone like me.

Here are some of those promises:

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

---

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

---

2 Corinthians 4:16–17
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

---

Hebrews 4:15–16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

and of course a song: Staring Into the Abyss

Easter Week Resources

This is such an important week for Christians all over the globe. I have gathered links for content that I published over the years and hope these help you gather inspiration and encouragement this week.

First of all- here is a timeline for Good Friday

A Good Friday Timeline

Song: Why Still The Wound?

The next link is an audio- with graphics of a presentation I gave on Easter Sunday a few years ago

Why I Believe in the Resurrection:

Here are updates on the Shroud of Turin

Updated- Shroud of Turin

Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo

Song Link: Something Happened

This is a great week to reconnect with Christ. 

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
1 Thessalonians 4:14

But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.
Acts 26:22-23

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:6

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21

jayopsis@gmail.com

Let's keep climbing to the glory of Christ!

See you back in a short time.

When Love Grows Cold: Recovering Honor in a Mocking Age

I don’t know if it’s just me getting older, or maybe a bit of nostalgic haze creeping in, but the world just feels… colder these days.

Not temperature-wise—but relationally. Emotionally. Spiritually.

Not just in others...it is also in me. I too laugh at the jokes that are increasingly more jaded. I too lean into to creature comforts that satisfy me first without regard to others.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m just misremembering the “good ole days” that maybe weren’t all that good. But I do remember people loving differently—fervently, even. It felt like there was more honor back then.

 Coaches were revered. Pastors were admired. Teachers were respected. I remember people telling stories of gratitude, tearing up over how a mentor changed their life, writing letters of thanks, standing to applaud someone’s influence.

Now? Not so much.

These days, I hear more mocking than memory. Critique comes faster than gratitude. It’s easy to tear someone down with a tweet or meme, but rare to hear someone rise to speak a heartfelt word of honor. We’re suspicious of sincerity. Everything’s ironic. And I have to wonder—has our love grown cold?

Then I remember Jesus warned us about this.

“Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12

He said it in the context of the last days, when deception and disorder would rise like a tide. The word Jesus used for love here was agape—that selfless, sacrificial kind of love. And He didn’t say it would disappear altogether. But it would grow cold. Chilled. Numbed. Faded.

That sounds about right.

When lawlessness increases—not just in the streets, but in hearts, homes, churches—we lose something sacred. We lose trust. We lose reverence. We lose patience with one another. And that old-fashioned kind of love that’s rooted in humility and honor? It gets buried in sarcasm and suspicion.

The apostle Paul painted a picture of this cultural cold front in 2 Timothy 3:

“In the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money… proud, arrogant… disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy… slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”
— 2 Timothy 3:1–4

It's not hard to read that and think of things we've all seen, maybe even felt. Gratitude is harder to find. Humility looks weak. Correction is seen as abuse, and authority is treated like a punchline. It’s no wonder love struggles to survive in that climate.

But here's the thing: it can be rekindled.

There’s still a choice—to be the one who remembers. We can be the one who thanks the old coach, or tells a teacher what their words meant, or sits with a pastor and says, “You helped me.” That kind of warmth still matters. It still counters the cold.

Jesus told the church in Ephesus something sobering in Revelation 2:

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance... But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
— Revelation 2:2,4

They were busy. They were doctrinally sound. But their love had faded. That hits close to home. It’s easy to let love slip while staying “active.” But without love, the fire dims. And Jesus calls them—and us—back: “Do the works you did at first.”

So maybe it starts there. Small acts of recovered honor.

• Tell a story that lifts someone up instead of tearing someone down.

• Write the thank-you text that’s overdue.

• Teach your kids to honor their elders—not because elders are perfect, but because honoring is good for them.

• Resist the temptation to join in the mockery, the sarcasm, the icy humor that chips away at love.

I don’t want to be part of the “many” Jesus said would grow cold. I want to be part of the few who keep the fire—who still believe in honor, who still give thanks, who still love in the old ways that never really go out of style.

It may feel colder out there. But we can still build a fire in here.

Song: Cold Love

Implied Hope in the Book of James

The word "hope" is notably absent from the Book of James. Yet as we read his compact, punchy, and pastoral epistle, we encounter a persistent thread of hope woven into the heart of his exhortations. James, writing to believers scattered and suffering, doesn't use the word itself, but he builds an entire framework of Christian endurance, godly wisdom, and steadfast faith that leans heavily on the unseen reality of hope in Christ.

Hope, in James, is implied in the way he calls believers to live in the tension of trial and triumph. It’s there when he says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life" (James 1:12). This crown is a future reward. It is promised. It is anticipated. And anticipation, anchored in God’s character and promises, is the very soil of biblical hope.

He tells us to be patient and establish our hearts (James 5:8), to not grumble (James 5:9), and to pray in faith (James 1:5–6; 5:13–18). Why? Because something is coming. The Judge is at the door. The rain is on its way. The fruit will come. The Lord is compassionate and merciful (James 5:11). All of these are hints and shadows of hope pointing forward.

Church history and biblical consensus attribute the letter to James, the half-brother of Jesus. He didn’t always believe—John 7:5 tells us that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, His brothers did not believe in Him. But post-resurrection, everything changed. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus appeared specifically to James after rising from the dead. That personal encounter seems to have transformed him.

James became a key leader in the Jerusalem church. Paul refers to him as a "pillar" (Galatians 2:9), and Acts 15 records him presiding over the Jerusalem Council with wisdom, humility, and authority. He was deeply respected, known for his piety, prayer life, and justice. Early church tradition even nicknamed him "James the Just."

Though he didn’t flaunt his relationship with Jesus (he introduces himself only as "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"), James’s letter reflects a deep intimacy with Christ’s teachings. His tone is pastoral, his words prophetic, and his aim practical—faith must be lived out.

Echoes of Hope and Echoes of Jesus

Some scholars note that James's epistle feels like a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount. Though he never quotes Jesus directly, he echoes Him constantly. From the call to be doers and not just hearers (James 1:22 // Matthew 7:24), to his teaching on mercy (James 2:13 // Matthew 5:7), and his rebuke of swearing oaths (James 5:12 // Matthew 5:34–37), James is deeply shaped by the voice of his older brother.

Jesus taught, "Blessed are the peacemakers," and James urges believers to sow peace and reap righteousness (James 3:18). Jesus said not to lay up treasure on earth, and James cries out against the corruption of the rich and the exploitation of the poor (James 5:1–6).

The Sermon on the Mount and the letter of James share a vision of the upside-down kingdom—a life where meekness is strength, trials refine, mercy triumphs over judgment, and true religion cares for the vulnerable. That kind of life requires hope. Even if James never says the word, his whole letter points to it.

James gives us a gritty, grounded hope. It’s not pie-in-the-sky optimism or vague positivity. It’s a hope that works—through suffering, through injustice, through the grind of real life. James tells us that such hope, though unspoken, is lived. And when it is lived, it transforms everything.

So while James may not say hope, he most certainly preaches it.

And we who live in this tension—between trials and triumph, sowing and reaping, groaning and glory—can read James and hear a steady voice urging us on: "Be patient. Establish your hearts. The Lord is coming."

Using Logic to 'Prove' God

Logic is one of the most powerful tools we have for evaluating truth. It operates through unchanging principles, such as:

• The Law of Identity (A is A)
• The Law of Non-Contradiction (A cannot be both A and not-A)
• The Law of the Excluded Middle (A is either A or not-A)

These universal laws govern not only reasoned thought but also meaningful communication. But where do they come from?

When we label something 'logical' or 'illogical', we appeal to a standard beyond ourselves—a standard that applies across all cultures, times, and circumstances. Unlike human customs or conventions, the laws of logic do not change or evolve. They are discovered, not invented.

But if logic is not a product of human invention, what explains its existence? If the universe were merely the product of matter, time, and chance, could something as immaterial, precise, and universal as logic arise from it?

A purely materialistic worldview holds that everything can be explained by physical processes alone. But can such a framework account for immaterial absolutes like logical laws? If logic were just neural firings, why does it hold true beyond individual brains, binding even the cosmos to its rules?

Imagine a spider randomly spinning silk and, through millions of years of trial and error, developing the perfect web. In evolutionary biology, such adaptations are attributed to natural selection. Natural selection refines physical traits, but logic isn’t a trait; it’s a framework that governs thought itself, transcending biological adaptation. To credit randomness with its precision strains credulity.

Could mere physical processes, governed by chance, produce unchanging, universal laws of thought? The leap defies calculation.

If logic were merely a byproduct of neural activity or social convention, it would be subject to change. But logic does not change—it remains constant, pointing to something beyond the physical world.

Logic isn’t alone in this; its close cousin, mathematics, also hints at a reality beyond the physical. Numbers are not tangible objects, yet they are essential for describing reality. No one has ever seen the number “2,” yet its properties remain consistent. Even more intriguingly, mathematics often reveals truths about the universe before they are observed empirically.

For example, imaginary numbers (like the square root of -1, denoted i) were once considered theoretical but later became indispensable in physics and engineering.

What if God is like that—an unseen yet necessary reality, foundational to everything we experience? Just as mathematical laws require a rational framework to exist, so too does logic. And a rational framework implies intention, suggesting a Mind, not just a force. Could that Mind be personal, engaging with what it has made?

Many skeptics dismiss this idea, pointing to contradictions among religious believers or failings within religious institutions. That’s fair—human imperfections exist.

But what if the question of God isn’t about flawed people, but about ultimate reality? If logic suggests a rational, unchanging foundation, wouldn’t it make sense to explore whether that foundation is personal?

If there is even a possibility that God is real, would it not be worth investigating? Here’s a simple challenge:

Humbly ask:
"God, if You are real, show Yourself to me in a way I can understand."

Then, approach the Bible not as myth, but as a potential window into truth. Read with an open mind.

Humbly ask again:
Does this explain reality better than its alternatives?

My prayer for you:
"Father, You have revealed Yourself powerfully to those who seek You. Please do the same for anyone reading this today. Let them see what is true. Amen."

No doubt, no sin, no past is beyond Christ’s forgiveness for those who turn to Him. If logic itself points beyond the material world, perhaps truth is not just an abstract principle—but a Person. Seek with an open heart, and follow the truth wherever it leads.