The Journal

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Two Caesars

Two statues standing near each other in Freedom Plaza, a Founding Father and the enslaved soldier who helped row Washington across the Delaware, prompt a reflection on why America needs a shared, honest story of its founding, true enough for a divided country to gather around together.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Reading Washington Again at 250

George Washington's Farewell Address, in full, published in honor of America's 250th, with a few passages that stuck out to the Clapham staff.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Toy Story 5: Pads, Parents and Play

Toy Story 5 is Pixar's most quietly serious film in years: a stirring defense of present fathers, embodied play, and the imaginative life of children in an age of "always listening" screens.

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Jonathan Markgraaff Jonathan Markgraaff

Fatherhood: A Love That Lays Itself Down

A Father’s Day reflection on what defines fatherhood: quiet, self-sacrificial love a man offers to the mother of his child and to the next generation.

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Libby Scroggins Libby Scroggins

What Screens Can’t Give Us

Booed commencement speakers, phone-free hangouts, record Broadway attendance; the most digitally saturated generation in history is staging a counter-reaction, and what it reveals is not a trend but a deep human hunger reasserting itself.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Naked No More: Faith and the Public Square

When faith is excluded from public life, the vacuum doesn't stay empty—and whether what fills it is generous and pluralistic or reactive and coercive depends on choices we still have time to make.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Does the F-Bomb Still Shock and Awe?

Making goodness fashionable again may be the most subversive act available to us, repairing the broken windows of our language before the coarsening of our public discourse becomes the only standard our children know.

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Mark Rodgers & Libby Scroggins Mark Rodgers & Libby Scroggins

The Final Fight

A tribute to the late Dr. John M. Perkins — and an introduction to Salt and Light Songs, a new series pairing musicians with the stories that inspired them.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

America: Between a Rock and a Bad Bunny

As America nears its 250th anniversary, our growing cultural and political fractures, symbolized by a divided Super Bowl halftime, threaten the shared experiences that bind us together. Considering the upcoming halftime performance, Principal Mark Rodgers encourages fostering common ground by choosing unity without uniformity.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Creative Capital at Work

Mark Rodgers invites readers into three storytelling projects from MORE Productions that carry forward the Clapham tradition of sharing creative capital to bear witness to faith and the common good.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

New Songs

Mark Rodgers reflects on Johnny Cash and rural decline, arguing that rebuilding social capital—through family and shared cultural meaning—is essential for renewed flourishing.

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Mark Rodgers & Sarah Robinson Mark Rodgers & Sarah Robinson

Lessons and Carols to Rebuild Social Capital

Mark Rodgers and Sarah Robinson reflect on how holidays highlight the everyday strain of polarization, and argue that rebuilding social capital—through curiosity, humility, courage, and bridge-building at home—is essential for shared flourishing.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Road to Redemption or Radicalization?

Mark Rodgers considers the turn toward organized religion among young males suffering, and emphasizes the importance of good discipleship from their religious leaders as they look for stability.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

Who are the Rich Men?

Mark Rodgers examines what Oliver Anthony’s musical appeal reveals about rural America, and extends an invitation to all of us to listen more carefully and uncover common ground.

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Mark Rodgers Mark Rodgers

The True Dividing Line: Part Two

Following up on our September newsletter, we consider what it how our understanding of truth is being reshaped in an age of digital media and AI, reminding us of the importance of critical thinking and shared dialogue to find common ground.

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