The Daily Briefing highlights the news of the day and research that reveals the spirit of the day.
The Daily Briefing is a newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning that provides biblical insight on today's news.
Top News
6. Sole apparent survivor of Air India crash walks away from wreckage (USA Today)
“Rescuers were combing the smoldering wreckage of an Air India passenger jet that crashed moments after takeoff Thursday in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 200 passengers and dozens of people on the ground. One passenger was known to have survived the crash, India’s home minister, Amit Shah, told reporters in Ahmedabad on Thursday night. "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," he told an Indian newspaper.
“The plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed into a medical college about a mile southwest of the city’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. As night fell and smoke hung in the air, heavy machines worked to untangle charred pieces of the aircraft at the crash site, and their operators treaded carefully to avoid all-out structural collapses."
He should have lost his life in a plane crash, but he ended up gaining an unimaginable appreciation for life after the crash. Nando Parrado, in his book Miracle in the Andes, chronicles how he and 15 teammates survived a plane crash in the Andes back in Oct. 1972. Before the crash, he was known as a member of the Uruguayan rugby team; after the crash, he persevered for 72 days until he was finally rescued.
“I had always thought that life was the actual thing, the natural thing, and that death was simply the end of living. Now, in this lifeless place, I saw with a terrible clarity that death was the constant, death was the base, and life was only a short, frgile dream…Death has an opposite, but the opposite is not mere living. It is not courage or faith or human will. The opposite of death is love. How had I missed that? How does anyone miss that? Love is our only weapon. Only love can turn mere life into a miracle, and draw precious meaning from suffering and fear.”
For the Christian, Frederick Buechner writes that “death is not any more permanent than sleep is permanent.” Referring to the stories of Lazarus and the daughter of Jarius, Buechner noted that “death is the closing of one door but the opening of another one.” Tragically, lives were lost but thankfully, because of the resurrection, every life can be saved. (Mk. 5, Jn. 11)
5. Israel launches dozens of strikes in Iran, IDF says (WaPo)
“Israel launched five waves of airstrikes on Iran starting before dawn on Friday local time, killing Iran’s top three military officials and at least two prominent nuclear scientists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military action sought to crush “the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program.” More than 200 warplanes struck at least 100 targets across Iran, including the main building of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, residential compounds of prominent individuals, and the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
“At least several months ago, Israel’s top spy agency, the Mossad, began to smuggle missiles into Iran and secretly installed swarms of explosive drones deep inside the country, laying the groundwork for a devastating Israeli surprise attack on Friday morning. As Israel launched its air attack, the Mossad activated its planted drones, which struck missile launchers at a base near Tehran, a senior Israeli official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence operations. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said Israel “should anticipate a harsh punishment.” Iran deployed at least 100 drones to Israel immediately following the strikes.”
If you build it, they will come… Reports indicate that Iran already has enough highly enriched uranium to make roughly 10 nuclear weapons. That number jumps up to 19 within 3 months. Earlier this week, the head of Iran’s atomic agency said Tehran would accelerate its production of near-weapons-grade uranium and open a previously unrevealed enrichment site.
Iran with nuclear weapons, not the ramifications of an Israeli strike, is the real threat, according to Michael Rubin. Writing for the National Security Journal, Rubin highlights how Iran could be a paper tiger and Israel, as of late, has shown itself to be a real force. “Perhaps a more modest approach would be to acknowledge Israel’s ingenuity: It castrated Hezbollah and has Hamas on the ropes. It has not only assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists in the heart of the Islamic Republic, but it stole Iran’s entire nuclear archive and managed to kill Hamas’ leader inside a secured Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guest house.”
There is no such thing as a lost cause because there is no such thing as a gained cause, according to TS Eliot. Wins are gloriously temporary; defeats are momentarily painful. Throughout the years, prejudice and hate have compelled and wrongly justified violent acts against the people of Israel. The names of their enemies have changed (Hamas, Assyrians, Amorites, Hittites, Hivites, etc.) but our marching orders remain the same: pray for the peace of Israel. (Ps. 122)
4. Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles (CBS News)
“Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Los Angeles Thursday morning providing an update on immigration operations and protests in the area, when she was interrupted by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, who was then forcibly removed from the room.
“Noem was describing what she called the "burdensome leadership" of California's governor and the mayor of Los Angeles, when Padilla interrupted and attempted to ask a question before being pushed from the room. He could be heard yelling, "I'm Sen. Alex Padilla and I have questions for the secretary," as he was escorted out of the room."
Get Out Of My Dreams? More like get out of my press conference, Billy Ocean. What happened at the press conference is a form of gesture politics, which describes the value of symbols when dealing in the public square, regardless of whether they have any real effect. Essentially, the goal is public attention more than substantive action.
In his work The Fall of Public Man, Richard Sennett traces gesture politics back to Alphonse de Lamartine during the French Revolution. He stressed how the crowds began to prefer authenticity over competency. "What was perceived when people watched someone behave in public was his intentions, his character, so that the truth of what he said appeared to depend on what kind of person he was." The modern leader, according to Sennett, “destroys any distance between his own beliefs and impulses and those of his audience, therefore focusing his followers on his motivations.”
Vox Populi, Vox Dei? Contrary to popular belief, the voice of the people is not the voice of God, as the Latin phrase suggests. In this populist moment, both sides are appealing to the passions of the people to justify their actions. The heat has been turned up, causing people to overreact. Is it possible that Sen. Padilla could have asked his questions in another way or forum, like in a Senate committee hearing? Is it possible that the officers should have realized that their state’s junior senator was not a threat? As Aaron and the people of God found out the hard way, the passions of the people don’t equate to the blessing of God. (Ex. 32)
Cultural News
3. Consumers expect to spend $24 billion on Father’s Day (TBP)
“Spending for Father’s Day is expected to reach a record $24 billion this year, up 7.14% from a year ago and $1.1 billion ahead of the previous record set in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey.
“The survey found 76% of consumers plan to celebrate Father’s Day, slated for June 15. Average spending is pegged at $199.38, nearly $10 more than last year’s average. The spending estimates are not adjusted for inflation, which remains elevated on a year-over-year basis… Younger consumers between the ages of 35 to 44 years old are expected to be the biggest spenders at $278.90 on average, up $27 from a year ago.”
Let’s Hear It For The Boys (Dads) – Deniece Williams and kids this weekend. A recent study identified 3 different types of dads, measuring their aspirations for fatherhood versus reality: egalitarian (aspired to be equal with their partner and takes an equal share of the caregiving; 30 percent), conflicted (aspired to be equal with their partner but is unable for a variety of reasons to do an equal share of the caregiving; 38 percent), and traditional (believes the wife should do the primary share of caregiving and this is lived out in the home; 32 percent).
Research indicates that a father opens up a child’s world. Dads are more likely to encourage their children to take risks, all the while supporting them and helping them to learn to be brave in unfamiliar situations. Other studies have suggested that roughhousing with a dad helps kids learn boundaries, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and to take on challenges that appear daunting. In addition, kids who grow up with a dad in the house are more than twice as likely to graduate from college and significantly more likely not to be idle in their young adult years.
Fortunate Son? You can say that again, CCR. Parenting serves as a doorway to the divine, allowing the dad to have a greater understanding of how God relates with us. He exercises patience, moves mountains, and loves us beyond comprehension. It's hard to believe God loves my kids more than I do, but perhaps that's why the Bible says God's love is incomprehensible. (1 Tim. 1:16, Rom. 8:28-29, Eph. 3:17-19).
News You Can Use
2. Detroit woman booted for making PB&J during Zoom court hearing
Watch it here. “There is a time for everything…” (Ecc. 3:1)
1. No Pool. Just Pain…
Watch it here. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” (Pro. 13:12)
