“In his book, The Haunting of Bishop Pike, Dr. Merrill Unger chronicles the tragedy of listening to demons and provides a good warning we should all adhere to: ‘The [conveying of knowledge] through demonic power is not free and purely beneficent. They always operate under the principle of compensation, with a price tag attached to them … one that must be paid throughout eternity.’”
— Robin Schumacher
Archive for January, 2026
Thursday, January 15th, 2026
waters of the Jordan
Tuesday, January 13th, 2026“Why did Jesus, who is sinless, choose to be baptized? He steps into the muddy waters of our humanity, not becaue He needs cleansing, but because He chooses to stand where we stand. Scholars like William Barclay describe this moment as a turning point in Jesus’ life. It is a moment of decision, when He leaves behind the quiet years of Nazareth and embraces His mission. It is a moment of identification, when He stands with sinners rather than above them. It is a moment of approval, when the Father’s voice affirms Him as the Beloved Son. It is a moment of conviction, when He accepts the path of the Suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah — not the path of earthly power, but the path of the cross. And it is a moment of empowerment, when the Spirit descends upon Him, equipping Him to proclaim not a God of wrath and fire, but a Father rich in mercy and compassion.”
— Fr Jinto Thomas — 1/11/26
Tuesday, January 6th, 2026
“He ought not have infallibility demanded of him.”
— Mary Cranch to Abigail Adams
Sunday, January 4th, 2026
“Modern multi-billion parameter AI models are scaffolded on and made possible by the largest heist in human history: theft of everything that could be scraped from every corner of the digital spaces we share. Without prevention of and justice for this damage caused by current models, their use is highly fraught, ethically. We, as human beings, have developed complex social forms of intelligence when it comes to dealing with things like credit and provenance, two things that modern models are incapable of. And without monetary and policy recognition of the entire global economy of labor that enabled current AI models, using them is active permission given to the theft of all human art and knowledge.”
Outlook for 2026
Saturday, January 3rd, 2026People have told me my whole life that I’m talented. As if that summed up everything. I was quick to accept and run with it, but wasn’t very old before something about it bothered me, as if it was just the small piece of a whole that remained hidden. Talent is simply the beginning — a gift, but also a profound responsibility. It’s not really worth a hill of beans unless developed with education, discipline, ongoing effort, and perseverance. With that obligation comes the necessity of not only following a worthy impulse, but also conquering the doubts and fears that go with it. More importantly, it requires confronting the inherent pride that was seeded the very first time somebody said, “Oh, you’re so talented.” I don’t think it’s a challenge that ever goes away. For me, it means more than unraveling what it is to be a creative individual, but what it is to be a soul called upon to put all the priorities of divine creation into alignment — to discover, by grace, the truth of my human nature, to understand the pitfalls along the journey that any recipient of talent is compelled to undertake, and to discern my intended role as a cooperative instrument of a greater purpose, as a grateful “agent” for the creative source of everything that was, is now, or ever shall be.