Editorial June 22, 1992 Issue

Contests and no contests

Nathan A. Talbot

So much of human existence is sprinkled with contests. Some are relatively benign—the rivalry over who will get the date with the most popular girl for the high-school prom. Other contests are invigorating. Who hasn't felt at least a little passion over finals for soccer's World Cup, football's Super Bowl, baseball's World Series, or basketball's NBA playoffs!

Still other contests carry a different kind of intensity. Consider business competition. Sometimes there are fierce battles among community discount stores. Or global combat may erupt between multinational corporations. And then there are contests between nations. Even tragic conflicts.

At a very different level, the Bible might be thought of as a book about contests, about the collision of competing views and how they influence us or even define our lives. In fact, the Bible is filled with battles that are often described in terms of war between good and evil, the immense conflict between the power of Spirit and the aggressive attraction of the flesh. In one sense, our present lives are continuing stories about these past lessons and insights.

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Editorial
The Dead Sea Scrolls— "a handshake from distant brethren"
June 22, 1992
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