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Matt Van Swol @matt_vanswol - After seven years away, I’ve been back in church for 6 months straight with my wife and kids.
I've learned a lot.
One of the most underrated parts of church is that it might be one of the last places left in America where people of all ages actually interact, face to face.
Nearly every single Sunday, my kids sit beside grandparents.
Teenagers and kids serve coffee/donuts to adults twice their age.
Not a single person is staring at their phone.
Not one.
It's such a contrast to normal daily interaction.
Even when we’re “together,” we’re usually alone, each person scrolling through their phones or walking by with AirPods...
Even if you don't believe in Christianity at all, just the social and emotional benefits of church are undeniable.
Church requires you to interact with people, face to face.
You can't hide behind your phone, and I love that.
It brings back awkwardness and it's funny and incredibly sweet to watch my kids stumble through a conversation with someone they don't know.
You can’t scroll your way through it.
I don't agree with every teaching, but where else is anyone teaching you and your kids morality?
The public schools?
Social media?
Podcasts?
Netflix?
You're crazy to think that if you don't take your kids AND YOURSELF to places that challenge you to be better, to places where you can be held accountable, where people know you, know your life, your family...
...that somehow morality, kindness, compassion, and virtue will just magically spring forth from you and your family?
Of course not.
But the opposite is true.
I realized we spend an AWFUL lot of time consuming media and content that produces the OPPOSITE effect.
Things that make us angry.
Things that feed ego, not humility.
That glorify comfort, not character.
And over time, I think it dulled something in me, it made my cynicism feel normal and, embarrassingly, it made faith, in anything, feel stupid.
Speaking just for me... Church has been the antidote to that.
Not because it’s perfect, DEFINITELY NOT, far from it.
But because it’s real.
There are real people showing up EVERY week trying to do better, trying to love better, trying to BE better.
And I’ve missed that.
For seven years, I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.
https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1980698035916083231
Max Velocity @MaxVelocityWX -
https://x.com/MaxVelocityWX/status/1980768220987683194
Mayor Brandon Johnson @ChicagosMayor - After receiving billions in tax cuts, our wealthiest corporations can afford contributing a small percent of their profits to keep Chicago safe and affordable.
https://x.com/ChicagosMayor/status/1981104861493285010
Mayor Bruce Harrell @MayorofSeattle - I am proud to announce a police contract to unlock unlimited growth and direct dispatch for @CARE_Seattle while strengthening police accountability and recruitment. This delivers on our promise to create a comprehensive, diversified public safety system.
https://harrell.seattle.gov/2025/10/22/cares-next-phase-mayor-harrell-delivers-permanent-and-significant-expansion-of-diversified-unarmed-response-unlimited-crisis-responder-hiring-and-direct-dispatch-for-thousands-of-incidents/
https://x.com/MayorofSeattle/status/1981100282319978994
Mayor Eric Adams @NYCMayor - It has been over a month since we've called on the City Council to work with us to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, once and for all.
This isn't about ending tradition or putting people out of work. It's about safety for New Yorkers and animals.
https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/1981038451265778147
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