A leader told us the story of “Lou,” a man he met in a small group shortly after joining their church. Lou and his wife had been in the church for more than fifteen years. He had been a deacon for a time. He had a wonderful wife; his kids were active in the church. On the outside, everything looked great. A few months of sitting in the small group did nothing to change anyone’s opinion either. Lou didn’t speak out a lot, but when he did, it was worth listening to.
In response to this week’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida (February 14, 2018), a man named Michael Ian Black, whom I’ve never heard of but who is apparently an actor and comedian, invited a “conversation” on Twitter that began with the following statement: “Deeper even than the gun problem is this: boys are broken.”
Since the release of his recent bestselling book, 12 Rules for Life, and the immense online popularity of an interview with him on British TV, the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson has exploded into mainstream evangelical consciousness. While Peterson has been quietly building up an extensive following for a few years now, over the last month many people who had not previously heard of Peterson have been surprised and often confused by the strength and the character of his appeal.