Two Pour Spirits

Being alone will give you vertigo. You'll get lost in your own head and your eyes will cease to cooperate with reality's demand. You'll probably start to enjoy blurriness. Like espousing the belief that living alone is the same thing as loneliness. Or "love" is just another word for "obsession." Wake up! We were not made for individualism and the infatuation it begets. 

In this tenth episode of season four, on common grace in culture, Chris and Kyle discuss Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Vertigo, and how it applies to hopeful neighboring. Believe in reality. Don't be gullible. Rem...

Why don't cats ever smile? Shouldn't eggs last longer than a month? How come turkeys don't know camping etiquette? Have you ever sat there—delighting in a sip  on your coffee—only to be interrupted by robin refuse—worm, feces, dirt? How did things get so screwed up? Surely it couldn't have been by accident. The Fall is real, and we can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel it all around us. 

In this ninth episode of season four, on common grace in culture, Chris and Kyle continue their mini-series on Alfred Hitchcock films. This episode they analyze...

Wouldn't it be ideal and idyllic to live in a society in which we don't have any secrets? Any and all information would just float out there in the ether for the taking—even by apes, angels, and aliens. Silly mistakes could hang on drying racks for the whole world to see. Everyone would know your business, and there would be no judgment. No shame. No pity. 

In this eight episode of season four, on common grace in culture, Chris and Kyle continue their mini-series on Alfred Hitchcock films. This episode they analyze Hitchcock's film, I Confess. Chr...

There's the reply guy who believes it’s innocuous but is totally being extra. And the baddie who accepted the promposal and made all the chaperones shake their heads. And the braggadocious Brad who was caught in 4K kicking that poor old man’s Buick, and then blamed it on the bruzz. Oh, and the neckbeard who, for a few chortles from his tribe, revels in rage-bait and ratcheting up online smoke.  

In this seventh episode of season four, Chris and Kyle record an "excast" on why we need more repentance in our Republic (and a lot less...

What are eyes for? Not side eyes or Gen Z stares. 

What should people be doing when they’re convalescing? Definitely not online aura farming or mukbanging.

What sins and vices are more likely to pop their heads in an apartment complex than a ranch or beach house? Probably bed rotting or Rickrolling. 

And what hath Alfred Hitchcock and Slavoj Žižek have to do with negative neighboring? Literally . . . everything.

In this sixth episode of season four, on common grace in culture, Chris and Kyle inaugurate a new mini-series on Alfred Hitchc...

Maybe we're all here just figuring it out based on curiosity and piquancy. I could have been an NBA star but chose to be a writer instead. You could have been a model but got sidetracked tinkering with mechanical engineering. Orrrrr: Maybe we all have callings. Maybe there are things we are supposed to do in life. And maybe God designed us for them. And that's what we have to figure out. 

In this fifth episode of season four, an "excast," Chris and Kyle turn their heads and hearts toward vocation, discernment, and how to trust your c...

"What they did to you—that? That deserves to be buried for the entirety of your life. For eternity, in fact. God was definitely absent. You have to flush those memories down the porcelain of the abyss. Don't remember those experiences. They will haunt you. Escape your past. Hide the hurt. And whatever you do, don't give them another chance." That's the sin talking. 

In this fourth episode of season four, Chris and Kyle continue their five-part analysis of various tracks from the band, First Aid Kit. This episode they discuss their song "The Lion's Roar." It dri...

How do you practice patience when it seems like everything is in flux? How can you believe in control when you only experience the rush of life? Can relationships actually be patched together and made whole again, or is it all merely psychological bandaging? Is there a silver lining to things, or are we all just doping ourselves with false hope? And what does all this mean for our interactions with others?

In this third episode of season four, Chris and Kyle continue their five-part analysis of various tracks from the band, First Aid Kit. This episode...

What does a Christian do with loss, change, and failure? When it seems like permanence is fleeting and the stability of your efforts is slipping through your finger tips, what do you say to yourself? Or when the veneer of everything glamorous is rotting or getting rusty, what do you say to your neighbor? What do you do when grey seems like the new gold? How do you have hope?

In this second episode of season four, on Common Grace and Communion in Culture, Chris and Kyle inaugurate a five-part analysis of various tracks from the band...

We talk like Thrasos but we deserve to be treated like hooligans–the miscreants we have become. And yet He’s gracious. And kind. All the time. His generosity is undeserved, and yet we see it everywhere. It’s in the little things like oxygen, idyllic landscapes, and a baby’s smile. It’s also in the big stuff like protecting us from meteor showers and restraining the zombie apocalypse. 

In this first episode of season four, Chris and Kyle sketch the season. It’s all about common grace in culture. They discuss the artists, films, shows, and novels th...

We all want to be naked. We want to stand before our spouses, parents, strangers, enemies, and our God and not feel guilt or shame. To be nepheshly exposed, and find comfort in the authenticity, honesty, integrity, and hospitality of it all. That's because the origin, condition, and destiny of all creatures is communion with others and life in everlasting community. 

In this season three finale, Chris and Kyle snack and leave no crumbs. Why do we hide? Why do we isolate ourselves? Why do we segregate and vacate? It's futile. We can't escape God's design for c...

How you sit, stand, lay, jump, and walk in public spaces and buildings is significant. We know this. And those feigned smiles and side eyes aren't salubrious. You know that, too.  But did you know that when you act all salty and sulk, you're actually sinning? Yeah— and you're ruining the Life of the party. So stop doing it. Have a good demeanor. It's a Christian's duty. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle traverse the topics of Christian carriage, posture, and demeanor. You've got your face in check? Great. How about your arms? Excellente! What about cheer? It m...

Half-dressed girls on billboards. Low-rise jeans on models at Abercrombie and Fitch. Nude beaches still around. There's no doubt about it—there's a lot of skin being shown these days. Not to mention, the rampant sensuality, salacious marketing, and provocative and promiscuous clothing being produced and promoted. We've gotten a little too cavalier with our clavicles. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle talk about skin and clothing and its effect on our commonwealth. Is our fascination with mogging and looksmaxxing damning others? Are we seducing our neighbor to unchastity through our indecent clothing? How can a Christian tal...

Don't deny it—we all do it. 

We exaggerate the sins of our enemies. We overbear their faults and unnecessarily seek to discover any and every infirmity that they possess. And then we accentuate these malfeasances (cf. Genesis 9:22): "See! This is what they always do! Aren't they the worst?" And we double down for our tribe. Even if it means fudging with the truth, practicing emotional sabotage, or disregarding credible counter voices. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle continue talking about our speech as Christians—specifically, our words about the wicked. We are not doing a grea...

When we go out in public, we take our mouths and tongues with us. We can't leave those at home. Unfortunately, some people talk in public like they are at home—in the man cave, with the good ol' college buddies, throwing out obscenities and profanities at the top of their lungs. All the while, the twin cousins who just turned four can hear everything. Come on, dude. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle talk about speaking in public and how Christians should do it. Is profanity acceptable at the bar? Is vulgarity permissible at the football gam...

The road wasn't put there for you to get to Whole Foods. It’s a thoroughfare for everyone to travel. You have your routes and routines, sure, but so does the next guy. You got to share the street. And you might even do it like a Christian—by blessing others. In the lane itself, across the median, and even on the shoulder. Just deliver those blessings around the clock. Even on holidays. Especially on Christmas. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle draw some lines in the pavement. Simply put, roads were made for cars and trucks. Bicyc...

Get your legs out of the aisle, you're going to trip grandpa! Read your boarding pass before you get on the plane so you don't congest everything. Keep your sneakers on—nobody wants to be sniffing those nasty, reeky socks! Put your seat back up—the plane hasn't even lifted off yet! And fall asleep on your pillow this time, not my shoulder. Please and thank you. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss how to neighbor well at 40 thousand feet in the air. Pretty basic stuff. Like don't watch rated R movies with an adolescent in your...

It's fair to say most Christians know how to use their hands. They raise them in worship, help grannies with their groceries, and shovel their in-laws' driveway. But handfuls of Christians turn pagan when they promenade in public. They don't know how to use their feet in the thoroughfare. It's so bad, they really should add "and forgive us for trespassing and stepping on our neighbor's tulips" to their daily confession time.  

In this episode, Chris and Kyle instruct errant primates in how to be social in their steps. Specifically, how to steward and share sidewalks. They r...

Our roads and highways are designed and governed with a particular end in sight. A metaphysics, with a telos, if you will. Everything matters—placement, movement, speed, and focus. Each aspect contributes to either the opening of the majestic floodgates of celestial bliss or the ushering in of the flaming brimstone of the infernal regions. Simply put: your steering is either salvific or satanic. Which is it? 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss negative neighboring behind the wheel. Like the obvious: quit cutting people off, weaving in and out of traffic, and tailgating. As well as the...

One has beer, the other has popcorn. One aims at stimulation, the other makes you soporific. One has bleachers, the other padded seats. One calls forth engagement, the other demands silence. One rolls out the carpet for the spectator, the other screams "only auditors welcome here!" Knowing the difference between the two will lead you to love or hate your neighbor. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle do a phenomenology of public entertainment establishments. A Christian will make different moves watching a high school football game than viewing a blockbuster at the cinema. She'll sit for a l...

Must you always act like Uncle Screwtape in the aisle? Do you have to storm the register like an ogre, or steal that parking spot with unconscionable disregard? There's cutters and those obnoxiously chatting away on their phone as they pick up every item of produce. And those who are convinced grocery carts are bumper cars. We get it. But a trip to Brooks Brothers shouldn't end in mortal combat. 

Modern stores aren’t in the Bible, but there is a Christian way to roll through them. There's a Christian way to be a shopper, and there's a C...

Mothers give the talk beforehand ("don't touch  a  n  y  t  h  i  n  g"). When inside, we tiptoe. We're shocked when we walk into one that isn't reprehensibly hideous. We're surprised when it smells good. But we avoid the ones at the park like the plague, and for good reason: No doubt about it, there's an arachnid setting up shop behind that porcelain. They are pockets of hell on earth—absent of God and absolutely revulsive. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle talk about public restrooms and all of the ways that we "negatively neighbor" others in our usag...

When the presumptuous dad “looks up” while pushing his daughter on the swing, it isn't an innocuous glance. It's a glare meant to jab the jugular. When the NY Giants fan acts like he's in his man cave, he ends up inebriated and getting into fist fights with complete strangers. Not good. Dads don't have a share in municipal metals. And there is more to the game than just the game.  

In this episode, Chris and Kyle talk about two public places: the playground and the stadium. How should Christians inhabit spaces that are meant for us, but d...

Your table is not your own, which is why you have to wait for it. But you don't have to do the dishes, which is a plus. Yet you have to eat in front of complete strangers, who are side-eyinging you, which is not preferred. And the food could be gross, perished, or poisoned. So there's that. But it does bring together anonymous enemies for table fellowship. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss dining in restaurants. Why go eat with complete randos? How do we do it like the One who ate with sinners and flipped t...

Three guys walk into a hotel room in Brazil, clip mics onto their t-shirts, and start excasting. All heaven breaks loose. They start talking about everything from Dante to Milton, iPhones to Jamaican rum. Their focus, however, is on discipling desire. What should a Christian crave? How to do you train a toddler to only see the Tree of Life, and to ignore what God has said is forbidden? 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle are joined by Rev. Dr. Nick Barrett. Nick is a long-time friend of Kyle's—they studied at Fuller Seminary together and were in...

It's pretty easy to ruin your family. Just sell your soul to your career. Then you can uproot your family or stay super late at work and miss bedtime. Or be a workaholic. Bring your work home with you and forego playing cornhole with the kids and grandparents over spring break. Or just be slothful: abnegate parental jurisdiction and confer it upon the T.V. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle tackle the topic of two working parents in one household. How do you juggle all the jobs? They get real personal and nitty-gritty—like how Kyle doe...

You don't have to carry around all that guilt. Or put your arm around hypocrisy like you usually do. Don't you want to get rid of that haunted conscience? You just have to stop pride clutching. Walk over there, and say it. Say, "I'm sorry." Say, "I love you." Say, "good job."  Parents aren't above peccadillos. Fathers can utter felicitations. Superiors can say they are sorry. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss things we should say more often to our kids. We don't tell our kids we love them enough (perhaps only when we drop them of...

What happens when you take a human ear, put a splash of John Cassian in it, pour some wisbits from Hugh of St. Victor on top, and then pepper it with a little Plato? You get a podcast episode that talks about domestic disorder and patterns of fear, frustration, and freakouts. You get a conversation about household habits—parents as abbots and children as mini-monks. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle explore the notion of a family Rule. A Rule is a document with instructions for a single house to monitor and moderate individuals goods within community. It...

Spitballing, here, but perhaps leisure is a factor in the instigation and perpetuation of mental illness. Perhaps our experience of entertainment, in which we passively enjoy or amuse ourselves to death, is decapitating our attention. Maybe concerts, movies, competitions, travel, and literature are full of sneaky and sinister sins and the screens we hold have our souls in their hands. Just spitballing. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle tackle entertainment in the family—basement, living room, and bedroom. They take stock of what we are feeding our feeds and why we are willingly walking in various wastelands. Per...

"Blood is thicker than water," they say. What they don't tell you is that it boils much quicker and everybody gets burned. As every parent knows, sibling interaction can go from perturbation to ire and then absolute rage in a hot minute. 0 to 100. The bickering, nitpicking, and talebearing pile up. Next, you've got speed bumps and stop signs on the road to forgiveness and reconciliation. It's a mess. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle explore a theology of "siblinghood" and a spirituality of sibling society. What can we do as parents to help our children interact like C...

You like the taste the soap? Yea, me neither. But how do you know what soap tastes like? I bet your mother probably introduced it to your palate back when you were a young buck spitting swear words left and right. You probably also got reprimanded with a skinny finger and thrown in timeout for a hour. Oh, I bet you got spanked, too. A lot. Well, welcome to the club. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle deal with disciplining children. Why do we do it? As followers of Christ, how should we do it? They first t...

What is a parent? What is the field and domain of parenting? Do you become a parent as soon as you have a kid? Can you be a parent without having your own kid? Are parents responsible for teaching their children how to brush their teeth, or is that the dentist's job? Once a parent, always a parent? Should parents get discounts like vets? Do parents have to like their kids? 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle are on a "field trip" discussing the nature and purpose of parenting. Listen in as they talk about parents being m...

You can’t walk around town without pants—you’ll get arrested for indecent exposure. And you can’t play basketball without sneakers or you’ll get a rusty nail in your big toe. Also, wear gloves when pounding salt or you’ll get blisters the size of tangerines. Pretty good legal, biological, and utilitarian reasons to pick your attire with prudence, right? But for the Christian something more is needed. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle talk clothing, the res publica, and the common good. Elegance and expression are gifts and blessings. But obsequiousness and risqué provocation ar...

Creation is dripping with communion and hospitality. It all starts with the triune God setting the table for human beings. We get to eat green leaves and chicken legs. Then the Lord becomes the very bread and wine that spiritually and physically sustains us. With every bite, we ingest layers and layers of membership. And when we eat with others, that membership transforms into fellowship and communion.

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss eating as it pertains to homemaking. What we do at the table—our discussions, deliberations, and "dinner doxologies"—are shaping the moral and spir...

You may put a lot of time and thought into how you present things inside the home–like the inspirational quotes on the walls and the fluffy toilet paper in the guest bathroom. But what about loving your neighbor around and surrounding the home? Should we put up that political sign? Should we slap devils on all our windows at Halloween? Can we really love our neighbor and cultivate the common good with our porches and patios?

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss the "outdoor" aspect to homemaking. They recommend simple steps for making ro...

Priests didn’t admit thieves into the Holy of Holies. So maybe you shouldn't let “Auntie Jean,” self-proclaimed atheist, eat at the kids' table. Jesus wouldn’t let robbers set up shop in the temple. So maybe don't invite Aaron, your Epicurean stock trading neighbor, over to have a beer in the garage. Who you are inviting into your home may be calling into question your family’s values and undermining your authority. Time to take stock. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle wrestle with a different side to homemaking: hosting outside influences. To build a Christian home, paren...

It's not a hotel—just a place to sleep. It's not a cave either—a place to get away from the crowd, from nuisance. It's also more than a box with meaningful memories and memorabilia. Your home is an extension of your body, and your body is not your own, but belongs to Christ. So your house belongs to Christ. So what are you doing with it? Witnessing to Him and blessing your neighbors? Good.

In this episode, Chris and Kyle mull over a Christian view of the home and homemaking. Whether you live in a house, dorm...

You have to know their middle name. And maybe not what they ate for dinner last night, but definitely what makes them tick and irks them. And their birthday. And the names of their kids, if they have any. And a willingness to say, “I can’t do this on my own. I need your help.” You earnestly want to read their book and you would willingly lay down your life for them. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle ruminate on friendship, and reflect on their decade+ of friendship. It’s a friendship of familiarity, trust, reliability, and relat...

A Christian marriage and family is good for our neighbors, not just for us and our spouses and kids. It witnesses to a coming Kingdom full of covenantal communion, not leftovers of rotten relationships. A Kingdom full of trust and hope, not loss, disappointment, or shame. A Kingdom of neighboring, and the best kind of space and room, in which we find sacrifice, security, and fulfillment. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle discuss how family practices bear on the neighborhood. Whether it’s walking with the kids, holding hands in the backyard, cleaning the porch, shoveling the nei...

Our children are not our own. They look like us, and talk like us, but they aren’t ours. They are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). They are good gifts from God that have been entrusted to us to raise and steward. Culture doesn’t see it this way. Having children is a choice that, for some, “is not for me.” Children are seen as ornaments or accoutrements. 

In this episode, Chris and Kyle press the point. They discuss the obligation to have kids (if you can), the pitfalls and selfishness of careerism, how children are good for...