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Forty years after Francis Schaeffer’s passing, his contributions to the church and the world are still visible. His legacy lives on most obviously through his writing and recorded teaching. Less well-known, however, L’Abri Fellowship continues to show how God has used the Schaeffers and blessed their work. Francis and his wife, Edith, started L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland in 1955. No one else in L’Abri has had the public visibility they had. Yet the ministry has continued to thrive since Francis’s death on May 15, 1984, and now has a presence in nine countries. As I reflect on that legacy, two themes arise: the spiritual integrity of Francis’s faith and the distinct shape of what God led him and Edith to do through L’Abri. My introduction to Francis Schaeffer came after my graduation from college when a roommate and I, neither of us Christians, stumbled into L’Abri in 1964. Schaeffer asked the two of us to join him for a day-off walk in the Swiss Alps where he’d hiked for years. We left his chalet at 10:00 a.m. with sandwiches. It was very foggy and snowing lightly. At some point, with the terrible visibility, we took a wrong turn and realized eventually that we were lost. We finally got to a town at the bottom of the Rhône valley at midnight. Memorably, Schaeffer talked with us—one at a time and both together—the whole time. We joked about being lost as we pondered the map together, but much of the time it was serious conversation. He was a good listener and had plenty to say to both of us, who were wrestling with relativism and agnosticism. I remember thinking, Hey, we’re complete strangers, but this guy really cares about us—what we believe and where we’re going. And when he talks to you, you really know you have his full attention. I think I’d begun to see something of his spiritual integrity. Spiritual Integrity “Spiritual integrity” doesn’t mean spiritual perfection. It implies a desire to live out the fullness of the faith. Schaeffer had a profound sense that the Bible, rightly understood, tells us what’s really true about reality—God, ourselves, the world, and how we’re to live in it. He had great intellectual confidence in Christian teachings. He embodied them with extraordinary commitment but also felt and lived them deeply at an emotional level. Solid Foundations But Schaeffer hadn’t always experienced this depth of faith. He attributed the change to a spiritual crisis in the early 1950s, which he documented in the preface to True Spirituality. He saw failures in his own life and in the lives of those he’d worked with in America, including a serious lack of forgiveness, love, and prayer. These failures were so grave that he questioned whether the promises he had trusted in about God’s work within Christians were true. He couldn’t go on in his ministry without reassessing the Christian faith’s truth claims in their entirety. He emerged from this period with a greater confidence in Christian truth and a greater experience of its reality. He saw new meanings in Christ’s finished work in our present experience. He wrote of this crisis and its resolution, “This was the real basis of L’Abri. Teaching the historic Christian answers and giving honest answers to honest questions are crucial; but it was out of these struggles that the reality came without which an incisive work like L’Abri would not have been possible.” Confident Dependence As the Schaeffers started L’Abri, they didn’t know where it would lead them, but they were determined to live and demonstrate the spiritual reality of Christianity. They often said about their previous Christian experience that if the promises of God about prayer and the Holy Spirit had been somehow removed from the Bible, it wouldn’t have made much practical difference to them. That changed when they started L’Abri. They realized God was calling them to end the financial support from their mission and to do no fundraising or advertising at all. They depended on prayer for God to meet all their needs, praying also for God to lead people to L’Abri for help and others to come to help. And God answered in amazing ways. The experience of hiking in the Alps wasn’t the only memory I have of my first visit to L’Abri. More importantly, it was a shock for me to witness the Schaeffers’ trust in God. They’d forfeited the normal human ways to get the real-world stuff of material necessities—yet there was always good food on the table. The demonstration of their integrity was part of what challenged me to take their faith seriously and later to trust in Christ myself. Since L’Abri maintains these commitments, it has continued to challenge my faith throughout the decades I’ve worked in L’Abri. Spiritual integrity also includes our relationship with the organizations we start or work for. Schaeffer used to tell us that he regularly prayed for God to bless and guide L’Abri but asked that God would never allow L’Abri to be so well organized and financed that it’d keep on running after the Holy Spirit had finished with it. The survival and growth of the organization was precious but never allowed to be an end in itself. Distinct Shape of L’Abri The Schaeffers didn’t plan how L’Abri would work before they started. They simply opened the door of their home to anyone, Christian and non-Christian, young and old, who wanted to live with them and interact with them about God’s truth. Over time, God led them to a structure still followed with flexibility in the branches. Schaeffer regularly prayed for God to bless and guide L’Abri but asked that God would never allow L’Abri to be so well organized and financed that it’d keep on running after the Holy Spirit had finished with it. We still call those who come to L’Abri “students.” They have to be at least 18 years old, but there’s no upper age limit. It works best when we have a range of ages. Some never finished high school; others have graduate degrees. They stay from a few days up to several months. Students come with diverse hopes, fears, grievances, interests, commitments, questions, and desires. Each student has a tutor—a L’Abri staff member or “worker”—who helps them create a personal plan for their study that takes up half of each day. The topic range is broad because the Christian faith touches every area of life. To expand access to our study material, we’ve made much of it available online. L’Abri students work the other half of each day, joining to do the jobs necessary to keep the community going—preparing meals, doing maintenance, cleaning, gardening, laundry, cutting grass, splitting and hauling firewood. We need to have the work done, and doing it strengthens the sense of community. We eat together, usually in the workers’ homes. We emphasize open discussion, where just about anything is fair game, as in the early days of L’Abri. When a good discussion gets going, our meals can be long. At any given meal, one is likely to find mostly Christians, some non-Christians, and those not sure of what they believe. All are welcome and we encourage honesty about doubts, struggles, and disagreements. Continued Strength God continues to use the setting of L’Abri to reach new generations in many countries. There’s spiritual power in a residential Christian study community that honors God and his Word. Time is spent with others who are also searching for what’s true and needing the time, the space, and the guidance to do it. Such a community of hospitality is a helpful environment to enable people to discover their deepest questions and, by God’s mercy, find their way to faith. God continues to use the setting of L’Abri to reach new generations of students. There’s spiritual power in a residential Christian study community that honors God and his Word. “L’Abri” is the French word for shelter. “Shelter” sometimes brings to mind a small, safe place to protect someone from a larger, threatening world outside. Of the hundreds of men and women who’ve passed through L’Abri branches in the last year, I’ll mention just two. They came to Southborough suffering with identities constricted by the narrow rules and values of secular academic and corporate worlds respectively. Ironically, their experience of L’Abri took them in exactly the opposite direction from what might be expected from the idea of “shelter.” Both said their stay had grounded their faith. There was now room for their humanness with identities expanded, seeing themselves as images of God in a God-created world. We find many of our students more able to face a challenging world in humility and confidence, avoiding the false shelters of both belligerence and timidity. In a society where unbelief and loneliness seem to be gaining ground, L’Abri has been used by God to build faith in Christ and hope for community among people. Although it has been decades since his death, Francis Schaeffer’s legacy continues to live on to the glory of God.

I tend to tune out social media controversies and negative online comments. It’s generally a good course of action given the storms of shock and outrage about nearly everything on any given day. Even attempts at good-faith responses sometimes fan the flames. Avoiding such storms works well because of the distance the internet provides. But when Henry, a real-life friend of mine, objected on social media to something I was personally involved with, it raised a different set of questions. Since the critique was on social media, should I respond there? Should I give a long, nuanced reply, sure to be read by few? Should I say something punchy, sure to get everyone’s attention? Should I ignore it? As Christians, how can we learn to disagree well, especially with other Christians? In 1970, Francis Schaeffer, one of the most astute apologists of the 20th century, published The Mark of the Christian. I first read the book about 50 years ago, and it continues to shape how I think about encounters like the one with my friend. It’s a brief book; you can read it in about an hour. Yet it may carry more weight today than at any time in the last half-century because it reminds us of the importance of loving our neighbor and being able to disagree well—vital skills in an increasingly polarized age. Two Passages in John The Mark of the Christian is Schaeffer’s meditation on two passages in John’s Gospel. He begins with John 13:34–35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Schaeffer marvels at Jesus’s words: In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians. . . . In other words, if people come up to us and cast in our teeth the judgment that we are not Christians because we have not shown love toward other Christians, we must understand that they are only exercising a prerogative which Jesus gave them. And we must not get angry. . . . We must go home, get on our knees and ask God whether or not they are right. (22–23) The second passage Schaeffer focuses on is John 17:20–21. Jesus prays for his disciples first, then continues, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Schaeffer famously calls this sort of loving oneness “the final apologetic” (25). The way we handle conflict among Christians is supposed to attract people to Christ. Discipleship of Disagreement It’s hard to maintain that the way Christians disagree with one another right now draws people to Christ, especially when the disagreements are on social media. The opposite may be more common. Our disagreements often sound more like vitriolic wrangling than respectful dialogue with a brother or sister in Christ. The way we handle conflict among Christians is supposed to attract people to Christ. We have to do better, but developing a different approach to conflict takes practice. If we aren’t finding ways to show love as small disagreements arise, we’ll be unlikely to show love when a major dispute erupts. It begins with our attitude when we clash with other Christians. It begins, as Schaeffer states, “with a desire to solve it, rather than with a desire to win.” When we disagree, we need to find an outcome that “will give God the glory, that will be true to the Bible, but will exhibit the love of God simultaneously with his holiness” (50). Schaeffer says our love must be observable, something others can see. Observable love often requires saying sorry and asking for forgiveness—with a spouse, a friend, a child, a parent, or another person or group we’ve wronged. This is simple, but it won’t be easy. In my experience, it takes great strength of character to say, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?” Still, what if we have a real and legitimate difference with someone? What do we do then? Schaeffer says doctrinal differences will sometimes require us to part ways with other true believers. But even then, “we should never come to such a difference with true Christians without regret and without tears” (45). We cannot fail to state that what’s wrong is wrong, Schaeffer argues, “but the observable love must be there regardless of the cost” (48). Personal Love Schaeffer sought to live out his message. In the early 1970s, George, a friend of mine, spent a summer at L’Abri, the work-study community Schaeffer and his wife established in Switzerland. Night after night, he heard Schaeffer speak. George was impressed that no matter what challenges to Schaeffer’s positions were posed, whether offered combatively or from genuine curiosity, he gave a full and serious answer. He sought to disagree lovingly, whether or not the other person was a Christian. It takes the greatest strength of character to say, ‘I’m sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?’ The disembodied nature of social media sometimes makes it harder to respond with observable love than when we communicate in person. In the end, there were several valid ways I could have responded to Henry’s post. After mulling it over, I eventually decided to write him directly, saying, “I saw your post, and I thought, ‘This is too important an issue to discuss on social media.’ I wonder if we could get together and chat. Can I buy you lunch?” So we met and we ate. We were both able to talk about the issues without making it personal. We heard each other’s perspectives more fully in a safe and calm setting. Henry and I were both able to correct some misimpressions and affirm points we had in common. And importantly, we were able to maintain our relationship. I’m grateful that Schaeffer’s book, decades ago, helped point me in the right direction.

Some puzzles just take a bit of head-scratching, but some definitely need a guide. The Exhibition Room Keypad in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is in the latter group, and it takes some pretty hard work to unlock. How to work out the Exhibition Room keypad As with each keypad in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, the one in the Exhibition Room has its clue nearby. Usually, there is a visual clue lying around, close to the keypad, and this one is no different. If you take a look in the centre of the room you will notice the huge sculpture of Renzo, with his name in scrabbled letters. Now, the keys and codes will be different for every playthrough of Lorelei and The Laser Eyes, but the technique will always be the same. So, I can’t give you the exact combination, but I can tell you how to work it out for yourself. Screenshot: PC Invasion Pay attention to the central statue and mark down where each one of the letters is. These letters will correspond to the keys on the keypad in...

Generally speaking, CNN’s coverage of the so-called Trump “hush money” trial has taken such an onanistic turn that reasonable people may question whether Jeffrey Toobin is now in charge of the once-revered Cable News Network. The most ridiculous iteration of this coverage? Dramatic readings of the trial transcripts. Watch as yet another night of dramatic readings kicks off tonight’s episode of CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, as aired on CNN on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024: ELLIOT WILLIAMS (AS TODD BLANCHE): You referred to President Trump as a “Dictator Douche Bag”, didn't you?  MARCUS CHILDRESS (AS MICHAEL COHEN): Sounds like something I said. WILLIAMS: And on that same TikTok, so again on April 23rd, you referred to President Trump when he left the courtroom, you said that he goes right into that little cage, which is where he belongs in an effing cage like an animal. Do you recall saying that?  CHILDRESS: I recall saying that. LAURA COATES: Mmm. That’s a dramatic reading, Abby. ABBY PHILLIP: Yeah. I mean, that's kinda how it went down, intonation and all, Marcus. Thank you for that. Also with us…  COATES: No New York accent, though!  PHILLIP: No New York accent, but… COATES: Where are the New York accents? What are you doin’?! WILLIAMS: You guys know I can’t do that. COATES: All right. ALL: (laughter) I can’t imagine the trajectory that leads these guys to law school, build careers, serve respectively in the Obama administration and on the House January 6th Committee, only to be brought on CNN and be made to read “Dictator Douche Bag” as well as Michael Cohen’s hangdog responses, and then be berated by Laura Coates for insufficiently performing these dopey readings in a comedic Noo Yawk accent. Nor can I imagine the galaxy-brain calculations that result in performing this schtick now for a second night in a row, thinking this is good television. Or journalism. But here we are. Were it not for the fact that this trial is the fruit of an ongoing effort to weaponize state and federal government against the leading opposition presidential candidate, it would almost seem wholly appropriate to cover this joke of a trial and underlying charges in a comedic manner.  There are many words that come to mind with which to describe the nonsense running on CNN air (or MSNBC’s, for that matter), but journalism is not one such word. CNN’s creepy, cheerleady coverage of this trial is the furthest thing from journalism, and embodies the worst excesses of Regime Media.  

A teacher who gained online superstar status with a stunning exchange that taught students how to think, not what to think, has been fired. It is high-school teacher Warren Smith who delivered what has…