Good morning,

Two years ago I spent time at two places claiming to be the burial spot of Jesus. The important thing is that neither has a body to back up their claim.

But first, here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Friday, April 10, 2020

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Based on subscriber requests, the Texas Minute will start including coronavirus tracking data from IHME, state, and federal sources.

Elected officials at all levels should be cutting their budgets, State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) told a Chamber of Commerce audience on Thursday. He reportedly told the audience [[link removed]] “start trimming because we aren't raising taxes.”

If you have ideas or suggestions for cutting government spending, send them to us and we’ll help you explore their feasibility and financial effect: [[email protected]].

So Texans can have confidence the state will recover and have basic order restored, Gov. Greg Abbott and other elected officials should begin articulating their current plan for a return to normalcy. Cary Cheshire writes [[link removed]] that Texas officials should not “hang by the phone” and wait for cover from Washington, D.C. Just as each state has approached its response to the coronavirus differently, so too will be their path back.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican who represents much of the Texas Hill Country, recently argued in National Review [[link removed]] that citizens need a date certain for what is essentially a “grand reopening,” when virtually all restrictions are lifted.

Any plan beats no plan. And it is OK for plans to change. But having no plan is just plain irresponsible.

Residents around the state are expressing confusion over whether or not in-person religious services this Easter Sunday are allowed, even if the congregation can comport to the health and safety guidelines presented by the federal Centers for Disease Control. In late March, Gov. Abbott declared churches to be “essential” operations. Seemingly contradicting the governor and the CDC, the counties of Cameron [[link removed]], Dallas [[link removed]], and Tarrant [[link removed]] are saying “no” to any in-person religious services this weekend. Sort of.

The True Texas Project’s Julie McCarty and Fran Rhodes want to know [[link removed]] what the plan is to get life back to normal. In a new commentary they say a plan is needed for the transition from stay-at-home orders to returning to work and other activities. While aimed at their home county’s commissioners, their commentary’s point is an important one for state and local officials across the nation.

Former Smith County Commissioner JoAnn Fleming, who leads the citizen-focused Grassroots America, tells Brandon Waltens [[link removed]] that citizens must hold local officials accountable for their actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

“What we have seen is we have some elected officials who talk to citizens as if they’re children and have no common sense.” – JoAnn Fleming [[link removed]] In a new commentary, policy expert Bill Peacock argues [[link removed]] Texans can expect high electricity bills because of the state’s push to adopt expensive and inefficient “renewable” energy sources.

“The Texas electricity grid needs to run at peak efficiency during hot summer afternoons. Unfortunately, that is when wind energy is at its least efficient.” – Bill Peacock [[link removed]]

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Texas Minute will return on Tuesday!

Friday Reflection [[link removed]]

by Michael Quinn Sullivan

Two competing sites in Israel testify to the most pivotal event in human history.

These sites vie for recognition as the location where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, died, and was buried. One is the historic Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a shrine of Christianity since the fourth century. The other is the Garden Tomb, where the hillside looks like a skull as described in the gospels, and intact Jewish tombs stand as a silent testimony to those events.

Of course, only one can be the actual place where Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. But both feel right.

At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, you can stand with a long line of pilgrims dating back two millennia to Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine. The emotion and the spiritual weight of the place are palpable.

Yet the Garden Tomb is orderly and controlled; an almost supernatural silence grips the place as your hands touch the outline of tombs hewn from rock. It is refreshing and uplifting.

In my mind, the two places are the same. They are, after all, less than a mile from each other. I am content with the assumption that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is where it happened. I am equally convinced the Garden Tomb is what it was like when it happened.

In His wisdom, God did not leave us an eternally lit neon sign. He knows the propensity of our fallen hearts to worship idols and things, rather than Him.

If you go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the Garden Tomb looking for Jesus, you’ll be disappointed.

The most uncomfortable truth is this: whichever place was the place is an intellectually fascinating discussion, but is ultimately unfulfilling because it misses the bigger point. Remember, we are talking about looking at an empty tomb. As Mary Magdalene was told that first Easter morning, “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.”

One either believes that to be true, or one does not. It cannot be partially true; there is no middle ground.

As C.S. Lewis famously posited, Jesus’ claims mean He was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Jesus’ various claims about Himself meant He could not be taken seriously as a “great human teacher” if He was lying about His divinity, or was crazy.

Was Jesus a liar? Was He a lunatic? Or, was He the Lord? There is no body, just an empty tomb. These two places testify to one fact: there is a single answer. And that answer matters.

Number of the Day

16.8 million

Number of Americans out of work as a result of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and the resulting business closures. “Roughly one in 10 workers have lost their jobs in just the past three weeks.”

[Source: U.S. News & World Report [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

“You can shut [Jesus] up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”

– C.S. Lewis

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Case Data

Current as of 5:05am, 4/10/2020

​ Texas Data

Population: 28,995,881

Lab Confirmed Patients Currently In Texas Hospitals: 1,439

Reported Cases: 10,230

Patients Recovered: 1,101

Total Fatalities: 199

Texas State Department of Health Services

​ ​ Federal Data

Population: 328,239,523

Total Cases: 427,460

Total Fatalities: 14,696

Note: CDC counts as a COVID-19 death anyone who tests positive for the virus even if they possibly died from another cause.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

​ ​ IMHE Projections

Peak U.S resource use: April 11

Peak TX resource use: April 22

Projected Fatalities by 8/4/2020

U.S.: 60,415

TX: 2,042

Institute for Medical Health and Evaluation

​ ​ Influenza Data; 2017-18*

Total U.S. Cases (estimated): 45 million

Total U.S. Hospitalizations: 810,000

Total U.S. Fatalities: 61,000

* Most recent available.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [[link removed]]

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PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 The Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day that we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is produced on week days and distributed at 6 a.m. (though I'll probably take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

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