All Things

Yesterday the US House of Representatives voted to pass the Equality Act. It’s now heading to the Senate and President Biden wants to sign it into law in his first 100 days in office. Earlier this week Amazon and Target both censored books that discuss and critique our fast-moving and ever-changing societal values surrounding transgenderism. In addition to these two developments, parents and other concerned adults have been bearing witness to an unprecedented swell of girls and young women who are suddenly self-diagnosing their gender dysphoria. There are so many directions we could take with this discussion, but in this episode of All Things I discuss where this enormous uptick in transgenderism is coming from, especially as it relates to women and girls. I share Biblical truths and hope for this moment, with the goal of equipping listeners with the tools to think rightly and to serve their communities well.

The following resources were helpful in creating this episode:

Trans* Teenagers and Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage by Preston Sprinkle

The Equality Act Is Farewell To A Christian Metaphysic by Andrew Walker

What is the Equality Act? by the ERLC

When Amazon Erased my Book by Ryan Anderson

When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan Anderson

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier

God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew Walker

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story by Christopher Yuan

Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality by Nancy Pearcey

Why does God care who I sleep with? by Sam Allberry

Theology in the Raw Podcast by Preston Sprinkle

The Equality Act on Breakpoint

Just over one week ago a report was released detailing the findings of an investigation into the abuse of world-renowned apologist Ravi Zacharias. Much has already been said and written. In this episode I am discussing five specific issues that I think deserve more attention inside the church:

1) Why are we so quick to disbelieve women when they come forward with abuse allegations, but equally quick to protect and believe the (usually) men in power?

2) Many have said about Zacharias’s behavior: “It could have been any of us.” No. That’s not exactly true.

3) We have a false belief that all sins are equal, but in fact there are levels of sin and punishment and justice in Scripture.

4) The comparison some are making between King David and Ravi Zacharias is fundamentally flawed.

5) Finally, one reason abuse perpetuates in the church is that we do not know how to be family to one another. We don’t do well with male and female relationships in the church. Why is that? If we want to see women protected and perpetrators brought to justice we’re going to have to do so much better in our role as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The following resources were helpful in preparing for this podcast:

The following resources were helpful in preparing for this podcast:

Russell Moore

David French

Tanya Marlow

Mary DeMuth

Melissa Kruger

Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

There are so many voices weighing in on this right now. And for good reason. It’s a contentious season, we are a divided nation, and Christians want to genuinely make the right choices. As the nation rages, there are some distinctly Christian ways for followers of Jesus to participate in the election. Spoiler alert: I won’t tell you who to vote for or who I’m voting for but I will remind you and me of some things that are eternally true and what’s required of us in the days ahead.

The following resources were helpful to me in preparing for this episode:

Free Audiobook: How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?

https://www.crossway.org/articles/free-audiobook-how-can-i-love-church-members-with-different-politics/

Russell Moore: A Conversation with Makoto Fujimura on Art and Beauty

https://www.russellmoore.com/2020/09/16/a-conversation-with-makoto-fujimura-on-art-and-beauty/

Prophetic Politics: The Christian Conscience and Political Choices

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-conscience-and-political-choices/id1460394495

Pastor Writer Podcast: Eugene Cho and A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics

https://pastorwriter.com/episode/engaging-politics/

Gospel-Bound: David Platt’s Plea Before You Vote

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/gospelbound/david-platts-plea-before-you-vote/

On this episode of All Things we’re taking a deep dive into the five facets of Biblical Justice, which were outlined and described by pastor and author Tim Keller in an article recently published at the Life in the Gospel Website (link to article below). The five facets are: community, equity, corporate responsibility, individual responsibility, and advocacy. Biblical Justice is able to meet us in our cultural moment and help us navigate everything from covid, to racialized tension, to education, to immigration, to the 2020 election. Honestly, Biblical Justice is glorious and even worship-inducing as it takes after the character and kindness of our God in heaven. Listen and be encouraged as you hear more about God’s heart for the powerless and how you and I might apply what he’s given us to serve Him and His kingdom.

A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory by Timothy Keller

Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just by Timothy Keller

This weekend we are celebrating the birth of our nation. Happy 4th! The Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776, is a brilliant and powerful document. But just like 244 years ago, many marginalized populations in our nation do not enjoy the protections and provisions outlined in our founding documents. In 2020 I am particularly concerned about how life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are withheld from many unborn, disabled, and African Americans. On this episode we’ll look at the Supreme Court’s abortion-related ruling from last week, the premature death of Michael Hickson, a quadriplegic who with Covid was was starved to death in an Austin hospital, and the senseless death of Elijah McClain, an innocent African American young man, at the hands of the Aurora Police Department.

The following links contributed to this episode:

The Declaration of Independence - ConstitutionFacts.com

Twisting Supreme Court precedent - World Magazine

Culture Friday – Losing faith in the Supreme Court - The World and Everything In It

Planned Parenthood CEO Resigns After Staff Say She Engaged in Racist and “Abusive Behavior” - LifeSiteNews

Austin Hospital Withheld Treatment from Disabled Man Who Contracted Coronavirus - The Texan

'LEFT TO DIE' Disabled man, 46, died from coronavirus ‘after docs REFUSED to treat him “because he had no quality of life”‘ - The Sun

Tweet Thread by Steven Spohn providing a perspective from the disabled community on the death of Michael Hickson

A police officer in photos near where Elijah McClain was put in a chokehold has resigned - CNN

Here’s What You Need to Know About Elijah McClain’s Death - The New York Times

Colorado Police Officers Under Investigation Over Photos At Elijah McClain Memorial - National Public Radio

Above the Law: The Data Are In on Police, Killing, and Race - Public Discourse

On this episode I share the top six questions I’ve gotten by email, text, What’sApp, social media, and more in the past couple weeks, as well as my answers to them. This episode was long in the making because these questions aren’t just from afar, but are being posed in my own community, family, and church and I have been spending my days in conversation, prayer, and action with people in real life.

You all have been asking: 1) Given the beliefs of the organization, can Christians say Black Lives Matter? 2) Should Christians employ Critical Race Theory? 3) Shouldn’t we just preach the gospel? 4) Should we defund the police? 5) Aren’t emotions untrustworthy and shouldn’t we only make decisions based on statistics? 6) But what about this one black speaker/commentator/thinker?

After the questions and answers I share four exhortations for you and me who are in the church in the United States. More than anything I want to urge us to consider how this is a critical moment for followers of Jesus to take action. We who know our Creator and his Word have the framework, tools, passion, and conviction to seek justice and mercy in this deeply divided time in our country. We know and serve the God who made man in his own image, he appointed that we would live here and now, and he compels us by his love to go and love others. Now is not the time to wring our hands on the sidelines. Now is the time to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

The following links might be helpful for further research:

5 Ways Christians are Getting Swept into a Secular Worldview in This Cultural Moment - Natasha Crain

Race, Injustice, and the Gospel of Critical Race Theory, With Monique Duson - Alisa Childers Podcast

SBC President: ‘Southern Baptists, We Need to Say It Clearly as a Gospel Issue: Black Lives Matter’ - Relevant Magazine

George Floyd, Police Culture & Facing Fear that Leads to Violence - Jamie Winship with Brad Jersak

TOP TEN REASONS I’LL NEVER SUPPORT THE #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT - The Radiance Foundation

Black Lives Matter Website

Preston Perry on Twitter

The Systems That Protect the Police - NYT The Daily Podcast

There Were TWO Reports: Remembering Mike Brown and Ferguson - Jemar Tisby

On Critical Race Theory And Intersectionality - SBC Convention

Is social justice antithetical to the gospel or is it the inevitable fruit of the gospel? On this episode of All Things we take a look at that question, employing the words and wisdom of Pastor Brandon Washington. Additionally, we look at how the gospel requires that we engage with the racial division of our day. Greater objectivity and humility will serve us well as we seek to understand the perspective and lamentations of our friends of color. Our God is a reconciler and so must we be too.

The Embassy Church sermon May 17, 2020 by Pastor Brandon Washington

Trauma Won't Heal If We Won't Listen: Ahmaud Arbery and Our Long History at jenoshman.com

Radical Grace Radical Reorientation sermon, May 17, 2020 by Pastor Mark Oshman

We’re all starting to have Coronavirus fatigue. It’s so easy to be inward focused and discouraged abut our own circumstances. But what is life like for others? The entire globe is going through the same pandemic, and yet different populations are getting hit in very different ways. In this episode of All Things we look at weeks worth of headlines, statistics, and stories to understand how the pandemic is affecting the most vulnerable in the US and overseas—the homeless, African Americans, the disabled, immigrants, refugees, the poor, women and children in exploitive communities, and others who live in fragile circumstances. The coverage is not exhaustive, but it’s a powerful glimpse. The goal is not to feel guilty, but rather made aware and motivated to be prayerful and generous, so that we might know the plight of others, pray for them, and give generously to alleviate suffering. As Covid-19 persists, and we are tempted to disengage, let’s instead lift our eyes off ourselves and seek to bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters around the globe.

The following headlines and news stories were cited in this episode:

https://world.wng.org/2020/04/covid_19_hits_the_developmentally_disabled_with_ferocity

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/child-sexual-abuse-images-online-exploitation-surge-during-pandemic-n1190506

https://www.ijm.org/covid-19-updates?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=unsafeinlockdown&utm_term=covid-19_response_plan

https://apple.news/AuQQIw9E2ToSXjvFEXs8RZw

https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-covid-19-homeless/

https://reason.com/2020/04/27/south-americas-covid-19-dilemma-pestilence-or-famine/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/04/coronavirus-disproportionately-impacts-african-americans/#close

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/28/846678912/a-ticking-time-bomb-advocates-warn-covid-19-is-spreading-rapidly-behind-bars

https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-denies-release-rikers-island-inmates-covid-19/story?id=70138815

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/17/836896562/u-n-agency-fears-vulnerable-africa-may-suffer-at-least-300-000-covid-19-deaths

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-what-does-covid-19-still-have-in-store-for-africa/

https://world.wng.org/content/brazil_emerging_as_coronavirus_hotspot

https://world.wng.org/content/pandemic_hits_tribes_especially_hard

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-prisons-testing-in/in-four-u-s-state-prisons-nearly-3300-inmates-test-positive-for-coronavirus-96-without-symptoms-idUSKCN2270RX

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-21/how-singapore-flipped-from-virus-hero-to-cautionary-tale

https://www.heritage.org/asia/report/responding-covid-19-southeast-asia

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-refugees/just-one-case-fears-coronavirus-may-spread-like-wildfire-in-worlds-refugee-camps-idUSKBN21F0OW

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0501-immigration-world-relief-coronavirus-20200430-zukf6wzcmjabfdhqx2yk6snu6u-story.html

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-Asian-Americans-across-Bay-Area-15235380.php

Experiencing a global health crisis and Holy Week at the same time feels paradoxical. We are at once thinking on the resurrection of Jesus and the deaths of so many around our world. This episode of All Things explores our only hope in life, death, and Covid.

Resources for further thought:

The New City Catechism

Redemption Parker Online Good Friday Service

Redemption Parker Online Easter Morning Service

Brand new book by John Piper (free download and audio) Coronavirus and Christ

Eternal Perspective Ministries - Randy Alcorn

The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and all books by Lee Strobel

Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home (Clear Answers to 44 Real Questions About the Afterlife, Angels, Resurrection, ... and the Kingdom of God) by Randy Alcorn

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists around the world, doctors in Europe and now in the United States are facing a shortage of ventilators to treat the acutely ill. Even now, some doctors in the US must determine who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t. This episode of All Things explores the ethics employed to answer this moral dilemma and addresses some of the non-negotiable values for us who follow Christ. While we may find ourselves outside of roles where we can actually make decisions, it’s important that we know how decisions are being made in our hospitals and on what values they are based. The current crisis makes glaringly obvious that our nation values young, healthy lives above those who are aged and disabled. But is this right?

The following resources helped in the formation of this episode:

Reports from doctors in Spain - https://twitter.com/vidproto/status/1242195652404183045

Israeli doctor in Italy: We no longer help those over 60 - https://www.jpost.com/International/Israeli-doctor-in-Italy-We-no-longer-help-those-over-60-621856

13 Deaths in a Day: An ‘Apocalyptic’ Coronavirus Surge at an N.Y.C. Hospital - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/nyregion/nyc-coronavirus-hospitals.html

State health expects ‘shortage’ of ICU beds and a past pandemic plan shows problems - https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/state-health-expects-shortage-of-icu-beds-and-a-past-pandemic-plan-shows-problems/73-e06edc26-0ec4-44df-a788-97abfd200cc9

Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19 - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2005114

‘Chilling’ Plans: Who Gets Care as Washington State Hospitals Fill Up? - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/coronavirus-in-seattle-washington-state.html

Age Discrimination and Rationing during the Coronavirus Crisis - https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/age-discrimination-and-rationing-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

‘I Will Not Apologize for My Needs’ - Even in a crisis, doctors should not abandon the principle of nondiscrimination. - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/opinion/coronavirus-ventilators-triage-disability.html?fbclid=IwAR10tT6E9svGdf9wkW2DPrsvYCfg2npG6OlVQPoNkjiCPhGNn82fZlonGWY

‘Last resort’: Alabama’s plan for deciding which coronavirus patients get ventilators - https://www.al.com/news/2020/03/last-resort-alabamas-plan-for-deciding-which-coronavirus-patients-get-ventilators.html

https://albertmohler.com/2020/03/25/briefing-3-25-20

God Doesn’t Want Us to Sacrifice the Old - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/opinion/coronavirus-elderly-vulnerable-religion.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage