In Part 2 of his latest conversation with Know Why, apologist Jon Noyes, a former atheist, encourages listeners to follow scientific evidence to its conclusion. For Christians, Jon believes following the evidence will lead to a more robust faith in God—not the opposite, which many people fear. For non-Christians, Jon shares his own testimony of how scientific evidence and logic led him to reject naturalism in favor of the Christian worldview.
In Part 2 of their interview with Know Why, Jonathan and Chelsea Boes (World Magazine) share insight on consuming secular literature, searching for the good in a broken universe, and the complicated facets of the Christian conscience. Parents of two, they also share thoughts on fostering a love of stories in children and embracing the mysteries of faith. Don’t miss this fun, thoughtful conversation!
Can Christians Enjoy Secular Literature?
Chelsea shares a story about blacking out the curse words in TheCatcher in the Rye, which she was assigned to read in high school. Since, then, she’s realized that Christians don’t have to be afraid to interact with stories that portray sin. “If you can’t read John Steinbeck because he swears, you can’t possibly be talking to your plumber,” Chelsea said. At the same time, however, “Our relationships with conscience as Christians are complicated.” She thinks that one’s ability or willingness to withstand certain content in literature or other forms of art may have to do with when in their life they became a Christian.
“We are surrounded by darkness,” Jonathan added, “And if we are totally unwilling to stick our hands in there and get a little messy, we’re going to miss the goodness and beauty of God that is hidden there.”
“In Christ, evil does not have power over us.”
Jonathan Boes
He also said that while Christians should be wise about what is healthy for us to consume, we don’t need to be afraid of secular content.
“In Christ, evil does not have power over us,” he told Know Why. “We do not need to approach the world with this default sense of fear that something will infiltrate us and infect us. We can actually go out with confidence knowing that we can look for the redemptive.”
Talking to Kids About Story and Reality
When it comes to passing a love of stories on to one’s children, Chelsea and Jonathan admit that it’s hard. Jonathan says you should gently nurture a love of stories, allowing kids to discover what they love for themselves. Chelsea shared about creating habits, like reading the Bible with coffee in the mornings with her daughters, and also creating fun experiences for her kids, like a book club for her third grader’s friends.
While talking to children about stories and literature is important, so is talking to them about the real world. Former host of the Concurrently podcast, Jonathan said that when it comes to talking to kids about the hard realities of the world, honesty is key—even if that means acknowledging that we don’t have the answer to every problem.
“There can sometimes be a temptation to pretend that we have all the answers,” he said. “That might work for a season but eventually will be seen through. I think it’s a lot more powerful to be honest.”
How do you make a difference after the election is over? Build relationships with your elected officials—even those in Washington, D.C. In the second part of her interview with Know Why, Debbie Wuthnow, president of iVoterGuide, offers tips on contacting your representatives and telling your story to make a difference.
Contacting Congress
Being an informed voter is one of the first steps to political engagement. But what about after the election is over? Debbie encourages listeners to contact their elected officials. It’s probably easier than you think! Listen to the episode or check the resources below for an easy-to-follow checklist that will help you communicate when your representatives effectively.
“Any issue that matters to you is worth an email or a phone call to your congressman.”
Debbie Wuthnow
“That’s all lobbying is, is telling your story … to your representative,” Debbie said. “That story is what will guide them.”
Sharing your story may not result in a total victory for for the issue you care about, but it could be enough to enlighten officials with a new perspective or motivate them to advocate for adjustments as they negotiate legislation with other lawmakers.
In Part 2 of Know Why’s interview with Pastors Lafe and Hope Angell of Grace Point Family Church, we tackle tough questions, including… Does loving my enemies mean I have to put up with toxic people? How can I follow Jesus when I’ve known Christians who are so unloving? This episode may challenge you to examine your own beliefs and behaviors in light of Jesus’ teachings on love!
Jesus said anyone can love their friends. He taught his followers to go a step further by loving their enemies. Pastors Lafe and Hope gave examples on what that looks like practically.
“Loving others well means giving grace wherever we can,” Pastor Lafe said. Often, that means depersonalizing things others do that are offensive, realizing that their actions toward you may stem from hurt in their own past. It’s important “not to allow someone else’s toxicity to become my toxicity,” he added. “That means I have to be really good at forgiving.”
“If we’re not walking in love, are we really his disciples? Can we really call ourselves Christians?”
Pastor Hope Angell
Pastor Hope added, “Pray that God would give you the eyes to really see other people, and to love them the way they need to be loved. And it can start in your own home.”
The Angells reminded listeners that love is how people will know whether someone is a Christian. “If we’re not walking in love, are we really his disciples? Can we really call ourselves Christians?” Hope asked. They also encouraged listeners to love others well by getting out of their comfort zones. “You can’t reach the lost, the hurting, and broken from your couch,” Pastor Lafe said.
