Rounding out Know Why’s Back to School series, Dr. George Barna joins the Know Why Podcast to discuss kids, parents, and worldview. While previous episodes in this series have focused on high school or college students, Dr. Barna addresses parents. Whether you have kids now or hope to someday, listen to find out why things like intentionality, consistency, and honesty are so critical in passing a biblical worldview on to the next generation. You’ll also hear why only 1% of American teens have a biblical worldview today, and why many kids are saying they don’t trust their parents.
Returning Know Why guest Dr. Brad East joins the podcast to discuss his new book, Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry, a resource for young adults, college students, and parents of young adults. Dr. East argues that young adults are hungry for a faith “worth staking your life on.” He also says many seek straight, clear answers on matters of importance. If you’re a college student seeking to strengthen or better understand your faith in this season, don’t miss this installment of our Back to School series!
A Needed Resource
As a professor at Abilene Christian University, Dr. East spends plenty of time with young adults. Despite the many issues facing young adults, he says that one thing about the generation sticks out to him: “The thing that I experience the most with this population is a deep and utterly sincere hunger for what is worth staking your life on.”
But even among young adults who attend a Christian university and were raised in a Christian home, many do not actually know what it means to be a Christian. Dr. East says his forthcoming book, Letters to a Future Saint, is for them.
Why the Gap?
Why the gap in understanding? Dr. East thinks there are a few reasons. One is churches’ underestimation of how deep young adults really want to go with their faith. He says many churches have adopted a “concert and a Ted Talk model.”
“A concert, no matter how good, and a Ted Talk, no matter how good, are just not enough,” he told Know Why. “They’re not going to do the job we need to catechize and raise up committed, adult Christians.”
But he also identifies technology as a reason young Christians are unfamiliar with their own faith. The rapid advances in technology, the impacts of which are still being studies, have led to a young population that is less literate than previous generations.
Give it to me Straight
Dr. East said he gets lots of questions about a variety of issues from his students. But a common theme underscores the questions: “Would you please give me clear and succinct answer? Because no-one seems to be able or willing to do that for me?”
His book, Letters to a Future Saint, sets out to provide those answers, and equip others to give them as well.
In Part 2 of his interview with Know Why, Jon Noyes addresses the problem of suicide among young people. Jon encourages listeners to break the stigma around discussing suicide, gives practical tips for recognizing signs of suicidal thoughts, and helps listeners know why recognizing our identity as image-bearers of God is essential to tackling suicide and renewing hope. Don’t miss this important installment of our “Back to School” series.
Confronting Lies With Truth
Jon noted us that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34. As students return to high school this year, they’re likely to know someone who is struggling with their mental health or even having suicidal thoughts.
Jon told Know Why suicide is a growing problem because “people believe a lie, and the lie is that they’re better off dead than alive.”
To confront the lie, we need to speak truth, Jon said. The first step is ending the stigma surrounding discussions of suicide. That can include bringing the topic up to a friend we suspect is considering suicide, or reaching out others and being honest about our own mental health struggles.
“We’re devoid of hope in our culture.”
Jon Noyes
“When did it become ok not to express concern about other people?” Jon asked. “If we look at people and see them as God’s sees them, we should care enough to at least talk to them about their problems, or us talk to other people about our problems and be real with one another.”
Hope and Identity
Seeing people as God sees them is necessary for bringing hope to others, Jon told Know Why. It’s also essential for retaining hope ourselves. If we recognize that we are made in the image of God, we will know that our life has inherent value, and that we were designed for an eternal future with Jesus.
“Ultimately it all comes back to hope, and that hope is found in Christ, and we always need to be pointing people back to Christ, and reminding people daily who we are,” Jon told Know Why.
Grab some coffee and jump into this fun conversation with Jonathan and Chelsea Boes. Chelsea is the editor of WORLDKids Magazine, a culture writer at WORLD Magazine and a columnist at the Asheville Citizen Times. Jonathan is a writer, podcaster, and video creator and the multi-media editor for God’s WORLD News. Chelsea and Jonathan talk about why humans are drawn to stories, how faith informs their creativity, and why the creative process doesn’t have to be rushed. Come back next week for Part 2—a deep dive into Christians’ relationship with literature.
Why Stories Are Significant
Jonathan and Chelsea both believe there is significance in the human drive to tell stories. For Chelsea, it flows from a place of loving people and wanting to capture life. For Jonathan, the inclusion of so many stories in the Bible—as opposed to merely practical information—reveals that stories are important to God.
“God chose to give us stories.”
Jonathan boes
“As Christians there can sometimes be a sense that we just want to get to the ‘meat,'” he told Know Why. “Sometimes the story can even seem like an impediment to that. But I think there’s something really important in the fact that so much of the Bible is presented in story.”
Embracing the Process
As an extrovert, Chelsea understands how the desire to “be seen” can conflict with the often lonely work of writing and the impatience of not knowing what the outcome of that work will be. But she believes that no time spent writing is wasted—even if some stories never see the light of day. Time spent working on your art is like time spent exercising a muscle.
Making appointments with yourself to write daily can help you grow, and also removes the pressure to create something quickly, she told Know Why.
Listen next week for Part 2 of Know Why’s interview with Chelsea and Jonathan!
Writer and director Mitch Hudson joins the Know Why Podcast to talk about The Promised Land—a brand new comedy series based on the Bible. Unlike any faith-based entertainment you’ve seen before, The Promised Land tells the story of Moses in the style of shows like The Office and Parks & Recreation. In this episode, Mitch, who’s also an assistant director on the hit seriesThe Chosen, discusses how renewing his faith renewed his creativity, and shares how adapting biblical stories for TV has inspired a deeper understanding of God, people, and life. He also shares advice for young adults interested in pursuing a career in film. Don’t sleep on this episode!
Creating Honestly
While raised in a Christian home, Mitch told Know Why it wasn’t until adulthood that he decided to make faith a serious part of his life. After rededicating his life to God, Mitch said creative ideas started flowing. While he used to hesitate to tell faith-based stories, Mitch now believes it makes sense for him to create faith-based art because it’s “honest.”
“Creativity generally comes from a very honest place,” he told Know Why. “The fullness of my personality needs to express itself creatively, and that is not full unless it’s also including my faith.”
Telling Bible Stories on TV
Working on faith-based TV shows like The Chosen and now The Promised Land has helped Mitch gain a new understanding of many stories and people in the Bible, often motivating him to explore Scripture for himself even more, he told Know Why.
“It reminds you that the Bible is full of stories about people,” he said. “And God continues to use people. As we see these stories, it’s like, alright, if he used all these characters and they made all these mistakes, I bet he can also use us too.”
Is Exodus Funny?
The Promised Land is based on the story of Moses and the events of the biblical book of Exodus. Mitch said when writing episodes for The Promised Land, he found humor in details, such as character’s reactions, or imagining how they might feel about a situation.
“The Bible is full of stories about people.”
Mitch Hudson
“A lot of the stories that are in the Bible aren’t funny,” he told Know Why. “I’m not trying to make serious stories funny. When we get to serious stories in the Bible, we’re going to treat them seriously in the story of Moses. But there are some of the details … that when I dig into them a little bit deeper and think them through, that’s where I find some of the humor.”
Advice
Mitch recommends film school for anyone interested in a career in the film industry—if possible. “A lot of the connections I have that I made in film school with other students helped me stay in the loop on other projects that were happening,” he said.
But if film school isn’t an option, Mitch suggests finding ways to get on a film set to get any experience possible. Most states have a film office, he said. You can contact that office to find information about working or interning on sets. “There’s no bad learning, especially when you don’t have connections right at the beginning,” he said. He also advised taking any job on set, no matter what role you want to work in the future, because the experience will help you build community.
Does AI threaten the creative process? Jared Boggess, illustrator, Art Director for Christianity Today’s print magazine, and Creative Director of Fish Coin Press, joins Know Why Podcast to discuss why the process of making something matters. While humans are made in the image of God and are therefore creative, Jared explains, our process of making has been different from God’s since the beginning of time. Listen to know why you should enjoy the process of creating art.
Enjoyment in Work
Jared says the fact that we were made in God’s image means we were created to make things. But our process of making things is different than God’s. While God spoke the universe into existence, humans have always had to work to bring new things into being.
According to the Bible, humans were meant to work even before sin entered the world, Jared told Know Why. “Work itself is not bad. Labor is not bad. What came with the fall was our experience of it.”
“You might be in the wrong line of work if you never find yourself enjoying putting in the work.”
Jared Boggess
AI could subvert that process, Jared argues, allowing us to mimic instantaneous creation rather than putting in the work of making.
Jared believes that people should enjoy the process of their work, not just the result of it. “You might be in the wrong line of work if you never find yourself enjoying putting in the work,” he told Know Why.
Potential Tools
Jared thinks there may be helpful uses for AI technology, but insists that when it comes to art, AI is not simply another medium. He also warns that those who use AI to generate creative content should ensure that they do so ethically, since artificial intelligence has stolen content from other creators in the past.
However, he also doesn’t think it diminishes the need for new artists in the world.
“AI certainly does not remove our need to create,” Jared said, adding that as AI grows in popularity, human-made art may become even more valuable.
Ross Boone (artist name Raw Spoon) is back! In Part 2 of his interview with Know Why Podcast, Ross shares his formula for finding your mission in life. He also talks with Liberty about the power of stories, even dark ones (both true and fictional), to reveal the heart of God and point people to the light. Listen till the end to hear Ross turn the tables and interview Liberty for a few moments about her life’s story and mission.
Find Your Mission
In Part 2, Liberty notes that Ross has used seemingly divergent skill sets (mechanical engineering and artwork) to create his Creature Habits App. Ross believes people can find their mission in life by identifying their skills and passions and using painful parts of their life story to help others. For a more detailed description of Ross’s formula, listen to the first few minutes of the episode or click on the “Find Your Mission” link below.
“If we want to speak to the deepest parts of our humanity, we’re going to have to go to the deepest parts of our pain.”
Ross Boone
The Power of Story
True stories have the power to impact us deeply—but so do fictional stories. Ross believes Christians should be honest about the condition of the world in our storytelling. “Christian art doesn’t have to be rated G,” he told Know Why. “If we want to speak to the deepest parts of our humanity, we’re going to have to go to the deepest parts of our pain.” Is there a line for Christian artists and consumers when it comes to content that is “safe” or “clean?” Listen for Ross’s thoughts on navigating this issue.
Liberty’s Story
At the end of the episode, Ross asks Liberty questions to help identify her mission, leading Liberty to share part of her personal journey with faith and doubt.
Ross Boone (artist name Raw Spoon) is an author, illustrator, mechanical engineer, and theologian. He’s also had his share of doubts about faith and the Bible. Using those struggles as his creative engine, today Ross encourages others through artwork and stories. In Part 1 of his interview with Know Why Podcast, Ross shares how he uses digital tools including AI to create art that enhances biblical understanding. He also discusses how his app Creature Habits aims to reorient our distractions toward positive purposes. Listen and check out more of Ross’s creative resources below.
Doubt, Faith, and People
Ross told Know Why that he used to struggle with guilt over doubts and questions he had regarding Christian faith. He turned to creativity to process those doubts and questions, and now helps others wading through the same questions through his art.
Overtime, Ross realized that doubt is an important part of one’s journey with faith. “If you weren’t ever left in longing or left with questions, you wouldn’t have to dig deeper,” he said. He’s found that seeming dissonances within Scripture actually point to the complexity and nuance of humanity—much like art.
“If you weren’t ever left in longing or left with questions, you wouldn’t have to dig deeper.”
Ross boone
He believes Christian art needs to do a better job of portraying this reality. “Art has alerted me to the fact that we are complex, because I recognize when stories and portrayals of humans are done poorly.”
AI and Art
Ross believes that digital tools, including AI, have the power to bring depth and complexity to our understanding of biblical principles. He uses AI to generate art that accompanies Bible passages available in his app, Creature Habits. He hopes the art will help users visualize and understand biblical morals in fresh ways.
He notes that AI isn’t replacing the creative process for him as an artist. Rather, AI is a tool he is using for the benefit of the viewer in a specific context.
“Every new, modern technology is a tool for us to do what we want to do better,” he told Know Why. “We just have to be careful we don’t become a slave to these tools.”
Bestselling author and illustrator John Hendrix joins the Know Why Podcast to talk about the intersection of art and faith. A critically acclaimed artist and lifelong Christian, John shares why beauty has inherent value, argues why Christians should support artists, and explains why pursuing art as a profession matters in today’s world. A professor of art at Washington University in St. Louis, John offers advice and encouragement to aspiring artists. We also discuss some of John’s published (and forthcoming) graphic novels, so don’t miss this episode!
Art and Faith
John told Know Why he has been a Christian and an artist for as long as he can remember. As a child, he was often artistically inspired by the beauty in his home church. He sees art and creation as intrinsic expressions of his belief system.
“You cannot decouple creativity from expression of Christian faith,” he said, noting that “everyone is a creator,” even if they don’t consider themselves artists.
“We are made in the image of a Maker, and that is why we love making stuff.”
John Hendrix
John also shared how throughout his life, he’s wrestled with seasons of doubt regarding Christianity. “I think if you do not have doubts in your faith, you’re probably not really wrestling with it,” he told Know Why. “The doubts are a sign that it means something to you.”
The Value of Beauty
Christians can sometimes have a complicated relationship with the arts, and Johns sees a few reasons for this. For instance, Christians are often focused on practical ways to advance the gospel, and focusing on art can feel like an “indulgence.”
John understands the concern, but thinks the focus on practicality is misguided. “The sunset is not doing a particular work in spreading the gospel, unless you believe that beauty is fundamentally connected to some of God’s intrinsic values, which—news flash—it is,” he said. “So supporting the arts, in some ways, means succumbing to a mystery.”
He believes that churches should welcome artists and even implement programs to support them.
Encouragement for Aspiring Artists
The decision to pursue art professionally can result in both judgment and concern regarding everything from finances to the legitimacy of the pursuit. John encourages young artists, insisting that devoting one’s life to art is not selfish, but sacrificial—and meaningful for the world.
“Artists do not have the same earning power in general as Wall Street brokers, and that’s ok,” he said. “The goal of life on this planet is not to maximize your earning potential.” He says following one’s calling and living rightly are what matter most.
“The calling into the arts is a very broad one and it is totally worthy of your life.”
John Hendrix
Regarding illustration specifically, John says that “there is no better time to be an illustrator than right now.” There are so many devices and books that need illustration today, he continues, and illustration brings “clarity.”
“What does God value in the world?” John asked. “He values clarity. Clarity is a value. And it’s a value that is very difficult to do and to bring to the world.”
Conversation With Meghan Kitchen and Stephen R. Miller
Meghan Kitchen and Stephen R. Miller continue the conversation on art, why we love it, why we do it, and how it impacts people. Part 2 kicks off with a discussion of how different kinds of art highlights truth, and whether Christian artists must be “explicit” in their message in order to point people to the gospel. Then Stephen, Meghan, and Liberty talk about why making art is important even when art doesn’t make money—and why we should all carve out time for creative endeavors. Listen to Part 1 here.
Stories
Last week, Stephen argued that even dark art can point people to Jesus. Continuing that conversation, Liberty talks about The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, a novella that impacted her faith through its themes of death and futility. Stephen argues that stories impact us deeply by connecting us with God, truth, and humanity.
“We’re telling stories, and I think within us all is a desire to somehow replicate … the unnamable.”
Stephen R. Miller
“We’re telling stories, and I think within us all is a desire to somehow replicate … the unnamable,” he said. “To put down whether it’s oil on canvas or ink on paper or performance with a music instrument or a human being acting on stage, to give this form, but it starts with a story.”
With or Without Money?
Liberty asked Meghan and Stephen if they would make a living off their art if they could (everyone agreed they would), and why they still pursue their art even if it doesn’t make money. Everyone agreed that creating art is important even if it doesn’t earn a living.
“The further I get from the assumption that I ‘ought’ to be making money at this, the better,” Stephen told Know Why. Letting go of that assumption allows him to focus on what really matters about his passion, acting: “It connects me to my fellow human beings and it is the way God has given me to reflect him among his creation.”
