Tag: Millennials

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How Can I Help a Friend Struggling With Suicidal Thoughts?

Interview With Jon Noyes (Part 2)

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.

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Listen to Part 1 of Jon’s interview here.

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Can Music Help Us Know Right From Wrong?

Know About Creating: Interview With Nick Sungenis (Part 2)

In the last episode of our Know About Creating series, Liberty and Nick wrap up their conversation on music, philosophy, and life. Nick dives deeper into the philosophy of music, explaining how music can help us understand the nuance of life and sharpen our ability to reason through our actions. He also discusses the fascinating science behind the effect of music on living beings, and offers encouragement for people who want to pursue music as a career, or pick up an instrument for the first time!

Essentially Musical

Nick says that musicality is part of humans’ nature. “We are essentially predisposed and so ripe for becoming more musical because we have a fundamental level of musicality,” he told Know Why.

The more we play and understand music, the more we can understand about life, added. That’s because students of music learn that there is a right or wrong time to play certain notes, and that depending on the instrument, playing the correct note accurately requires a lot of nuance.

It’s the same with life. “There’s sometimes a lot of nuance to life and actions,” Nick said. “Reason will guide us to make the right selection, whatever it is.”

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Know About Creating: Why We Write Stories (And Why You Don’t Have to Rush)

Interview with Chelsea and Jonathan Boes

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!

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Know About Creating: Is the Bible Funny?

Interview With Mitch Hudson

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 series The 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.

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Know About Creating: What’s the Power of a Story?

Interview with Ross Boone (Part 2)

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.

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Know About Creating: How Can Artists Use AI and Other Digital Tools Wisely?

Interview With Ross Boone (Part 1)

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.”

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Listen to another perspective on AI and art here.

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Know About Creating: Why Should Christians Value Art?

Interview With John Hendrix

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.”

Listen to the entire conversation for more insight, encouragement, and information about John’s forthcoming graphic novel, The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

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Know About Creating: Why We Love Art

Conversation With Meghan Kitchen and Stephen R. Millar (Part 1)

For the first episode of Know Why’s new series, “Know About Creating,” Liberty is joined in-studio by audio engineer Meghan Kitchen and producer Stephen R. Miller, both of Point of View Radio Talk Show. But for this conversation, Liberty, Meghan, and Stephen are artists. They discuss what they love about their favorite art mediums, why they feel the drive to create stories, music, and performances, and how faith impacts their interactions with art. Enjoy Part 1 of this fun conversation and look for Part 2 next week! 

Art is Life

For people who consider themselves creatives, creating isn’t an option. That’s how Meghan, Stephen, and Liberty feel about their favorite forms of creative work. All three agree that art helps to connect them with other people.

“I love it [acting] because it gives me a chance to open people’s eyes, it gives me a chance to make people laugh or cry and to think deeply about humanity and about how they relate to others, and how others relate to them,” Stephen said.

“Art is to be shared,” Meghan added.

Faith and Art

What does it mean to do art as Christians? Meghan, Stephen, and Liberty share their various feelings on the combination of art and faith, acknowledging that sometimes Christians feel the need to box themselves or other artists in to explicitly and exclusively referencing God in their works.

Stephen argues that even in “dark” stories where the Gospel isn’t explicitly mentioned, people can be pointed to truth.

Listen to the episode for more about how art of various forms points to God, and check back next week for Part 2!

More Resources

  • What Happens in a Dream? Fictional Podcast by Meghan Kitchen
  • Request a free copy of the booklet “A Biblical View on Imagination” by Stephen Miller here, or read an expanded digital edition here.
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Can Localism Ease Partisanship (And Even Anxiety?) Know About Political Engagement

Interview With Dr. Mark T. Mitchell

Does the philosophy of localism offer an antidote to the hostile partisanship that typically marks American politics? Can it even address the cultural problems of anxiety and loneliness? Dr. Mark T. Mitchell, co-founder of Front Porch Republic and Dean of Academic Affairs at Patrick Henry College, joins Liberty to talk about the importance of intentional living, physical space, embodied community, and more.

‘Bodies Matter’

Various episodes in Know Why Podcast’s “Know About Political Engagement” series have highlighted the importance of voting in local elections. But the idea of localism goes beyond voting. It’s a way of thinking and living that emphasizes the importance of physical space and in-person community. Through Front Porch Republic, “We are emphasizing the importance of face-to-face encounters with other human beings,” Dr. Mitchell told Know Why.

In today’s increasingly mobile, global age, face-to-face encounters are becoming less common. Even though many people tout the benefits of online or social media “communities,” Dr. Mitchell argues there can be no such thing.

“A real and legitimate community in its fullest sense requires sharing common space,” he said. “When our online technologies become substitutes for embodied presence, I think we’re in trouble.”

‘Restless Anxiety’

For examples of what kind of “trouble” substituting online “communities” for embodied community leads to, just consider the high rates of anxiety and loneliness among young generations today. Millennials and Gen Z are the most educated generations on record. Many were encouraged to “go far” and “follow dreams,” leading to the abandonment of hometowns for impressive degrees and careers. Happiness has not been their reward, however—but rather isolation, loneliness, and rootlessness.

What if more people chose to truly put down roots right where they are?

“A real and legitimate community in its fullest sense requires sharing common space.”

Dr. Mark T. Mitchell

“We surf. We scroll. All of this terminology is indicative of the kind of transient, unsettled, dissatisfied thumbing through life that is increasingly characterizing so many of our lives,” Dr. Mitchell told Know Why. “That’s no way to live, ultimately.”

“Restless anxiety keeps a people constantly searching—constantly scrolling you might say,” he said. And yet, “So many of the very best things in life are only realized in the wake of commitment.”

To Love Thy Neighbor, Know Thy Neighbor

While localism can help fulfill human needs of physical community and connection, it may also alleviate some of the nastiness of modern politics.

“So much of our political conversation obsesses with national politics, where partisanship is most profoundly obvious,” Dr. Mitchell said. But when more people are focused on working together to solve problems in their local communities, party differences start to matter less and less.

The first step on the path to engaging more with neighbors on local issues is opening yourself up to them—even if that means doing something as simple as sitting on your front porch to invite conversation. This may not always be convenient, but it’s necessary for robust local communities and real human connection.

“‘It’s easy to talk about love of humanity. It’s an abstraction,” Dr. Mitchell told Know Why. “The hard part is loving that bothersome person down the road, or a member of your own family.”

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Why is Anger Unhealthy? Know About Jesus

Interview With Brant Hansen (Part 2)

Brant Hansen is back! The radio personality and author discusses research from an atheist that points to the genius of Jesus’ teachings on anger, forgiveness, and anxiety. Listen and learn why Brant says Jesus is the “smartest man who ever lived.”

Refuse to be Scandalized

Letting go of offense, anger, and anxiety can lead to more opportunities for friendship and even evangelism, Brant said, sharing more stories from his family’s own experiences.

“People are suddenly drawn to you when you’re the one who’s the least judgmental person on the block,” he told Know Why. That doesn’t mean you must abandon your values or morals, Brant explained. But you can refuse to be scandalized by others’ sin, and enjoy a less stressful life as a result.

“Everything we discover about this subject just points again to the genius of Jesus.”

Brant Hansen

Jesus himself refused to be scandalized by others’ behavior, Brant notes. In fact, some have even used the word “relaxed” to describe Jesus.

Don’t Live in Fight or Flight Mode

Scientific research has reinforced the wisdom of Jesus’ teachings. For instance, both animals and humans were created with fight or flight responses, but those responses are supposed to be fleeting, helping us survive and escape threats. Existing in fight or flight mode long-term is bad for our health, research shows. But when we allow ourselves to stay angry and anxious, that’s what we’re doing.

Brant points to Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” where he specifically tells listeners not to be angry or anxious.

“He knows how we’re made, how we flourish, and how we thrive,” Brant told Know Why. “Everything we discover about this subject just points again to the genius of Jesus.”

Listen to Part 1 of this interview here.

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