The transactional nature of forgiveness

Tonight’s guest and his family have suffered through a world of hurt at the hands of other people through things like murder, molestation, and assault. After describing what they had been through to someone on a well-known pastor support hotline, the counselor paused and said, “That’s the worst story I’ve ever heard. Why are you still doing ministry?”

Bruce Hebel is the co-author of Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution and the co-founder of the Forgiving Forward ministry. He joins us to talk about the hurtful things he and others have experienced and a revolutionary way to free ourselves from the torment that comes with unforgiveness.

God is a Designer

Is it possible to infuse design with grace? Can you design products, services, businesses, entertainment, graphics or anything else in a way that reveals and expresses God’s grace? Tonight, I’m joined by my good friend Erwin Godoy, a local innovation executive and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves who’s been working in the design/innovation space for a number of years. Erwin joins me to talk about what design is, what great designers do, and seeing God as the ultimate designer. 

Helping children navigate social upheaval and COVID isolation

There’s been a significant increase in mental health issues among our children due to COVID isolation, social unrest, and the economic challenges many of their parents are suddenly facing. These include things like anxiety, rebellion, and even suicidal thoughts. Add these to environments with a greater frequency of violence, drug use, and gang activity, and the challenge of treating these conditions becomes even greater.

Tonight, we’re talking to Dr. Robert Wingfield, the Chief Psychologist at the Boys Town Behavioral Health Clinic in Washington, D.C. Robert joins us to talk about the issues he most frequently encounters and to offer advice on how to help our children handle these unusual times.    

EMERGENCY HOTLINE NUMBER: 800-448-3000 or text VOICE to 20121

Recognizing, mourning, and repenting of 400 years of racial injustice

In May 2015, a group of 25 people gathered to clear growth, fallen logs, branches, and old fencing that had slowly overtaken the Sam Moore Slave Cemetery in Quicksburg, VA. Towards the end of the day, as the team reflected on their work, a thick, old tree stump in the center of the clearing suddenly popped into flames. It was like something was being released from the ground.

On a later visit to the graveyard, about 15 people felt compelled to launch an effort known as the Repentance Project, which encourages racial healing through the acknowledgement and communication of the enduring legacies of slavery as well as through repentance and relationship building. Tonight, we’ll hear from two of their leaders – Reverend Bill Haley and Max Finberg. 

Songwriting, racism, and some music

In the midst of a global pandemic, economic disruption, and racial upheaval, it’s easy to become overly focused on the negative. As a result, we’ll be playing a little more music on Grace in 30 with the hope of providing listeners with shots of inspiration. Tonight, I’m chatting with the former Worship Pastor from Grace Community Church in Arlington, VA who now serves in a similar role at a church in Oklahoma. Christian Nuckels is a songwriter and producer who has been busy on a number of musical fronts. Join us as we talk about some of the music he recently created and racial tensions in America.

Chill house music from a once-in-a-lifetime trip

In late summer 2016, my ex-wife, Diane, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The following November, after an aggressive but failed regimen of chemotherapy, she was told that she likely had three months to live – and possibly less. Not long after, we began planning one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips you hear about people taking when facing death. After much discussion, Diane, me and our college-age daughter headed to South Beach in Miami, Florida on New Year’s Day to stay at a fabulous new hotel. One of the things that made the trip special, oddly enough, was the music playing in the pool area which almost always seemed to be within earshot. Tonight, I’m going to play some of that music and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

A combat veteran talks about spiritual healing and serving people with mental health issues

Back in 2016, tonight’s guest wrote, “I know I’m a train wreck in a dumpster fire. But I also know that God loves me 100% as is, right now, in the midst of the burning carnage that is often my life.” Benjamin Sledge is combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s the recipient of the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and two Army Commendation Medals. Unfortunately, though, his experiences led to struggles with depression, drunkenness, and violence.   

Today, Ben travels around the country educating businesses, nonprofits, and churches about mental health issues, life in the military, and following Jesus Christ. He’s an author, graphic designer, metalhead, and licensed minister – a bit of a renaissance man. He joins us today to talk about how things turned around for him and to offer true hope to others.

The power of bringing opposing people together to serve others

Tonight’s guest was raised in a secular Jewish home in the San Francisco Bay area and wound up marrying a woman from rural Arkansas. He recently told me, if you’re ripping someone from any number of groups – Jews, Muslims, Evangelicals, Southerners – chances are it’s a group that includes someone he loves.

Following the 2016 Presidential election, Andrew Hanauer felt like he no longer belonged to any traditional political party and that he wanted to be part of something different – something Gospel driven and inclusive. He decided to focus on efforts that combine this desire with his passion for politics and his relationships with a variety of religious leaders. He’s currently the President and CEO of One America Movement, an organization founded by faith and community leaders to tackle the division in our society. Andrew joins us to talk about our culture of political contempt and what One America is doing to address it.

The economic impact of religion in America and religious freedom at work

In 1982, tonight’s guest moved to China and watched religious practices grow despite the government’s efforts to stamp them out. In 1989, as he was flying through Berlin on the way to the Soviet Union, a friend grabbed him and took him to join the first crowds tearing down the Berlin Wall. And in 2001, he was teaching in a Middle East town with 20,000 Taliban when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were struck.

Two decades as an international educator sparked a desire in Brian Grim to understand religious oppression and the benefits of religious freedom. He went on to serve in various related positions, including eight years working as the Director of Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life studies.  Brian is currently the President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and is one of the world’s leading experts on religious demographics and impact.  He joins us today to chat about his experiences overseas, the surprising benefits of religious freedom, and the positive impact of letting people freely bring their faith identities to work. 

Did Jesus engage in politics?

Back in 2015, a liberal graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY became friends with a republican who emigrated from El Salvador as a teen. While they had very different political views, they shared a common belief that Christians were engaging in the American political realm in a decidedly un-Christlike way. That friendship blossomed into the Center for Christian Civics (CXC), a non-profit dedicated to helping Christians be better disciples of Jesus Christ while engaging in politics. Today, we’re joined by their liberal co-founder, Rick Barry, to talk about our polarized culture, how it’s affecting the church, and what CXC is doing to address this. 

The unifying effect of COVID-19 and a focus on what we have in common

According to a recent survey, 99% of Progressive Activists in America feel that immigration is good for America while 98% of Devoted Conservatives think it’s bad.  97% of the activists think the police treat African Americans more violently than others while 93% of the conservatives think police are mostly fair to all races. And 99% of the activists disapprove of Donald Trump while 98% of the conservatives approve of him.

While these numbers reveal polarization in the extreme, there’s good news.  It turns out that these two groups don’t represent the majority of Americans – a majority that is sick and tired of this divide and thinks we have more in common than not.

Tonight, we’re joined by Dan Vallone from More In Common, an organization that has been studying our growing political divide. Dan joins us to talk about the results of their 2018 polarization survey and the work they’re doing to bridge the divide.  He’ll also fill us in on the results of a study they just released called Polarization and the Pandemic: How COVID-19 is Changing Us.

A Christian view of politics

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you talk about welfare reform while also giving to the needy in your church?

  • Do you proclaim that all lives matter and also have friends who look very different than you?

  • Do you speak against abortion and also embrace and assist the single mothers in your church?

  • Do you share your political opinions on social media while also joyfully sharing the Lord’s supper with church members who disagree with you?

  • Do you call for immigration reform while warmly welcoming foreign visitors to your church?

Today’s guest posed these questions at a conference earlier this month focusing on the relationship between Christians and politics. Jonathan Leeman is the editorial director at 9Marks, an organization that equips church leaders with resources for building healthy churches. He’s also an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church in suburban Washington, D.C. and the author of How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics for a Divided Age. He joins us today to talk about Christianity and politics. 

A nurse-in-training offers help to her neighbors amidst the coronavirus outbreak

Last week on Saint Patrick’s Day, my daughter and I drove from Vienna, VA to Reston, VA to pick up some carry-out dinner from one of the many restaurants that had closed its doors to diners.  When we returned to our condo building, we entered the elevator lobby on the garage level and I noticed a handwritten note on the announcements board.  The note read:

“If anyone needs groceries, supplies, or other essentials and are afraid of getting exposed to the coronavirus, I can run errands for you.”  The author included her phone number and e-mail address, and she signed the note, “Lindsay, your neighbor on the 3rd floor.”

I was thrilled to see this simple yet powerful expression of grace in the face of the emerging coronavirus threat.  I had to call her and do an interview.  Today I’m joined by Lindsay O’Conner, who lives with her new husband and their dog on the 3rd floor of my building.  She joins me to talk about what compelled her to reach out to her neighbors; what she’s hearing from healthcare workers on the front lines; and to offer suggestions for how listeners might fill some critical voids in the healthcare system (see links below). 

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Please note that this was my first attempt at an over-the-Internet interview following the temporary closing of our radio station due to the coronavirus. Things did not turn out so well, especially on my (Ed’s) side of the connection. I intentionally left my volume throttled back versus my guest in an attempt to attenuate interference. I also could not correct various distortions on my side. I apologize for any offense to listener’s ears.

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A perfect blend of politics and religion

A perfect blend of politics and religion.  Is there such a thing?  Tonight, we’re joined by John Slye, the lead pastor at Grace Community Church in Arlington and Falls Church, Virginia – a church for people who don’t go to church.  We’ll be talking about politics and other issues with John, including the Christian response to the coronavirus. 

An interview with the President of the American Enterprise Institute

Robert Doar assumed the leadership role at the American Enterprise Institute in 2019.  A leading conservative poverty scholar who has demonstrated a knack for working with Republican and Democrat administrations in New York, he joins us to talk about our contentious political environment, the importance of respecting the will of the people, and his belief that AEI’s guiding principles benefit the people who struggle the most in our society.   

25 years serving children and other residents in Washington D.C.’s most challenging communities

At age 25, Steve Park started tutoring kids in his parent’s Taekwondo studio in a low-income D.C. neighborhood.  Twenty-five years later, that humble enterprise has grown into Little Lights, a non-profit serving the youth and families in the Potomac Gardens, Hopkins, and Benning Terrace public housing complexes of Southeast D.C., where families of four struggle to survive on annual incomes that average $12,000-to-$14,000.  When I spoke to Steve back in 2016, Little Lights employed 13 full-time and 40 part-time staff, many of whom live in the communities they serve; utilized 120 volunteers; and was the number one job provider in the low-income D.C. housing community.  Steve updates us on their work and, more importantly, shares the joy that comes from empowering under-served youth and families through practical assistance, racial reconciliation, and the love of Jesus Christ.

An award-winning educator works to provide safe havens for children living in difficult neighborhoods

There are neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. that present substantial challenges to schools working to provide local children with the best education possible.  Tonight’s guest is an award-winning principal who recently left a school in the D.C. suburbs to serve children in such neighborhoods.  Vincent Spadoni is the President of the Consortium of Catholic Academies, a collection of four Catholic schools working to provide safe havens for children living in difficult neighborhoods and economic situations.  Vince joins us to talk about the characteristics of schools that make a truly significant impact in challenging settings.

The story of a young Fairfax, Virginia girl’s descent into human trafficking

At age 12, Barbara Amaya ran away from her Fairfax, Virginia home to escape abuse.  A woman in Washington, D.C. offered her a place to stay and turned out to be a sex trafficking recruiter.  Barbara was eventually sold on the streets of D.C. to a trafficker from New York City and she spent the next 10 years being victimized by him, his enablers, and their “customers.”  Barbara joins us tonight to share her story and to discuss how pervasive trafficking is and simple ways you can help combat it. 

Working to depolarize our country by bringing together red and blue Americans

An attendee of October’s Trumpstock gathering in Phoenix Arizona was quoted as saying that, if Trump is not re-elected, “Nothing less than a civil war would happen.”  “I don’t believe in violence,” he said, “but I’ll do what I got to do.”[1]

Also recently, a caller into a radio program suggested we shun conservatives.  He said he no longer talks to his brother because of his political views and spoke about dividing up our country.[2] On and on it goes in the media as we approach the 2020 election. 

If you’ve grown tired of the political division and contempt that’s so commonplace, we’ve got a tonic for you tonight.  We’re joined by April Lawson, the Director of Debates at Better Angels – an organization committed to bridging the growing divide between Republicans and Democrats in our country.  Following their first gathering of Trump and Clinton supporters back in December 2016, Better Angels launched numerous initiatives across the U.S. in an effort to tear down the walls that divide us.  April joins us to share some insights and stories about their work that you definitely want to hear.

Loving our enemies in a culture of political contempt

It’s the new year, we’re about 10 months away from the 2020 election, and things are tense.  It seems that many people believe that the political climate in America is about as bad as it’s ever been.  Here are some statistics:

  • A February 2017 poll showed that one in six Americans had stopped talking to a family member or friend because of the 2016 election.[1]

  • At the end of that year, another poll indicated that 71% of Americans believed that American political division had reached a “dangerous low point.”[2] 

  • The year before, work by political scientists indicated that political polarization was at its worst level since the Civil War.[3] 

  • Despite these statistics, 93% of Americans say they’re tired of how divided we’ve become – and 71% of us make this statement strongly.[4]  So, how can so many people be so tired of this and yet things seem to be continually getting worse?

Frankly, we don’t need surveys to realize how mutually contemptuous and judgmental our culture has become.  We see it all around us.

Instead of a guest tonight, Sal and Ed talk about politics in America – perhaps the hottest issue of 2020 given the upcoming election – and invite listeners to join the conversation and our efforts over the next year to improve the situation.