Newsletter 7/20/23 - Gettysburg, Glorieta, and Great Conversations

A few updates from a busy summer

photo credit: me, with my iPhone. I’m no pro, but not bad

I’m writing this after a busy, but fun, travel season. A couple of weeks ago I was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, attending and speaking at the Braver Angels event. Braver Angels is a really interesting organization. My friend Hunter Baker, who teaches at Union University, is the chairman of the board and encouraged me to participate. Hunter and I lead a session on Christian nationalism (what it is, what it isn’t, etc) and I also hosted a session with my friend Mark Beckwith on how liberals and conservatives can find common ground even as we hold tight to our convictions. It was hosted at Gettysburg College. Even though I’ve toured the Gettysburg battlefield numerous times, I didn’t hesitate to take an official guided tour with a wonderful historian named Bob Steensra. Bob happened to be an evangelical who has taught at numerous high schools and colleges. Bob and I later had another stroll thru Gettysburg where he showed me where the 8th Illinois Cavalry fired the first shot. In my view, Gettysburg is, as Lincoln said so eloquently, “hallowed ground.” The future of our country hung in the balance on those bloody battlefields. If you ever have a chance to visit, you should. Take it all in, from the battlefield tour to the awesome new visitors center and film to the charming town. I even visited Dwight Eisenhower’s farm because I couldn’t help myself.

Then this last weekend I was in Glorieta, New Mexico at the M3 camp hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas. This was my second year teaching there. It’s a beautiful part of the country, up in the mountains, and that thin, cool air (as a contrast to the summer hotbox of Fort Worth). I came away thoroughly encouraged by the passion and commitment of the 1500 or so teens who attended. Ignore the cynics. God is up to something with this next generation.

I’ve also been doing a ton of interviews and podcasts for my book Agents of Grace. I wanted to share a few here:

• A conversation with Patrick Miller from Truth over Tribe. Here’s a clip

• A conversation with Patricia Holbrook of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Here is that conversation:

What I’m Reading/Watching

• First, Jon Meacham’s And There Was Light about Abraham Lincoln. This book was really good. Meacham is particularly adept at capturing Lincoln’s Christian upbringing and the way that this guided him throughout his life. He accurately portrays Lincoln with all of his strengths and weaknesses and how Lincoln, almost by himself, was determined to both end slavery and hold the fragile union together.

• Second, I read the new biography by historian Richard Norton Smith: An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald Ford. This was a compelling look at a consequential figure in American history. Ford, who grew up with an alcoholic, abusive father and played football for Michigan, found himself thrust in the middle of history. He fought in the Navy in WWII and became a popular Congressman from Grand Rapids. He served on the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of JFK, became House Minority Leader and, due to his character and statesmanship, was chosen by Richard Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew as Vice-President. When Watergate engulfed Nixon and forced him to resign, it was Ford who helped the nation heal from both this scandal and the wounds of Vietnam.

• Third, the new Netflix series The Quarterback produced by Peyton Manning. It follows three QBs through the 2022 season: Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota. As a fan of NFL football, I enjoyed it. I came away with profound respect for the hard work and dedication each of these men put into their craft. I also liked the focus on how these athletes balance their profession and their family life.

• Now I’m reading Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard.