Latest radio + wishing you a very Merry Christmas

I had one of my most interesting conversations with John Morales last week on the Morning Air Show. You can listen to the conversation here.

We were discussing my latest article, Evangelizing in a Post-Christian World. There is so, so much to be said on the topic, and the main point is that you cannot take for granted that the people you meet, and who you are inviting into the Christian life, have any idea what you’re talking about. For many, they are coming into the conversation without a basic understanding of a lot of things, especially historical, because the Church is no longer the dominant cultural force in the western world. There’s no common ground on stories, values, morality, and the purpose and meaning of life. What you do have in common, though, is the human experience - and the longing in every heart for something more and to be loved. Listen to the conversation and you’ll learn more. And I’ll be continuing to think about this, and how we can meet in charity those who are, essentially, speaking another language.

Wishing you the merriest, most splendid Christmas!

Discussing charity + newest article: Evangelizing in a Post-Christian World

Yesterday I had a nice long chat with the Morning Air team about the importance of charity. Items discussed: how even giving $5 is great, the ways to determine what charities to support, and how giving of your own money supports growing in humility and material detachment. I believe strongly about all these things. Have a listen here, starting at the 23:48

Also, my latest article is up at Catholic Stand, Evangelizing a Post-Christian World.

The thing about this article is that there is much, much more that can be said about the topic. Particularly, the section of questions about being human that the Church answers. You also have to think of this from the perspective of taking things for granted, overall - an older generation takes for granted that people understand the role of institutions and voluntary civic organizations, for example. It’s already been stated, starting with “Bowling Alone,” that the decline of voluntary organizations, once known to be a stabilizing force in society and culture, has been going on for decades. Church is one of those voluntary organizations. This also contributes to people’s not knowing themselves or their place in the world. The even better example of this is families. If you come from an unstable, uncertain family and childhood, everything in your life becomes much more difficult. So, the Church’s mission now extends to re-explaining to the world why whole, stable families are important, and why marriage and children are something to be striven for, not avoided or replaced with solely self-satisfying pursuits (or the myth of overpopulation). And, why these things don’t happen in a vacuum; a generation of stable families has far-reaching (positive) societal impacts - minimizing drug use, maximizing education, staying out of prison, avoiding addictions, homelessness, etc. The public often pays the price for anti-human policies pushed by a secularized world.

Anyway, so here is the article. How to evangelize in a post-Christian, or de-Christianized, society, is the biggest question now. Don’t take anything you know about people and institutions for granted. We have to start from the beginning. But, imagine the hope that offers people, when they learn they are not alone and that life has meaning!

Charity at Advent

I hope your Advent is off to a glorious start! My Advent calendar is poppin’ out the chocolate, and I have a few things, spiritually, I’m focused on, including silence. Cultivate silence! (Minus the sound of the chocolate wrapper)

Tomorrow I will be back with the Morning Air team at 7:30 am eastern to discuss Giving Tuesday, why we ought to give all times of the year, and why charity is an especially helpful practice during Lent. As always, you can listen online or find your local station.