RELEVANT - Issue 71 - September/October 2014 by RELEVANT Media Group

R E L E VA N T M A G A Z I N E . C O M

4 LIES THE CHURCH TOLD YOU ABOUT SEX

LECRAE

SAVORING

TV’S NEW

GOLDEN AGE

HOW HIS NEW ALBUM IS SUCH A GAMBLE

SCIENCE VS. FAITH

WHY CAN’T THEY JUST GET ALONG?

ISSUE 71 | SEPT_OCT 2014 | $4.95

WITH

LOVING OTHERS THROUGH EQUAL EDUCATION

Train and live in community with other men and women who are responding to the gospel mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves by providing students in low-income neighborhoods with the same, or better, quality of education as is available to any student in Memphis.

The vision of MTR is to use our specific work within education, in partnership with other holistic organizations, to help restore communities so that all individuals can become empowered contributors to our city, and people of all races and classes can engage with one another in peace. memphistr.org

SERVING TOGETHER

E T H I O P I A FA M I N E , 19 8 4

J E S U S H A S A LWAY S sent His followers to help the suffering. For over 60 years, World Vision has served the church—those with the faith and compassion to carry the burdens of others—as it serves the world’s most vulnerable.

IN THE MARGINS

W E B E L I E V E Jesus still calls His people to bring hope and transformation to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hardest places. Together, we serve Him, leading the way to fullness of life for children and families living in pover ty. Join us in the margins.

worldvision.org/church World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of pover ty and injustice.

DO YOU FEEL STUCK?

“I need real. Don’t you? When it comes to love and faith and all the parts of life bubbling below the surface, I can’t waste time on something that doesn’t cut me to the core. It’s this desire for authenticity that first drew me to Jamie’s storytelling. No frills, no pretense ... messy human characters that are REAL people. Jamie’s book arrived at a time in my life when I’m learning the difference between loving others and loving myself. What’s selfish? What’s self-care? What’s unconditional? Help! Let’s be honest, when are any of us not absolutely dying to love and be loved well?” Hayley Williams, of Paramore

Jamie George founded The Journey Church, birthplace of acclaimed worship duo All Sons & Daughters, near Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. In addition to writing Love Well, he has collaborated with New York Times bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury on The Family of Jesus (Heart of the Story Collection). Jamie, his wife Angie, and their four children reside in Franklin, Tennessee. Available in print and digital editions wherever books are sold.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO? As change-makers, we face difficult decisions every single day. Do we take the risk? Is now the right time to act? Will this decision lead me toward my calling? Yes or No is your personal guide to navigating through life’s most difficult decisions. Jeff Shinabarger, social entrepreneur and founder of Plywood People, outlines a framework for turning everyday decisions into life’s greatest opportunities. Realize how each decision ultimately impacts how you’ll be remembered. Learn how your decisionmaking style influences your choices. Live the life you were created to live by discovering what to do when you don’t know what to do.

“... an inspiring, challenging joy to read. I say ‘yes’ to this book!” DAVID CROWDER singer and musician

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THE MAGAZINE ON FAITH, CULTURE & INTENTIONAL LIVING

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014, ISSUE 71 An Offerman you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t refuse. Publisher & CEO | CAMERON STRANG > cameron@relevantmediagroup.com Associate Publisher | JEFF ROJAS > jeff@relevantmediagroup.com Account Manager | WAYNE THOMPSON > wayne@relevantmediagroup.com Account Manager | MICHAEL SCHUERMAN > michael@relevantmediagroup.com Managing Editor | TYLER HUCKABEE > tyler@relevantmediagroup.com Web Editor | JESSE CAREY > jesse@relevantmediagroup.com Copy Editor | DARGAN THOMPSON > dargan@relevantmediagroup.com Editorial Coordinator | LINDSEY STATON > lindsey.staton@relevantmediagroup.com Contributing Writers: Jennie Allen, John Brandon, Jamie Calloway-Hanauer, Lily Dunn, Mack Hayden, David Roark, C. Christopher Smith, John Taylor, Laura Turner Senior Designer | EVAN TRAVELSTEAD > evan@relevantmediagroup.com Designer | LAUREN HARVILL > lauren@relevantmediagroup.com Production Designer | LINDSEY WEIGLEY > lindsey@relevantmediagroup.com Director of Audio & Video | CHAD MICHAEL SNAVELY > chad@relevantmediagroup.com Visual Content Producer | MARK KAMMEL > mark@relevantmediagroup.com Contributing Photographers: Zack Arias, Brian Ferry, Anton Ivanov, Shayd Johnson, Glen Moodie, Mads Perch, Zen Sekizawa, Emily Shur Finance and Operations Manager | MERCEDES LANGDON > mercedes@relevantmediagroup.com Project and Marketing Manager | AME LYNN DUNN > ame@relevantmediagroup.com Customer Experience Coordinator | CAROLINE COLE > caroline@relevantmediagroup.com Marketing Assistant | MORGAN BECK > morgan@relevantmediagroup.com Facilities Coordinator | ERIC WARD > eric@relevantmediagroup.com Web/App Developer | STEVEN LINN > steven@relevantmediagroup.com Systems Administrator | JOSH STROHM > joshs@relevantmediagroup.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: www.RELEVANTmagazine.com/advertise

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RELEVANT Issue #71 September/October 2014 (ISSN: 1543-317X) is published 6 times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November for $14.99 per year by RELEVANT Media Group, Inc., 900 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789. Periodicals postage paid at Orlando, FL, and at additional mailing offices.

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CONFRONT ~ SOCIAL INJUSTICE ~

G O D ’ S WAY

The message of this book is bold, necessarily courageous, and disruptively life-changing. AVAILABLE WHEREVER CHRISTIAN BOOKS ARE SOLD ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH NOVEMBER 2014

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We’ll prepare you to lead the way. At Bethel University, we’re committed to equipping ministry leaders. But here, leadership means something more. It’s about living our beliefs and bringing theology to life. It’s about becoming thoughtful scholars and faithful servants. It’s about developing our God-given talents while gaining the biblical foundation we need to think critically, discern faithfully, and act wisely. It’s about using everything we’ve learned and everything we believe to make a real difference in our communities and our world.

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first word

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN BY CAMERON STR ANG

you’re a regular reader of RELEVANT, you probably notice the majority of my First Words tend to serve as an intro to a key theme or special section in the issue. I love to talk about the inspiration that leads to the big stuff we’re covering. And while I’m a huge fan of TV (and in particular, of cover subject Nick Offerman), a passing comment in our conversation with OK Go on page 58 stuck with me. When discussing what pushes the band to continue innovating and creating groundbreaking visual work for their music, Damian Kulash says, “It’s so easy for people to play it safe all the time and not consciously re-create the same thing you did last time.” Especially for creatives, it can be easy to create something great, and without even realizing, keep regurgitating it. Hey, it worked. People liked it. It’s your thing. But how many really take the time to intentionally push themselves out of those comfort zones? Truly test their limits and break new ground again and again? The comment grabbed me because at RELEVANT we’ve been in a season of trying to get out of our comfort zone. For our first decade, while we always dabbled in new ideas, at our core, we essentially approached making media the same way. There was a proven method. Certain things worked, and we tried to stick with those. Then a couple of years ago, we found ourselves in a hard place. We had essentially accomplished the plan we set out to do a decade earlier. We were working incredibly hard, but in many ways it felt like we were treading water. We dreamed of bigger things, but business-as-usual wasn’t working. We were stuck. In 2012, when we added up the people we were reaching in a month through all

SEPT_OCT 2014

our platforms, it was about 700,000—nothing to sneeze at. But was something more possible? Instead of sticking with what we knew how to do, we decided to step back and asked ourselves, what would it look like to reach 10 million people one day? What would we be doing then that we aren’t doing now? It definitely wouldn’t all be people reading words on paper. So as a magazine publisher, that challenged us to prayerfully rethink our entire model top to bottom. The decisions we made in the ensuing season were hard. We had spent a decade heading one direction, and in one fell swoop decided to change course. We took risks, shuttered things we’d been doing for years, pruned back everything to create new margin. We took steps into the unknown with conviction. Today, we’re the same small team, in the same office, with about the same revenue. And last month, through all of our platforms, RELEVANT connected with 17.3 million people. It’s a figure impossible for me to comprehend. The most exciting part of the season we’re in? Even though we’ve seen a lot of positive fruit, our team isn’t playing it safe anymore. We feel like we’re just starting to scratch the surface of what’s possible. Things are in motion right now that excite me more than anything we’ve created in the last 14 years. For us, business growth has never been our goal. Impact is. We want to create powerful content experiences that give voice to what God is doing in this generation and challenge people to live a life that matters. We’re making media for people called to make a difference in this world. At any point over the last few years, it would’ve been easier to just pull back and keep doing what we were doing. We knew how to do it; it was safe. The risk comes when you feel God pulling you out of your comfort zone into the unknown. Will you stay with what you know? Or will you take the risk of stepping into the abyss? One direction is proven. One makes you rely on God. And while taking huge risks can be hard— believe me, I know—let’s be honest: who wants a life that just plays it safe?

CAMERON STR ANG is the founder and publisher of RELEVANT. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @cameronstrang.

feedback

JULY/AUG 2014 ISSUE 70

RE: WHY WE NEED HEROES

I had a major geek out moment when I heard about this article. Spider-Man has been my favorite superhero since I was little. I’ve always felt there was a hidden message that picked me up and showed me the right direction. This article hit that feeling right on the head and explained what I’ve been trying to tell people for years!

T W E E T N E S S

@ SHAN E SAN C HE Z

I have been reading the @RELEVANT mag iPad edition since it dropped. I’m still amazed every time I open it. Such a cool reading experience. @ C HE RYLLOC K HART

Reading @RELEVANT today. Did you know that the creators of Superman did so with Moses in mind? Cool!

ROBBY JOHNSON / Via RELEVANTmagazine.com

RELEVANT Media Group has really helped me over the last few months. All of the different parts to it—from the magazine to the podcast (which is truly hilarious) to the articles and features online—are really useful, life changing, Godly and wise. This is “intentional living” centered, something I believe in wholeheartedly. I look forward to engaging further in the future with where RELEVANT is heading!

Thanks for your article “The Human Face of Climate Change” [July/Aug 2014]. I’ve heard many people argue over how much of an impact humans have truly made on the environment, but I’ve come to the conclusion that we have an obligation to be good stewards of the Earth no matter what. This article drove that point home by showing that the issue isn’t just about glaciers and polar bears, but about other people, too. MAGGIE COX / Via Facebook @ R E N D E L AC R U Z

“8 Ways to Change the World” via @RELEVANT is an inspiring mustread for aspiring changemakers :)

OLLIE GODDARD / Via email

@ V IN C E N TE G IOR DAN

@JonAcuff Thank you for the article on Facebook debate in @RELEVANT. Spot on and really spoke to me.

“8 Ways to Change the World” [July/ Aug 2014] is so sweet and good! As an aspiring world changer, one of the things I’ve struggled with is fighting pride. Pride is destructive in every respect. I’d be interested to hear more from these leaders how they fight against pride and be more humble.

@ LIN L E Y21024

Reading “Why We Need Superheroes” from @RELEVANT. Great story and interesting approach to comic book culture.

PAUL SOHN / Via RELEVANTmagazine.com

The first issue of my RELEVANT magazine subscription has arrived! I have enjoyed this magazine since 2005, but it was difficult finding issues in Manila. I’m looking forward to learning even more about influencing pop culture for the sake of the Gospel.

I’m a new subscriber and also a new Christian. I lived my whole life as an atheist and started exploring faith about one and a half years ago. Your articles speak directly to my heart as a young Christian. Whether it’s articles about Wes Anderson, music, relationships or how to make a difference in the world, you cover the things that matter to me. Your magazine has reaffirmed why I became a Christian, because you express and embody love for all people, concern for injustice and joy in creative arts. Thanks for all you do!

JAMES MICHAEL DEEN / Via Facebook

HEATHER MCCONOCHIE / Via email

SEPT_OCT 2014

@ DAV J CASTILLO

Just discovered @RELEVANT, a faithbased magazine that discusses a lot of stuff including pop culture, and I’m kinda hooked. @ D E V IN MAD D OX

Love the story from @RELEVANT about my friend @JoeyLankford. He inspires people to live for more than themselves.

RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM

SLICES A BI - M O N TH LY LO O K AT FA IT H, LIF E + C ULT URE

WHITEWASHED Exodus is far from the first Bible movie to show a lack of diversity in casting:

HOLLYWOOD’S BIBLE RACE PROBLEM

his December, Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods frustration with the hashtag #BoycottExodusMovie. and Kings—which tells the story of Moses Exodus is hardly the first biblical epic to take freeing the Israelites from Egypt—will open, some artistic liberty with race, but it might be the with producers hoping to capture the same box-office first to come under heavy criticism for it. While success that Noah and Son of God had earlier this year. Christians have been quick to scrutinize the hisLike those movies, Scott’s torical accuracy and theological biblical epic is already receiving nuances of past Bible movies, the criticism. Unlike those movies, actors’ race has typically gotten Exodus is hardly the the criticism is coming in for a a pass. But as Bible movies benon-theology related controvercome higher-profile affairs, their first biblical epic to sy: the casting. margin for error is shrinking. take some artistic In Exodus, the Jewish and It’s yet to be seen if the backEgyptian historical characters— lash will affect the film’s bottom liberty with race. including Joshua, Moses and line, but with a number of other Ramses—are portrayed mostly Hollywood Bible adaptations in by white actors like Aaron Paul, the works—big-budget films and Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver and TV shows about Jesus, David, Pontius Pilate, Mary Ben Kingsley. The decision to use white actors to play and others—the viral pushback may be a signal to the ethnically diverse figures led to a small uproar on Hollywood that it needs to recognize its biblical Twitter, where thousands of users expressed their race problem.

SEPT_OCT 2014

CHARLTON HESTON

In The Ten Commandments, the 1956 telling of the Moses story, Heston dons one of the worst fake beards in history.

R IC HAR D G ERE

Actor Richard Gere portrayed history’s most famous Hebrew king in 1985’s King David.

WIL LE M DAFOE

In Martin Scorsese’s 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ, Dafoe became another white actor to portray Jesus onscreen.

P H O T O C R E D I T: C A S E Y C R A F F O R D / L I G H T W O R K E R S M E D I A I N C .

Diogo Morgado as Jesus in Son of God

“We Are Stewards of God’s Resources!” “LifeChurch.tv’s accreditation by ECFA serves as a clear statement of assurance to our attendees, our donors, and to the public that we conduct Kingdom business with integrity and accountability.” Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor LifeChurch.tv – Edmond, OK

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M I S C

A study from Lifeway Research shows 42 percent of American Protestant pastors rarely or never speak on domestic violence. However, 72 percent of them consider domestic abuse a problem in their community ...

CHIPOTLE IS BRINGING WRITERS TO PAPER CUPS CHIPOTLE IS NOW OFFERING A

side of literature. A new project lets customers read short works from famous authors and comedians on the sides of their cups and paper bags. It all started after author Jonathan Safran Foer forgot to bring reading material to lunch. He emailed Chipotle CEO Steve Ells and pitched the idea of bringing the works of contemporary writers to the restaurant. Here are a few of the writers involved:

BI L L HAD E R

Comedian, SNL alumnus and all-around funny guy. We’re not sure Stefon would approve.

S ARAH S ILVE R M A N

Controversial stand-up comedian, writer and TV and occasional film actress.

MAL C O L M GL A DW E L L

Journalist, speaker, New Yorker writer and author of five bestselling books.

TO N I MO R R IS O N

Novelist, editor, professor and winner of a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize for literature.

SEPT_OCT 2014

STUDY: CYNICISM LINKED TO BRAIN DAMAGE

ccording to new research, being cynical doesn’t just make you a bummer to be around, it may also cause actual brain damage. A team of researchers at the University of Eastern Finland surveyed nearly 1,500 people—gauging their level of cynical distrust by their responses to statements such as “I think most people would lie to get ahead.” They found that the risk of developing dementia in later years was three times higher in the participants who were more cynical than those who demonstrated low levels of cynicism. “These results add to the evidence that people’s view on life and personality may have an impact on their health,” the study’s author explained in a statement. Other studies have shown that people who are cynical also have higher rates of heart problems and cancer.

A PET scan shows the difference between a healthy brain (left) and the brain of a person with dementia. According to the study, a bad attitude may affect our brains.

A movie about the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis is reportedly in the works. Tolkien & Lewis will have an $18 million budget and, confusingly enough, will be directed by Simon West, the man behind Con Air and The Expendables 2. So we should probably expect a lot of explosions ...

Comedy legend and sweater aficionado Bill Cosby may be returning to TV in a new NBC series that writers describe as a “classic, big family sitcom.” The project could air in the summer or fall of 2015 ...

Experience the Bible from a different

point-of-you.

The NIV First-Century Study Bible helps you to study the Bible through the eyes of a first-century disciple and discover the text in its original cultural context. Explore questions, stories, and interpretationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which will introduce you to a world vastly different from your own. Now available wherever Bibles are sold.

SLICES

THE CITY

CARMA

The City app combines the daily interactions of a digital network with the community of the local church. The site and app lets users discuss teachings, find service opportunities and meet new members.

Each year, Americans spend thousands of dollars on gas and hundreds of hours behind the wheel on their daily commutes to work, school and church— often driving alone. Carma wants to change that by bringing people together and saving on fuel consumption. The app helps users locate drivers in their neighborhoods with similar commutes, then allows them to connect to set up a plan to carpool. The technology also tracks each trip and transfers gas money reimbursement directly into the driver’s account.

AIRBNB Instead of booking an expensive hotel room when you travel, Airbnb lets users find an unused room, apartment or house owned by a local. The site hosts a directory of spaces in cities around the world—and lets users post their rooms for rent—displaying feedback from previous travelers.

THE REAL SOCIAL NETWORKS HOW ‘COMMUNITY 2.0’ IS CHANGING TECHNOLOGY AND REAL-WORLD RELATIONSHIPS

ocial media is suddenly becoming a lot more social. Since the Facebook revolution, online social networks have created ways for people to form virtual connections in digital communities, but the latest wave of social sites and apps aren’t just concerned with fostering online relationships—they’re bringing social networks to real life in all sorts of new ways. Here’s a look at five social media ventures that are changing communities through web-based—and real-world—connections:

SEPT_OCT 2014

CAUSES Causes.com—founded in 2012 by Napster creators Sean Parker and Joe Green—lets its community easily support and promote their favorite organizations. Users can set up fundraising pages, awareness campaigns and “supporter networks” that empower online communities to partner with groups enacting change around the world.

PAREUP The mission of PareUp is to bring “people and businesses together to save good food from the trash.” According to the founders of the site, 30 percent of all the food the in the U.S. is wasted, with retailers alone throwing more than $15 billion of produce in the garbage each year. PareUp lets restaurants and supermarkets post and sell (for a discounted price) unsold food before they throw it away, alerting app users about available food options.

Unite with thousands of believers from around the world. Experience Jerusalem firsthand; see where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Join with leaders, scholars and next-generation voices to celebrate Pentecost at the place it actually

happened almost 2,000 years ago. This congress is a perfect moment to celebrate the Holy Spirit, make history and help shape the future of the Spirit-empowered movement.

SLICES

THE H T LIST RELEVANT ’S BI-MONTHLY CULTURE POWER RANKINGS

Adele

NIC CAGE’S LEFT BEHIND [HOT TEST] The world clearly isn’t ready for this big-screen reboot. But on Oct. 3, we’re getting it anyway.

UNDER THE DOME [HOT TER] CBS’ show is loosely based off a Stephen King novel of the same name, but it has taken on a new, riveting identity of its own.

THE GOOD LIE [HOT] Reese Witherspoon’s new drama brings the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan the attention it deserves.

“HARVEST” PARTIES [COLD] Isn’t it time we call a late October gathering with costumes and candy what it really is? A Holy Ghost Weenie Roast.

CAN INDIE LABELS SURVIVE ANOTHER MUSIC REVOLUTION?

ouTube is getting into music streaming, which sounds great, except it’s squeezing out indie artists in the process. The Google-owned giant’s new venture, Music Pass, lets users pay a subscription fee to listen to ad-free videos and download songs. But the new model requires new licensing agreements, and many smaller record labels are refusing to sign. In the process, videos from hundreds of artists (from Adele to Arctic Monkeys to Solange) could vanish. But that doesn’t mean indie outlets are bowing out of streaming music. Through the Drip.fm platform, labels including Domino, Stones Throw and Sub Pop have all launched subscription services that let fans stream and download albums. Whether bands are booted off YouTube for good or have their videos eventually restored, the labels are ensuring subscription service models will change the way we all listen to music.

BAPTISM NUMBERS PLUMMET AMONG BAPTISTS THE END OF PARKS AND RECREATION [COLDER] We love Parks and Rec and simply refuse to believe this is its last season. FANTASY FOOTBALL [COLDEST] Sure, we enjoy spending hours creating lineups of NFL players for fictional matchups. But we have better things to do. Like play video games.

SEPT_OCT 2014

entire year. And the numbers for millennials BAPTISTS HAVE A BAPTISM PROBLEM. This were even worse. Nearly 80 percent of Bapspring, leaders from the Southern Baptist tist churches reported one or fewer baptisms Convention released the findings of a report of people between the ages on the decline in baptisms within [FROM 1999-2012] of 18-29. The research cited the denomination. Their numbers a number of reasons for the indicate that from 1999 to 2012 decline (leadership issues, (the latest year of the study), bapspiritual priorities, etc.), but tisms fell by nearly 25 percent admitted, “We are not being in Baptist churches across the effective in winning and discountry. The report also found cipling the next generation to 25 percent of Baptist churches follow Christ.” didn’t report a single baptism the

BAPTISMS FELL

25%

Ian & Larissa Learn about their story.

Ian and Larissa’s story first went viral in May 2012 after a video of the couple sharing their story was introduced to readers. Today, over 10 million viewers have watched this video. Eight Twenty Eight shares the couple’s full story for the first time.

Available August 28

IanandLarissa.com

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

(HCSB)

SLICES

THE NEXT TRANSPORTATION REVOLUTION IS HERE

ver the past several years, high-end hybrids and futuristic electric cars have slowly become more prominent on American roads as consumers realize the impact of fossil fuel consumption on the environment. But, until now, one obstacle has prevented many potential consumers from fully embracing fuel-efficient technology: the price. Recently, a handful of automakers and innovators have decided to put affordability on the same level as sustainability, bringing fossil fuel conserving transportation solutions to consumers at affordable prices. Here’s a look at how sustainable transportation technology is helping make saving energy— and saving money—a realistic option for a generation of commuters:

TESLA’S “OPEN SOURCE” TECHNOLOGY Tesla, a maker of high-end electric vehicles, recently announced an unprecedented move: It released all of its patents to fellow technology lovers and carmakers “in the spirit of the open source movement, for the advancement of electric vehicle technology.” In the statement, the company’s CEO said the success of the electric car is more important than a single brand.

SEPT_OCT 2014

EVELO’S E-BIKE Compared to most bikes, Evelos aren’t cheap (they start at about $2,000), but for urban commuters looking for an alternative to gas-guzzling cars or taxis, the savings can add up. The bikes—which offer decent speed—can go nearly 40 miles on a single charge. For context, one charge costs less than 8 cents. Back in 2012, a group of Evelo riders rode from New York to San Francisco on just $20 worth of electricity.

ELIO’S 84 MPG MICRO-CAR

GOOGLE’S SELFDRIVING CAR

Sure, it looks like a sidecar on an Adam West-era Batcycle, but the threewheeled Elio combines two key features that will help consumers look past its unique design: fuelefficiency and affordability. The American-made microcar can go more than 80 miles on the highway or 49 miles in the city on a single gallon of gas. Plus, it’s a good deal, starting at just $6,800.

As terrifying as it is to think of sitting in a car as it drives itself onto the interstate, Google’s recent demo video of the technology actually makes the process look pretty relaxing. But beyond eliminating the burden of actually having to operate the car itself, the tech company hopes that soon, accidents, congestion and fuel-burning traffic jams will be things of the past.

P R E P A R E TO PROTECT AND DEFEND AT LIBERTY LAW, STUDENTS LEARN TO DEFEND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, PROTECT THE SANCTITY OF LIFE, AND PRESERVE THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF MARRIAGE THROUGH: • An unrivaled six-semester Lawyering Skills program • Curriculum that seamlessly integrates faith and reason • Student-oriented faculty skilled in various specialties of law

A CHAMPION IS NOT ONLY A VICTOR AND A DEFENDER, BUT AN ADVOCATE AS WELL.

Find your place as a champion at LawAdmissions@liberty.edu | (434) 592-5300 | Law.Liberty.edu

SLICES

P H O T O C R E D I T: M A R Y E L L E N M AT T H E W S

I.C.Y.M.I IN C ASE YOU MISSED IT

ENTERTAINMENT ACTUALLY WORTH YOUR TIME

M OVIE M US IC TV

JACK WHITE’S NEW ALBUM IS CHANGING THE VINYL GAME

1 . T H E L E FTOV E RS

Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and author Tom Perrotta have crafted a bleak post-rapture world where a police officer is dealing with the disappearance of 2 percent of the population.

2 . CLOUD NOTHINGS: HE RE & N OW HERE ELSE

If all pop-punk sounded like these guys, pop-punk would have a better reputation.

3 . B OYHO OD

Shot over 12 years with the same cast, Boyhood is groundbreaking, true to life and really, really good.

4 . THE AMERICANS

Two seasons in, FX’s look at a family of Soviet spies during the Cold War may be the most underrated show on TV.

5. HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF: SMALL TOWN HEROES

Musically, somewhere between Detroit motown and Nashville bluegrass.

6 . B E GIN AG AI N

The writer/director behind Once has crafted another winning tribute to the gentle magic of love and music.

SEPT_OCT 2014

or those who don’t collect vinyl, why anyone would buy a full LP when you could stream the whole thing online may seem like a mystery. But the vinyl version of White’s latest album, Lazaretto, makes a case for the continued value of physical albums. For starters, one side of the album plays inside out (listeners drop the needle near the center instead of on the outside), but that’s about the most normal thing about it. The album features a handetched hologram in the center; a song that plays either acoustic or electric depending on where you drop the needle; and a vinyl-only track hidden under the center label. The extra effort turned out to be worth it: Lazaretto sold 40,000 copies in its first week—the most since SoundScan started keeping track of vinyl sales in 1991.

COLLEGE GRADS’ HUGE GENDER PAY GAP THE TRANSITION FROM COLLEGE

to the workforce is never easy, but studies show it’s particularly difficult for women. According to the American Association of University Women, women who work full-time one year after graduating make an average of 18 percent less than their male colleagues at the same point in their career. The public has long been aware of pay inequity between genders—estimates on how much less women tend to make than men vary between 77 and 84 percent. But the AAUW’s study sheds new light on just how early that gap starts. It also dispels a few myths—such as the idea that women make less because they make different career choices.

AVERAGE EARNINGS ONE YEAR AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION BY GENDER $60K

$30K

$0K

W M

1. Business - 16%

3. Health Care - 0 %

2. Engineering - 12%

4. Comp. Science - 2 3 %

Your secret to a life of purpose, significance, and satisfaction begins with one word: simplify. Bestselling author and pastor Bill Hybels unpacks ten key areas of life that can get out of focus – from finances, to relationships, to time commitments. And with the wisdom of a man who’s lived it, Bill provides searingly practical advice to help you unclutter your mind, heart, and soul and live a better way. Embark on a journey you’ll be glad you took, that fills your days with peace and leaves a legacy for those you love.

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, a multi-site congregation with six locations and weekend attendance of 24,000. He is a bestselling author of more than 20 books.

SimplifyBook.com Hardcover | eBook | Audio Book DVD Curriculum | Participant’s Guide Available August 19, 2014

SLICES

M I S C

SURVEY: RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE MORE GENEROUS

According to a new study, millennials are waiting longer than any generation to get married. The report notes that if the current trend continues, 30 percent of millennial women will not be married by their 40th birthday—double the number of unmarried Gen X females at 40 ...

generous. That’s the finding of a recent poll commissioned by BBC that asked more than 2,500 people questions about their religious beliefs and their giving habits. The poll numbers—which were collected by the research group ComRes—found that respondents across the U.K. who claimed to be practicing believers were more likely to have made a recent charitable donation than those who

TYLER PERRY WINS “WWJD?” TRADEMARK IN

yet another wrinkle in the surprisingly momentous history of “What Would Jesus Do?,” it has a new owner. In July, Tyler Perry snagged the trademark for the phrase away from Kimberly Kearney, a cast member of a short-lived reality show called I Want to Work For Diddy. Kearney said she brought the idea for a show using the phrase to Perry’s studios and they’re stealing the idea from her, but there wasn’t enough evidence for courts to agree with her. Don’t worry. Perry doesn’t have the rights to the name “Jesus”—just the full “What Would Jesus Do?” phrase, and only as it applies to film, television and live performances.

PERCENT OF PEOPLE CLAIMING TO HAVE GIVEN AWAY MONEY (June 2014) 0%

SEPT_OCT 2014

RIDLEY SCOTT IS MAKING A ‘DAVID’ MOVIE THE FILMMAKER BEST KNOWN

for action films Blade Runner and Gladiator is turning his attention to a new epic story. Ridley Scott is teaming with 20th Century Fox to produce the story of King David in a film that would “focus on the king’s reign post-Goliath.”

100%

1. Sikhs - 100%

A pair of bandits in Texas chose the wrong convenience store to rob. As it turned out, the clerk on duty was Sri Lanka’s national mixed martial arts fighter five years in a row. Needless to say, the robbers didn’t get away with it ...

50%

4. Hindus - 7 6 %

2. Jews - 82%

5. Muslims - 7 2 %

3. Christians - 78%

6. No Religion - 6 7 %

were not religious. Sikhs were the most generous—with 100 percent claiming to have given away money in the last month—followed by practicing Jews (82 percent), Christians (78 percent), Hindus (76 percent) and Muslims (72 percent). Among those who claimed no religion, the number who recently gave to charity fell to 67 percent. However, only 40 percent of religious respondents said they had been encouraged by their church or religious group to give to charity.

P H O T O C R E D I T: L L O Y D B I S H O P / N B C

The Church of England has had women priests since 1992, but in July, the church voted to allow female bishops for the first time in its history. The first woman bishop could be appointed before the end of the year ...

RELIGION MAKES PEOPLE MORE

SS TL A I CT EE SM E N T

THE CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT EPIDEMIC of college sexual assault victims say they contemplated suicide after the incident.

21hrs Every 21 hours, there is a sexual assault committed on a American college campus.

he U.S. government recently opened an investigation into dozens of major American colleges—from big-name, Ivy League Universities to small private schools—examining how they handled, or mishandled, reports of sexual assaults on campus. The task force is an indication of how widespread sexual violence has become at universities around the country. Even Christian schools haven’t been immune to the epidemic. The conservative Bob Jones University recently came under fire for allegations of improperly responding to reports of rape from student victims.

Here’s a look at the staggering numbers showcasing problem, and what is being to done help:

20%

OF COLLEGE FEMALES ARE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT 34

SEPT_OCT 2014

100%

52% RISE There has been a 52 percent rise in college sexual assaults reported from 2001 to 2011. However, it’s unclear whether the rise is due to an increase in assaults or an increased willingness to report them.

84% of women who reported “sexually coercive experiences” were either freshmen or sophomores when it occurred.

55 American Colleges are currently under investigation by the Department of Education for how they handled reports of sexual assault.

> ON-CAMPUS AWARENESS Schools across the country are now following the lead of major universities such as Cornell and Dartmouth in launching on-campus awareness campaigns and revamping sexual assault response policies, training and reporting. > VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT In March of 2013, President Obama signed an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act into law. Set to go into effect this year, one prevision of the act mandates sexual violence training and requires universities to report a wider range of assault incidents. > NOTALONE.GOV The U.S. Education Department recently launched the site NotAlone.gov, empowering students and school administrators with prevention guidelines, counseling resources and information on how victims can file complaints and get help. > ACTIVISM Along with raising awareness about the magnitude of the problem among lawmakers, sexual assault survivors are pressuring the prestigious Princeton Review journal to include information about campus assaults in their publication that rates American colleges.

S O U R C E S : N AT I O N A L C O L L E G E H E A LT H R I S K B E H AV I O R S U R V E Y, D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N , D E P A R T M E N T O F J U S T I C E , U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S I S S I P P I , N I A A A

30%

W H A T ’ S B E I N G D O N E

P H O T O C R E D I T: J O H A N N E S H E L J E

shouldn’t be surprising that the folk explosion of this decade has started to branch out into some more exciting territories. First Aid Kit, made up of Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg, is the perfect example of what that can look like. The duo’s first album, The Big Black and the Blue, was filled with more lush, Fleet Fox-y harmonies than any one record deserved. It caught the ear of Jack White, who recruited First Aid Kit to record at

“We’re so lucky we get to play music. Most people don’t get to do their dream thing.” 36

MUSIC THAT MATTERS

Third Man Records. “Emmylou,” the first single off their sophomore album, The Lion’s Roar, was named one of the top 10 singles of 2012 by Rolling Stone. “We saw from our early shows that there was an interest in our music and what we were doing,” Johanna says. “But we didn’t realize how special this was until people told us.” The duo’s new album, Stay Gold, showcases a knack for invention. First Aid Kit doesn’t abandon their folk roots so much as expand on them, venturing into some denser, more experimental waters. And now they’re working on collaborations with the godfather of indie folk, Conor Oberst. And they’re still not quite sure how it all happened. “It’s really hard to say,” Johanna says. “It’s crazy. We’re so lucky we get to play music. Most people don’t get to do their dream thing.”

STAY GOLD

It would be a mistake to write off First Aid Kit as a pair of sisters with pretty voices. Young as they are (20 and 23), their songs have an ancient quality, like they grew from the earth. It’s impossible to listen passively.

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THE DROP

ARTISTS TO WATCH

efore Colony House had even put out their first full-length album, When I Was Younger, in July, they had already played several sold-out shows and had their singles featured on music tastemakers such as NPR, The A.V. Club and Paste. One listen to the band’s single, “Silhouettes,” will show you why. The Tennessee three-piece makes music that is stick-inyour head catchy, but not shallow—the lyrics address finding hope in the midst of struggle. According to frontman Caleb Chapman, that’s a major theme in the band’s music. “Usually I gravitate toward the struggle in life,” he says. “I think a big part of the evolution of my songwriting on this record is finding the positives and the beautiful things and coming from that angle.

MUSIC THAT MATTERS

“We’re going to make mistakes ... but that’s the beautiful thing about life: You make a mistake, you course correct and you learn from it. And somehow something beautiful comes from those gnarly things that can happen.” The band, made up of Chapman, his brother Will and friend Scott Mills, has been working hard—and seeing that work pay off. But even as they gain recognition, they’re trying to keep the bigger picture in mind. “We have to remind ourselves constantly why we do this,” Chapman says. “It isn’t to sell records ... it’s to move people. We have three and a half minutes in a song to inspire someone, to move someone, to make someone feel something more than they would if they were driving down the road in silence. We try to remind ourselves there’s a weight to the time we have with an audience.”

WHY WE L OV E THE M: The trio’s infectious alt-rock licks and driving drums create the kind of music that reminds you that you’re alive and makes you want to move. But the band’s not afraid to slow down and go deeper, either. Their lyrics address self-doubt, heartbreak and struggles we’ve all faced, offering hope for making it through the challenges and growing as a person.

COLONY HOUSE’S WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

FOR FANS OF:

The Killers, Ivan & Alyosha, Kye Kye, Steven Curtis Chapman

NOW S T R E A MING

These albums (and a lot more) are streaming on The Drop at RELEVANTmagazine.com. Listen in!

JI L L I AN EDWARD S

Daydream

NA O M I M A R I E

Primary Colors

ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES You’d be hard-pressed to find a current band with as much soul as St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Frontman Paul Janeway grew up singing Southern gospel music in a charismatic church, and it shows. According to him, his roots bring a kind of rawness listeners are searching for, and he can’t help but go all-out. “It’s very weird to be all out there, but that’s the only way I know how to do music. The only way I feel like you do church music is all in, and so it’s kind of a reflection of what I grew up with. Whether that’s talking about being brokenhearted or talking about your confusion with God or any of those things, you have to be true to that and honest to that.”

WHY WE L OVE THEM:

The band’s old-school sound harkens back to an era of danceable, live, authentic music. FOR FAN S OF:

Alabama Shakes, Lake Street Dive, Shovels & Rope

PRES O N PHI L L I PS

I M A G E C R E D I T: C O L O N Y H O U S E A N D E L L I E H O L C O M B - D A R I U S F I T Z G E R A L D ; S T. P A U L - D AV I D M C L I S T E R

In Our Winters

ELLIE HOLCOMB C AG E L E S S B I R D S

Live at Home

S L E E P I N G AT L A S T

Atlas: Year One

A member of Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Ellie Holcomb found herself writing songs that didn’t fit the band. As she puts it, “I kept accidentally writing songs about Jesus.” She branched out with a solo project a few years ago, which, along with topping Billboard’s Christian charts, has also been good for her personally. “I don’t know that I’ve ever enjoyed anything more than sitting in God’s Word and letting music come out of that. A lot of the songs were cathartic for me in a way, like asking God to help me believe His promises are true.” WHY WE L OV E HE R :

Listening to Ellie Holcomb’s songs is like peering into her heart. She reflects on doubt, God’s faithfulness and the messiness of life with surprising vulnerability. FOR FAN S OF : T HE RI VAL

Endless

Audrey Assad, All Sons & Daughters, Rend Collective

RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM

THE DROP

CONVERSATION

DAVID CROWDER ON ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND GOING SOLO fter more than 15 years performing with the David Crowder Band, Crowder decided to embark on a solo project in 2012. With his first solo album, Neon Steeple, which released in May, he has taken on a new vibe, mixing electronic influences with his bluegrass roots.

HOW DOES RELEASING AN ALBUM NOW FEEL DIFFERENT THAN IT MIGHT HAVE EARLIER IN YOUR CAREER?

As the creator of this work, you’re responsible for all of the articulations of what’s rattling in your chest. There’s something that’s really exciting and fun that I hadn’t experienced before regarding music. The content and the purpose of the music—that foundation didn’t shift that much. It exists to be among people to help them say things out loud to God. The harder part was, “Can the music reflect my interior in a really authentic way?” given that it’s a combination of folk instruments and future technology.

Q: A:

SOM E

M USICIANS

FEEL

LIK E

USING

ELECTRONIC INFLUENCES LOSES A HUM AN ELEM ENT OF M USIC . WAS TH AT A CH ALLENGE FOR YOU?

I started actually with a philosophical or ideological jumping-off place. Folk music is— you’re sitting around the dinner table and then you wind up on the porch and everybody just grabs what’s near them and you start making music. We, as humans, have music in us, and it’s an extension of who we are. Then you’ve got this EDM (Electronic Dance Music) thing blowing up. The largest gatherings we’ve got going on in terms of music are centered around a dude basically hitting “play” on a computer, and he’s by himself for the most part when he makes this music. But then what’s amazing is that music that’s made alone in some dude’s basement is now in the middle

MUSIC THAT MATTERS

“God doesn’t come along to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive. And that changes everything.”

of a field in Ibiza and the whole point of that music is community. It’s more about that collective experience than it is about even the song that just got played. To me, that foundationally fit. I wanted to embrace and critique where we are in our present tense—that we are isolated from each other. Computers dominate the way we interact with each other. I wanted to hold the present tense in a really respectful, delicate way and then, at the same time, look to our past to learn a lot about how we interact with each other—and, at the same time, lean forward, thinking how can we move ahead and do relationship well and love our neighbors and follow Jesus in a way that exists in 2015 or 2016.

Q: A:

ON THE TABLET EDITION Listen to the audio of our interview with Crowder.

WHEN PEOPLE LISTEN TO NEON STEEPLE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THEY LEAVE THINKING ABOUT?

Well, it’s rather simple. It’s the story we’re all trying to tell over and over. The way we say it around the church I’m a part of is that God doesn’t come along to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive. And that changes everything. When you’re not starting from a morality point, you realize that grace is extensive enough to embrace all of us, no matter where you have been, no matter what you have done. There is room in the embrace of God. That’s the whole record. It’s this longing for belonging and home and acceptance.

P H O T O C R E D I T: Z A C K A R I A S

Q: A:

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling

WHEN GOOD CREATORS CAN’T MOVE ON

The only thing [Rowling’s Harry Potter short story] really lacked, like so many similar exercises, was courage. 42

CREATE. INNOVATE. LEAD.

R E T R E A D S

S TA R WA R S

George Lucas’ prequels did terribly with critics and fans.

MAD MAX

The action franchise is still going after 5 films and 35 years.

CARLO ALLEGRI / REUTERS

milestone her first creation was. The temptation to return to what she knew was understandably strong. It’s a plight she shares with the Brothers Chaps— Mike and Matt Chapman, creators of the godfather of Internet joke videos: Homestar Runner. In the early 2000s, Homestar Runner was about as funny as media got. After its popularity waned, the Chapmans turned their attention to other projects, but this summer, they announced new Homestar Runner material was on the way. Add Homestar Runner to a growing list of completed projects that have gotten new material grafted on—Arrested Development, Star Wars, Indiana Jones. Some of these are better than others, but they’re all returns to projects that didn’t need returning. There’s nothing bad about a new Harry Potter story or a fresh batch of Homestar Runner videos. It’s just that Rowling and the Chapmans are creative talents of a rare caliber who could be pushing out new, even more revolutionary creations. If it’s gratifying to see them returning to their roots, imagine how exciting it would be for them to focus their energies on a new generation of innovative masterpieces. Isn’t that what creativity is all about?

P H O T O C R E D I T:

he Internet went into a happy meltdown in July when J.K. Rowling posted a new Harry Potter short story to Pottermore, the official fansite of the boy who lived. The story featured a grown-up Harry with “threads of silver” in his hair, and was written in the style of a gossip column. It was a comforting gift for millions of Harry Potter fans. The only thing it really lacked, like so many similar exercises, was courage. It’s a problem for any creative who experiences early success. Since writing the final(ish) chapter of the Harry Potter series, Rowling has published two books: The Casual Vacancy and The Cuckoo’s Calling (published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith). Both were well received but, naturally, neither was the cultural

I N S P I R E D

B Y

T H E

S O N G

O F

S O L O M O N

★★★★

“is movie is gripping, transcendent, and a whole lot of fun.” – Jonathan Merritt, Senior Columnist for Religion News Service and author of "Jesus is Better Than You Imagined"

“THE SONG is an honest love story about things we all pursue...love and fullllment” – Kyle Idleman, author of “not a fan.” and “AHA”

EVEN THE WISEST OF MEN WAS A FOOL FOR LOVE

MAKER

STATEMENT

TAKE THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE BY JENNIE ALLEN

ne of the only things I can still recite from school is Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” I have always craved that overgrown path in the wilderness, even though it scares me. But I definitely didn’t set out to go against the system when I created IF:Gathering, a nonprofit for women who desire to equip and unleash our lives for the glory of God and the good of people. It began as more of a hunch than a vision. I entered the business of Christian publishing a few years before the birth of IF. But I soon found my faith felt threatened by the business and structure of it all. All the while, a quiet road off in the distance beckoned. But it would require leaving behind the kind of institutions that seemed to hold up most things that had ever succeeded. Sometimes, following God’s call means leaving behind established paths. Jesus certainly traveled the wilderness road and pursued people while He was here. He left the easy path and went after all kinds of people, because all people need Him. While the Truth of God and His Word never changes, cultures do. The Spirit and work of God continues to move in fresh ways through new methods. This is exactly what Paul meant when he said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

CREATE. INNOVATE. LEAD.

God had to nearly force me to the wild, new path He had for IF. But now, I’m compelled to call as many of you as possible to the roads less traveled, the places we can find those who may have rejected the traditional institutions of Christianity. So if you desire to forge a new path— whether in the form of a business, nonprofit, ministry or whatever else, here are a few tips: 1. EXPECT RESISTANCE. Actually more like upheaval. From the outside, IF may look like it’s been an easy journey. But behind the scenes, in one year we have endured more conflict and difficult conversations than one should have in a lifetime. 2. EMBRACE THE FEAR. Quit looking for footprints to follow. At first, it is paralyzing to head into the wild. Learn to differentiate between the anxiety you feel when you are doing the wrong thing and the good butterflies you feel when you are braving new territory. 3. GIVE UP ON MAPS. There is not a right way to pioneer new territory. It is a step-bystep journey, completely dependent on God, who usually only gives you the next step. I still crave a map and a guide, but I am learning to lean into the Spirit and God’s Word when I feel alone and lost, and He has yet to forsake me. But do seek the counsel of those pioneers who have gone before. Their bravery can inspire the strength you need. 4. DON’T MAKE A GOD OUT OF BEING A REBEL. Nothing stays new. As soon as you

think you are cutting a new path and people follow, the paving crew comes behind and turns your little path into a six-lane highway. Let following Jesus be your goal, not being a contrarian. There is nothing special about wilderness paths in themselves. It’s the enjoyment of the God you love and the people who meet Jesus that makes it all mean something. Don’t lose sight of the point. For all of us striking out, our greatest temptation will be to conform and choose an easier path, rather than live in the unknowns of a life without maps and plans. My prayer is that God’s voice is the only one we hear whatever path we find ourselves on.

JENNIE ALLEN is the author of Anything and Restless and the founder and visionary for the IF: Gathering. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and four children.

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MAKER

The cocoa bros: Michael and Rick Mast

CREATE. INNOVATE. LEAD.

2006, Michael and Rick Mast were just two brothers with a penchant for creative food made in interesting ways. Born in Iowa, they relocated to Brooklyn and promptly became players in the neighborhood’s burgeoning artisan scene. They experimented with various foods—pickles, cured meats, beer and the like—but they soon discovered they had a knack for chocolate. Today, Mast Brothers Chocolate is a wellregarded masterwork. The brothers have garnered notice for experimenting with exotic flavors like serrano chili and Maine sea salt. Their creations can be found in high-end restaurants and the shelves of the world’s most exploratory supermarkets. But while the brothers’ eye for confection has earned them a global reputation, their business model was at the forefront of something far more widespread: a new rise in artisan entrepreneurship. Back in 2008, the Institute for the Future predicted what they called “The New Artisan Economy,” in which “next-generation artisans will ply their trade outside the walls of big business, making a living with their craftsmanship and knowledge.” The idea is that customers would rather pay more money for an item of high value than less money for a massproduced (and possibly ethically dubious) product. The Institute’s prediction was echoed by The New York Times in 2012, when Adam Davidson wrote “craft business is showing American manufacturing can compete in the global economy.” Indeed, artisan entrepreneurship may provide an edge to the post-recession job market that the recovering economy has not, because artisans can deliver on the one thing mass production can’t: specialization. Instead of doing a competent job at a lot of things, this new wave of entrepreneurs builds a company around the mastery of one skill.

P H O T O C R E D I T:

GENTL + HYERS

THE NEW ARTISANS

SHINOL A - The Detroit-based company’s products (including watches, bikes and leather goods) are all made in the U.S.

VOLK - Painter and musician

Brian Volk-Zimmerman designs and builds unique, traditionally crafted furniture.

WHIPPING POST - Inspired

by his dad’s vintage duffle bag, Ryan Barr started creating simple, durable leather bags

IMOGENE + WILLIE - Matt

and Carrie Eddmenson learned to make blue jeans from her grandfather.

After the explosion of the artisan food movement, other entrepreneurs began applying a similar ethos to various trades. In Brooklyn, VOLK Furniture creates traditionally crafted wood furniture as an alternative to IKEA’s boxed McDesigns. In Atlanta, Ryan Barr’s Whipping Post crafts old-school leather goods like guitar straps and messenger bags. In Detroit, Shinola is resurrecting the vintage art of craft watchmaking. In all of these businesses and many others, the perks are the same: the guarantee of a customized, high quality, handmade product that will work better and last longer than its mass produced competition. But there is another, less obvious perk. The world’s awareness of poor working conditions has been steadily growing. In 2012, hundreds of people were killed in Bangladesh when a garment factory collapsed, reportedly after the factory’s owners had ignored employee complaints that the building was not safe. Early in 2014, The Guardian released a chilling report on the conditions of Thailand’s prawn farmers, who supply shrimp to the likes of Walmart and Costco—detailing 20-hour workdays for little to no pay, along with torture and even death at

Customers would rather pay more money for an item of high value than less money for a mass-produced product. the hands of merciless slave drivers. And there are numerous accusations of nightmarish work involved in the production of iPhones. Since driving down overhead costs isn’t a high priority for artisan entrepreneurs, unethical working conditions are rarely an issue for their companies. Most of the work is done in-house and can create local jobs to spur the economy. In an age where many of our purchases are made with the sneaking suspicion we may be feeding an industry that thrives on cheap labor, the new wave of artisan entrepreneurs provides not only a superior product, but a more ethically sound one. Early on, it was a gamble. The American consumer has typically valued low cost above all else. Early pioneers of artisan businesses banked on the fact that customers would pay a premium price for a product of value. It’s a gamble that has ultimately paid off, and there’s a proliferation of entrepreneurs launching successful business ventures to prove it.

RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM

MAKER

EVERYONE GETS A CUT shaved with the product and walked out of the bathroom and thought, ‘Yes. This is a product I’d be proud to sell.’ That was a major moment for me.” Jeff Raider is talking about his first experience shaving with the razor he has since built a company around. Harry’s, founded by Raider and longtime friend Andy KatzMayfield in 2013, has quickly done something that even a year ago would have sounded impossible: made shaving cool. The company’s method for success is an old-fashioned one: Sell a high-quality

“I

CREATE. INNOVATE. LEAD.

product at an unbeatable price. It’s simple, but Harry’s commitment to it is much more than a marketing buzzword. It’s an ethos, evidenced in a key part of their business model: 1 percent of sales and 1 percent of company time (25 hours per employee each year) is donated to helping other organizations. And Harry’s isn’t alone—they’re joining a new wave of for-profit companies that make giving back a core part of their business plan. The idea for Harry’s was born in 2011, out of an experience Katz-Mayfield had while purchasing razor blades. “He went to the drugstore to find some

razor blades, and he had to work with a locked display where the blades were being kept,” Raider recounts. “He paid 25 bucks for that. And the packaging and the cost and the brand didn’t really appeal to him as a customer or even as a guy.” Katz-Mayfield put in a call to Raider, who at the time was enjoying the success of another company he co-founded: Warby Parker.

CLEAR VISION In 2010, Warby Parker burst onto the eyeglasses scene and gave it a blistering wake up call. Their product was fashion-savvy and

P H O T O C R E D I T: B R I A N F E R R Y

HARRY’S, TOMS AND THE BUSINESS MODEL OF GIVING BACK

cost a fraction of the competition. But it was also driven by a deeper belief that “everyone has the right to see.” Raider’s method of incorporating social justice into his business model started with Warby Parker, which gives a monthly donation to nonprofits looking to bring affordable eye care to developing countries. To date, Warby Parker has distributed over 1 million pairs of glasses to people in need, which the company estimates has had a global economic impact of $200 million. “We started Warby Parker to solve problems,” explains Warby Parker co-founder Dave Gilboa. “We wanted to transform an industry we thought was broken and that was overcharging consumers, and we thought we could do things in a better way. But we also wanted to start a forprofit business that had a positive impact on the world.” Gilboa goes on to explain that Warby Parker doesn’t just donate glasses, but makes donations to companies that purchase eyeglasses, who can then distribute those eyeglasses to local entrepreneurs to sell. Their “buy a pair, give a pair” campaign is as much about local business as it is about helping people see. “What’s great about this model is it provides access to eyewear to those who need it most, and it does so using a market-based solution that also creates jobs,” Gilboa says. While Raider left Warby Parker and joined Katz-Mayfield on his quest to reform the shaving industry, he has kept Warby Parker’s broad vision of enacting social change in for-profit business. “By giving 1 percent of our sales, we enable our customers to join us in having a positive impact on the community,” Raider explains. “By giving 1 percent of our time, we’re able to take the skills we have—from web design and development to customer experience and distribution—and work those skills to help other organizations be more effective and change the profile of impact that they have.” Socially responsible business models have grown up in recent years, largely thanks to TOMS Shoes, which made a fortune precisely because it made giving a key part of its branding. When Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS back in 2006, his buy-one-give-one model was fresh, inspiring and, most of all, easy to understand. Unlike other organizations that

sponsored vague “charitable causes,” TOMS made the consumer feel like an active part of the transaction. While Mycoskie’s model has since endured its share of criticism, the idea behind it has caught on. In 2012, he wrote a book called Start Something That Matters. Mycoskie says he was surprised when people responded saying they were not only moved by his words—they were motivated.

“We love waking up and having a broader vision of helping people get ready. We love that that’s what we do every day.”

“I started getting all these emails, letters and even products from people,” he recounts. “And they were saying, ‘Hey, I was inspired and started this headphones company.’ Or ‘I was so inspired I started this jewelry company.’ Oftentimes, the TOMS story was what inspired them.” It was the first thing that really woke Mycoskie up to the fact that his vision was taking hold in a deeper way than shoe sales.

“I started to realize that this movement— which TOMS has played some part in at least starting—is much bigger than us. It’s not just about TOMS. It’s about all these other people who want to use business to improve people’s lives and want to create products with a deeper meaning.”

SMOOTH SAILING While TOMS made its one-for-one model a key part of its advertising, companies that have followed have been a little less vocal about it. As impressive as Harry’s “Give a Shave” campaign is, its giving model doesn’t drive its marketing campaign the way TOMS’ does. Harry’s just wants to be known for high-quality razors at a great value. Getting rid of their socially conscious business model probably wouldn’t affect their bottom line whatsoever but, according to Raider, that’s not the point. “It depends on what your objectives are,” he explains. “If it’s solely to maximize profit, it’s debatable whether or not this is really worth it. If it’s to have a dramatic positive impact on the world, then absolutely. “Where it really helps from a business perspective [is that] we love waking up and having a broader vision of helping people get ready. We love that that’s what we do every day. It takes our view away from saying, ‘Oh, we’re here to make money and sell razor blades’—which is an old company mentality— to one that has a much broader vision.”

Harry’s blades are made at their factory in Germany Left Page: Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield: Shaving Savants.

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P H O T O C R E D I T: A N T O N I VA N O V

S U S TAIN AB L E CH AN G E. SA C RIF IC IA L LIVIN G .

WHY AFRICA NEEDS MORE THAN OUR MONEY t’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment when the Western obsession with saving Africa started, but it certainly hasn’t ended. More than one writer has speculated that the U.S. is nursing a guilt complex over its opulence and has sent billions of dollars in foreign aid and hundreds of thousands of college students, mission teams and nonprofit organizations over to Africa as penance. And while these things might assuage the guilt, how much good is it all really doing? Between 1981 and 2010, the World Bank estimates the number of poor people in the world dropped by about 700 million. However, a quarter of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are poorer now than they were

SUSTAINABLE CHANGE. SACRIFICIAL LIVING.

in 1960—despite receiving well over $500 billion in aid. As The Spectator observes, the cycle of poverty cannot be broken by an influx of foreign money, since it’s created by economic institutions that block incentives and opportunities for citizens. This is the attitude of a growing number of experts: The unending flow of money and volunteer efforts may be necessary, but they are not enough, as they often end up supporting the very institutions that need to be restructured.

THE UNENDING FLOW OF MONEY AND VOLUNTEER EFFORTS MAY BE NECESSARY, BUT THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH.

Experts point to China, which has seen its poverty rate plummet to about 5 percent in recent years, all without a tidal wave of aid. Instead, the country has focused on for-profit businesses and investing in agriculture, which has grown its economy and provided jobs and opportunities for many in poverty. Of the 700 million the World Bank estimates were raised out of poverty over the last 30 years, 600 million of them are Chinese. It seems fair to guess that what worked in Asia could work in Africa, too. “I hope people will realize Africa doesn’t want to be saved,” writes Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala in an op-ed for the Washington Post. “Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth.”

INSPIRATION:

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BY JA M I E C A L L OWAY-H A NAU E R

Arizona foster mom recently spent two days in jail for shoving her foster son’s head into a toilet. She had four other foster children in her care at the time. That same week, a foster parent in Florida was arrested for leaving her 15-month-old ward in a 90-degree car. In June, a 10-year-old boy died in a Maryland group home, three weeks after the state decided to revoke the facility’s license for failing to meet the health and safety needs of the children in its care. The day after the boy’s death, the state finally acted on its weeks-old decision and removed the other children from the home. Most foster parents are warm and loving people who bring children into their homes because they have a heart for kids in need. Most Child Protective Services (CPS) employees work tirelessly to ensure foster children are safe and well cared for and that their families are provided every opportunity to succeed. But the hard truth is that these tragedies do occur, and with great frequency, leading many to wonder: Is this system, which was set up to keep kids safe, doing more harm than good? Is it time for a new way of care?

ultimately placing thousands of orphaned, abused and neglected children into foster families. By 1865, states had begun regulating these homes, and in 1875, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (SPCC) was created to investigate allegations of child mistreatment. While both Brace and the SPCC are now criticized for how they chose to exercise their care of children, their efforts laid the foundation for foster care as we know it. Today’s foster care system is a highly complex maze of rules and regulations. It is populated by a large number of players—judges, attorneys, social workers, foster parents and psychiatrists, just to name a few. The professionals involved are often deeply committed to caring for and bettering the lives of hurting children and families. But it is also likely that each of these players is overworked, underpaid and at least somewhat jaded—not only from witnessing the unspeakable harms perpetrated against children, but also from being part of a system that sometimes seems less safe than some of the children’s original homes. Hard and serious work is being done to overhaul the current foster care system, and when this amount of ongoing effort must exist, clearly something has gone wrong. Just this year, there have been several scandals and tragedies involving CPS that speak to a deep need for reform. In July, Texas lawmakers responded to a record-high foster child mortality rate by launching a special effort to reduce the number of deaths that occur in foster care. In June, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal hired a new head of its Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) after numerous child deaths occurred during DFCS involvement. In April, five Arizona social workers were fired after closing hundreds of child abuse cases after they were instructed to do so by their supervisor who wanted to reduce the department’s active workload. The most recent numbers issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that less than half of 1 percent of all foster children come to substantiated harm in foster homes, yet a report issued by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect states that six times as many children died in foster care than in the general population, and that once placed in state-sanctioned “safety,” these children are far more likely than non-foster youth to suffer abuse, including sexual molestation.

OVERBURDENED One oft-cited reason for the harm that comes to foster children is that social workers are overburdened. The Child Welfare League of America recommends that social workers carry no more than 17 cases at one time, yet the typical caseload far exceeds this number. A report out of Texas put one social worker’s caseload at 80. This places children at risk, as social workers are not able to spend adequate time ensuring the safety and well-being of their clients or visiting homes. The courts set up to handle foster care cases are also overburdened. Trials extend for weeks and months instead of days. Necessary parties— such as attorneys, social workers, witnesses and the children themselves— sometimes fail to show, and hearings are often cancelled and rescheduled, putting off until another day decisions regarding a child’s care.

THE SYSTEM

LACK OF SERVICES

The first foster homes were established in 1853 by the Rev. Charles Loring Brace. Concerned about the large number of immigrant children sleeping in the streets, Brace began the free foster home movement,

When social services removes children from their parents’ care, the parents are given a case plan that outlines what they must do to get their kids back (like taking anger management courses, therapy or regular drug testing, among other things). Someone, of course, has to provide these services, yet there are often not enough providers to go around.

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Common problems include parents being assigned to residential drug treatment but no beds being available, class schedules that conflict with a parent’s working hours, and not being able to find a therapist local to the family. For impoverished families with limited means of transportation and inflexible work schedules, even the smallest inconvenience can be devastating to their ability to “work” their case plan.

CAN IT BE FIXED? Reverend Brace knew what he was doing when he first began advertising for foster families to take in hurting children. Much has changed since 1853, but what hasn’t changed is the large number of children in need of safe and loving homes. In that way, the system is not, in fact, broken. A foundation of care has been laid, and thousands of professionals choose to spend their careers, day in and day out, helping orphans. On that foundation, however, much work must be done. It seems that “foster care reform” is often discussed, and many of the suggested changes are ultimately implemented. Yet we continue to hear the same

IT MAY BE THAT THE WAR TO REFORM FOSTER CARE WILL BE WON THROUGH INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS TO BUILD SAFER AND HEALTHIER FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. horrific stories of child deaths, homeless teenagers who have “aged out” of the system and children and parents suffering from untreated mental health issues, among other things. There is no easy or cheap fix for the foster care system, if a fix exists at all. Making the changes necessary to truly overhaul the system would take a significant increase in dedicated funding, and at this time, adequate funding is not provided to make the deep, systemic changes that would truly better the system created to keep our children safe. It is possible that we will have to accept the system as it is today and continue to chip away at it, bit by bit. That requires taking to heart the words of James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” While child advocacy agencies and state legislators bring lawsuits, introduce bills and debate funding, caseloads and the other necessary items of reform, private organizations such as DC127 (in Washington, D.C.) and FaithBridge (in Alpharetta, Georgia) are working to educate churches on the issues of child abuse and neglect and to recruit foster parents from local congregations. Instead of worrying that social workers are too busy to ensure the safety of children or that children will be sent to group homes because no foster families are available, these faith-based and grassroots organizations are doing what they can to be part of the solution. Of course, the battle to reform foster care should continue to be waged in the courtroom and halls of power. But it just may be that the war will be won through individual efforts—no matter how small—to protect children and build safer and healthier families and communities. The needs are many, and often, fulfillment of those needs can be as simple as providing a parent without gas money a ride to court-ordered class, or taking

SUSTAINABLE CHANGE. SACRIFICIAL LIVING.

a meal to the stressed out mom (or foster mom) down the block. For every safe, stable, loving foster home one family decides to offer, a child is helped and a potential crisis averted. Each foster parent able to attend court and advocate for proper mental health treatment moves a child one step closer to living a full and healthy life. Every professional service provider who accepts one or two pro bono clients per month lends a hand to building healthier families.

BRIDGING THE GAPS Individuals and churches are well positioned to directly address two of the leading factors that bring children into the foster care system: parental stress and lack of community and family support. These, of course, are closely intertwined. The impacts of stress and isolation on abuse and neglect are clear: The Department of Health and Human Services has found that children from families with annual incomes below $15,000 were more than 22 times more likely to be harmed by child abuse and neglect as compared to children from families with annual incomes above $30,000. The explanations for this are varied, but the most supported is that those in poverty have higher stress levels, feel more isolated and have less of a support system. Feelings of isolation and anxiety over daily living are common among families who become involved with the system, yet these are problems neighbors, churches, friends and family can help alleviate. While no individual or group can completely remove all risk factors, there is still much that can be done to reduce the burden on families in high-risk categories and to increase their connectedness to and support within the community. Many nonprofits and government organizations attempt to help in these areas, but one need not be part of such an advocacy group to see a need and fill it. This may sound like a simplistic view, but the entire foster care system was created because one man decided to address the hurt he saw around him. How much more can we, acting in one accord, do for these children? JAMIE CALLOWAY-HANAUER is a writer and attorney who first began working with foster children in 1997. You can connect with her on Twitter @JamieHanauer, or visit her blog, jamiecallowayhanauer.com.

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THE NUMBERS

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THE AMERICAN WAY OF THE GUN he debate on gun violence in America seems to be at a slow boil. While the key to solving gun violence is multi-faceted, any good debate starts with the right facts. The U.S. isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t No. 1 in the world in gun violence, but comparing the numbers with other developed countries is telling.

NUMBER OF GUNS PER 100 PEOPLE

U N I T E D S TAT E S

88.8

NUMBER OF GUN DEATHS PER 100,000 PEOPLE 10

9.42

SWITZERLAND 5

45.7

3.84 2.38 1.24 1.06

0.06 . U.K

GERMANY

1 1 , 10 1

30.3 AUSTRALIA

U.S. GUN HOMICIDES IN 2011

UNITED KINGDOM

Nearly 20 times that of the other 22 richest countries in the world.

PERCENT OF TOTAL HOMICIDES THAT USED A FIREARM (Study from 2011)

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6.2

72%

60%

32%

26%

11%

6.6%

Switzerland

U.S.

Canada

Germany

Australia

U .K.

S O U R C E S : G U N P O L I C Y. O R G , S M A L L A R M S S U R V E Y, U N O F F I C E O N D R U G S A N D C R I M E

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U. S

OK GO HOW THE YOUTUBE PHENOMS ARE CHANGING MUSIC FOR GOOD

SEPT_OCT 2014

GETTING GOING

B Y J O H N TAY L O R

was the first day of summer camp at the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts, and a then 12-year-old Damian Kulash was sharing dating secrets with his new acquaintance, Tim Nordwind. They were just over a decade away from becoming the lead singer and bassist of OK Go. “There were three of them,” Kulash recalls of the dating rules his older sister taught him. “One: Do not carry your books against your chest. Hold them out by your side. Two: Don’t stand up against the wall with one foot up, like you see in the jeans commercials. If you do that in real life you look like a poseur. Three: Always carry a pack of gum so you have something to offer a girl.” After trading dating secrets, Kulash and Nordwind discovered a mutual love of Cheap Trick, Queen and The Cars. The pair formed a fast friendship. Kulash was dabbling in violin. The stringed instrument, which he “hated” practicing, had been the original motivator for his enrollment at Interlochen. But he often dreamed of being in being in a rock band. Before camp, Kulash was talking about the future with his sister. “I remember, I was 12 and she was 16. We were like, ‘When we grow up we’re going to have a rock band ... but when people interview us, instead of doing interviews, we’re going to give them paintings.’” Kulash pauses, his voice slowing a bit. “I was definitely a dreamer as a kid,” he says, “and cocky enough to think that, ‘Everything I want to happen is going to happen.’”

Today, over two decades removed from his Interlochen camp days, Kulash’s childhood dream of being in a famous rock band has come true. His band, OK Go, is a Grammy-winning, Clio-winning, Webby-winning band with a seemingly boundless well of ideas for springing can’t-miss performance art pieces onto YouTube. They ushered in a new era of music videos and rewrote the rules for music in the age of the Internet. As music video guru Samuel Bayer once told New York Magazine, “If Nirvana ushered in the grunge generation, it seemed like OK Go ushered in playing videos on the Internet.” In fact, “playing videos” is exactly what Kulash is working on right now. The rest of the band members—drummer Dan Konopka, keyboardist/guitarist Andy Ross, and of course, Nordwind— are inside Third Encore Studios practicing. It’s a spot Kulash refers to as a kind of “mini summer camp,” a workspace for the group to iron out the wrinkles in their upcoming 33-city run. The mornings have been early and the nights long. “There are like 15 people here in this warehouse messing with computer instruments, video cameras, projectors and LEDs,” Kulash says. “There are programmers in here helping us come up with algorithmic visual stuff, and there’s a film editor. We have three little movies that play with our show, where I go out into the audience and the audience makes a song with us.” “Little movies” have become the band’s stock in trade. Take, for example, this year’s “The Writing’s On The Wall,” a hypnotic, one-take fun house rife with optical illusions—the visuals include bright colors, basketballs, zebra stripes, effects mirroring and masking each band member. Along with just being fun projects, Kulash says the videos have actually taught the band an important lesson. “They did a really good job of cementing something we knew intellectually, but is very hard to get yourself to believe emotionally and live by: That your best ideas are not your safest ideas.”

Perhaps the best example of an OK Go idea that wasn’t exactly “safe,” is the video of the group’s most famous (and Grammy-winning) song, “Here It Goes Again,” in which the members do a choreographed routine on treadmills. Kulash admits it’s something he would have never expected to do. “If you went back and said, “You’ll testify in front of Congress, play at Times Square in front of a million people on New Year’s Eve, tour the world, and create a video dancing on treadmills, the thing I would have believed least was the treadmills!” He pauses, laughing a bit. “That’s the weirdest one. How did that happen? That’s crazy!” It may be crazy, but it worked. To date, “Here It Goes Again” has been viewed about 70 million times. The concept of a viral video was relatively new when the band first uploaded the song to YouTube in 2005, but it may have helped coin the term, making its rounds on every Internet outlet available. Undoubtedly, it’s a testament to the band’s impressive choreographic skills, having inspired scores of covers and tributes. “It’s so easy for people to play it safe all the time and not consciously re-create the same thing you did last time,” Kulash explains. “Or you work with the same producers that Katy Perry does because Katy Perry is successful, or follow a formula in some way, shape or form. The videos, which completely follow no formula, were such a driving force for our career.” He pauses to laugh for a bit. “The funny thing is, no one in the band is a particularly good dancer, and we have more or less made a career out of dancing like morons.” Nordwind however, “has a very intense and unique dance style that is really great. The rest of us have like 10 left feet, but we’ve done enough of it now that we’ve at least managed to be in sync with one another while we’re falling over.”

STAYING HUNGRY The preparations Kulash and company have been working on at Third Encore are primarily meant for the release of the band’s fourth outing, Hungry Ghosts. It’s the first OK Go record since 2010’s Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. Since then, the group started their own independent record label. Kulash got into producing. Nordwind started another

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FAVORITE VIDEOS OK Go has become known for unique music videos. Here are a few of their most inventive: WHITE KNUCKLES Involving a dozen show dogs, a goat and plenty of IKEA furniture.

P H O T O C R E D I T: Z E N S E K I Z AWA

THIS TOO SHALL PASS An enormous Rube Goldberg machine syncs with the music.

DO WHAT YOU WANT The band and extras don bodysuits that match the wallpaper. L-R: Tim Nordwind, Andy Ross, Damian Kulash, Dan Konopka

band. Konopka became a father. Ross programmed a handful of video games, one of which the band incorporated in their video “Say The Same Thing.” There are plans for a TV show to stem from said project. They also made several videos. “The big downside of making these videos is where other bands spent two days on a video shoot, we’ll spend three months sometimes,” Kulash says. The “Needing/Getting” video “ended up being a Super Bowl commercial that took four or five months of my life. So when you add all that together with touring for two years on the last record you get to today pretty quickly.” Kulash will be 39 shortly after Hungry Ghosts releases in October. He says one of the biggest changes in the years since the band’s last album is that things have evened out. “We have reached a place where there will be another chance tomorrow,” he says. “For many years it was like, ‘If we don’t play this show, if we don’t take this tour, if we don’t do this right now, we’ll never have another chance.’ Life is now full of enough chances that we can actually pick and choose the things we want. “Then, more emotionally, I think learning to distrust who you think you are and to listen to what’s actually happening right

SEPT_OCT 2014

now ... emotionally and, dare I say, spiritually. I think I had a much more stable selfimage 10 years ago. I thought I knew who I was, but I’ve recently learned how much I don’t know about myself. That’s terrifying and beautiful. “I am not a religious person,” Kulash continues. “However, I am a believer in mystery, and I am a believer in this fact: We don’t know very much. We think we know everything and we definitely do not. I feel like that sense of humility in the face of the unknown ... that is my version of spirituality—not thinking I understand the world but rather giving into mystery, wonder, surprise and the unknown.” Kulash says writing the second record, Oh No, “was probably the darkest period of my life. I was so sure that I knew, and when I couldn’t make songs I particularly loved, I freaked out. When that self-critical thing comes out and tells you, ‘I hate this song,’ it’s dark. Getting to a place where you can actually respect how little you know, and being open to mystery—it makes the world a much brighter place for me. I don’t have to look at the world and understand everything.”

LETTING GO OK Go is now known as much for their videos as they are for their music, a fact that

doesn’t seem to cause Kulash much grief. “You eventually learn to not pander and not write for anyone else,” he says. “Rather, you get back to why you started in the first place, which was just to get this thing deep inside of you. It speaks to that same hubris, the confidence and pride involved in making something and the deep, deep fear of your own self.” Sensing he’s getting a little heady, Kulash explains what he means. “Supposedly, an old-fashioned way to catch a monkey is to put a banana with an opening where the monkey can fit their hand in, but as soon as they grab the banana their fist won’t fit back out,” he explains. “The monkey will never let go of the banana. They can never fit their hand out of the hole unless they let go of the banana. A monkey will trap himself—just sit there holding onto the banana.” “Luckily, I am not still stuck in my early twenties, and I think I have learned some lessons about that. But if there is anything I could tell my earlier self, it’s just, ‘Watch out for the monkey trap. Let go of the banana.’ It’s something I have to tell myself frequently still: ‘Let go of the banana, dude.’” JOHN TAYLOR is a writer living in Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @johntaylortweet.

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SEPT_OCT 2014

EST. 1 97 0

Made in the USA

L I F E , L I B E R T Y A N D T H E P U R S U I T O F AW E S O M E N E S S

P H O T O C R E D I T: E M I LY S H U R

BY T YLER HUCK ABEE

ost people have a slight disappointment that I’m not always wielding a two-pound steak and chugging from a bottle of scotch.” Nick Offerman is, of course, talking about Ron Swanson—the burly, mustachioed Libertarian he portrays on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, whose love of meat and America is rivaled only by his hatred of bureaucracy. “Where it hits most poignantly is when I’m in a restaurant or something,” he says, sounding genuinely sorrowful. “And it’s a wonderful problem—but a chef will recognize me and send over three pounds of bacon and a dozen fried eggs. And 23-yearold me says ‘You have struck pay dirt, my friend.’ But the 44-year-old me says, ‘You will literally kill me if I consume this generous gift.’”

It’s one of the curses of having created an iconic character. Ron Swanson belongs in any serious conversation about the greatest characters in televised comedy post-Seinfeld. In some ways, it’s difficult to separate Offerman from Swanson—creator from creation. And Offerman himself admits the line between he and Swanson is a thin one. “Some young ladies in airports will approach me trembling and they’ll say, ‘Ron Swanson?’ And I’ll say, ‘Well, no. My name is Nick. I’m an actor. I play Ron Swanson, among other roles.’” He pauses and chuckles a little. “And, you know, they don’t care. So then I usually say, ‘All right, give me all the bacon and eggs you have.’” In conversation, the similarities between Offerman and Swanson are hard to ignore. Both are given to waxing poetic about the joys of woodworking and the virtues of the simple life. However, Offerman is far less curmudgeonly than his Parks and Rec counterpart, and he’s gifted with a frequently astonishing vocabulary. But the differences are

more than superficial. There is a depth to Offerman that defies not only the character he’s come to be associated with, but the Hollywood stereotype as a whole. We call our celebrities “stars” because of their stratospheric glamor. Offerman, however, seems bound and determined to keep his feet on the ground. And he wants to teach the rest of the world do the same.

GROWING UP OFFERMAN “It seemed pretty clear from a young age that I had a penchant for performance,” Offerman says. “But we came from such a small town that I don’t think anybody ever thought that I’d be able to get from there to where I am now—including myself.” That small town was Minooka, Illinois, about an hour outside of Chicago. It was an unlikely springboard for a successful acting career, but Offerman had plenty of support. “I had a very supportive family, and even though I probably annoyed them at times, I always seemed to achieve most things that I set out to do,” he says.

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Plenty of encouragement and a natural talent gave Offerman the raw materials for success, which he put to use in Chicago’s famed live theater scene (where he first befriended then-rising Chicago improv star, Amy Poehler). But his younger dreams of stardom were very different from his current reality. “When you have expectations of any sort of success fantasy, I think it can’t help but be somewhat disparate from what the reality will turn out to be,” he says. “For one thing, I was younger when I would imagine getting good jobs. The dreams and hopes of a young man are, in my case, more superficial. You think, ‘Man, if I make some money one of these days, I’m going to get a ’68 Chevelle convertible and my life is going to look like a David Lee Roth video.’” He laughs at this. Superficially, his laugh is his most charming trait. While he speaks with great deliberation, he’s surprisingly prone to an easy, delighted chuckle. “Then, I spent many years living in reality,” he explains. “And by the time I could afford that muscle car, my needs were much different. I realized that if I tried to make my life look like a David Lee Roth video, that would be irresponsible and foolish. By the time I made some extra income, I thought ‘Oh good! Now I can buy that nice new hammer I’ve been looking for!’ or ‘Now I can get that shoelace fixed!’”

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explains. “And people are losing the ability to change a light bulb, let alone change their oil or a tire on their car. And God forbid you have to build a doghouse or a fence.” Suffice it to say, Offerman—who owns and operates Offerman Woodshop in East Los Angeles—can build a doghouse or a fence. He’s also capable of building some fine tables and his great love: canoes.

“I’m not amazing at it,” he admits. “I’m one of the multitude of people in this country who can use tools, but we’re a small multitude. I derive a great sense of pleasure and satisfaction when I do something around the house. I don’t have to call somebody and pay a $178 dollars to fix a scratch in the drywall. We should all be more Jeffersonian in that we are able to sustain our own lives without having to buy crap from China.”

P H O T O C R E D I T: E M I LY S H U R

SIMPLER TIMES A good deal of Offerman’s levelheaded nature comes from his commitment to artisan craftsmanship and sustainability, which he calls his “soapbox.” “It’s just simply who I am,” he says. “I grew up among people who make things with their hands. I do a lot of my living with my tools. As I became a woodworker and started building canoes and furniture, and then when I began to have more success as an actor and people began interviewing me for publications, I said ‘Hey, if there’s anything I feel would be relevant to talk about it’s that ... I would urge people to look into making things with their creativity.’ “Part of the disease of modern, lazy consumerism is that a lot of the population lives in their screens these days,” he

THE GOOD STORY For all that, Offerman is not the Luddite his legions of fans may be tempted to paint him as. He’s a lover of new media, and is unconcerned by the rapidly changing landscape of film and television. “I think good material is good material, whether it’s funny or dramatic,” he says. “However we’re able to see it, I don’t really have a gripe with. At the moment, everything is shifting. There’s not a solid bedrock in place. But the nice thing is, after so many

sense of propriety. They say, ‘Hey, you’re in my world. I own part of you.’” Offerman turned 44 this year, which makes him just old enough to recall a time when, contrary to today’s TMZ-fueled age of 24-hour celebrity gossip, celebrity lent an air of inaccessibility. “I feel like there’s a real diffusion of the sort of magic that was once associated with Hollywood and with actors working on those levels,” he says. “When I was a kid and there were three TV channels, film stars, especially,

“I GR EW UP AMONG PEOPLE W HO M AK E THINGS W ITH THEIR HANDS. I DO A LOT OF M Y LIV ING W ITH M Y TOOLS. I WOULD URGE PEOPLE TO LOOK INTO M AK ING THINGS W ITH THEIR CR EATIVIT Y.”

years of working hard, I still am incredibly grateful any time someone thinks of me. If I get a call from someone and they say they read a script and thought of me”—there’s that chuckle again—“I feel incredibly humbled and just think, ‘Boy, I sure am glad I put in all that hard work and didn’t become some sort of cocaine fiend.’” People do think of him, and often. As Parks and Rec takes a bow (this next season will be its last), Offerman’s opportunities are ramping up. He’s had several film roles in 2014, including smash hits like The Lego Movie and 22 Jump Street alongside quieter affairs like Knight of Cups and faith-based film Believe Me. If all that has made Offerman a more welcome presence on screen, it’s also made him a more recognizable public figure. Some of the trials that brings with it—like free servings of eggs and bacon—are manageable. Some are less tangible and, perhaps, more vexing. “My one rule is, if I have a meal happening and I’m approached, then I’m like a wild beast protecting my kill,” Offerman says. “I say, ‘Please let me finish my meal and then I’ll be happy to shake hands or take a picture.’ It’s a weird thing. We’re in everybody’s pockets constantly now. If you happen to see Nick Kroll at the airport, you can pull out your gadget and see anything he’s ever done. It gives people a

were incredibly enigmatic and mysterious. The only time you would see them as human beings was if you watched the Oscars. You’d see John Wayne walking around with a cane. Or you’d see Harrison Ford not in costume and you’d think, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s a real guy!’” It’s a bygone era of Hollywood mystique, and Offerman speaks of it a bit wistfully. “That lent this incredibly special, iconic quality to these figures. Now, anybody who appears on anything remotely popular, you’ve got 300 things a day on the Internet—just amateur opinions and blogs and press items. By the time you’ve finished the first season of the TV show, the whole world knows your shoe size and what rash you had when you were 14. That, to me, has been the biggest change. The entire world has access to everybody, much more than we used to.” If it sounds like he’s complaining, he’s quick to correct it. “But, at the same time, every time someone approaches me or even stares at me, it’s a reminder that I’m an incredibly lucky boy. I have one of the greatest jobs in the history of entertainment. I can never escape that.”

HOME ON THE RANGE It’s one thing to be obsessed over as an individual, but Offerman is also part of a highly

OFFERMAN ON POINT Offerman’s most iconic character so far is going off the air as Parks and Recreation heads into its last season, but he’s been involved in numerous other projects. Here are a few of his recent roles:

B E L IE V E ME

Offerman plays a guidance counselor in the film about a group of broke college students who raise money for tuition by pretending to be part of a Christian charity.

THE K IN G S OF SU MMER

In the unique coming-of-age comedy, Offerman plays Frank, a single father whose strict rules push his teenage son to rebel and run away to a house in the woods with his best friends.

THE L E G O MOV IE

For the breakout hit, Offerman provides the grizzly voice for Metalbeard, a pirate and former masterbuilder who crafted himself a new body out of scrap metal.

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fidelity,” he says. “And I endeavor, as does Megan, to make ours the same, just like anybody. We’re lucky, sure, but we also work at it. We’re not Disney characters. We anger each other over who left the top off the toothpaste tube. There’s not a Hollywood magic spell going on. We’re just two people who picked the right spouse. “So everybody settle down.”

That warm and loving nature was part of what distanced Parks and Rec from The Office. Offerman and Co. are an altogether more optimistic bunch than Michael Scott and his denizens of long-suffering drones. The Office was about finding happiness in spite of your job. Parks and Rec is about finding happiness in the midst of it. Michael Scott and Leslie Knope are

“A F T E R S O M A N Y Y E A R S O F W O R K I N G H A R D, I S T I L L A M I N C R E D I B LY G R AT E F U L A N Y T I M E S O M E O N E T H I N K S O F M E .”

PARKS AND NEXT

Offerman and Megan Mullally, his wife of 11 years.

public marriage to Megan Mullally, who these days is best known for playing Ron Swanson’s ex-wife Tammy on Parks and Rec, and also has snagged a couple of Emmy Awards for her role as Karen Walker on Will & Grace. This year, they’ll celebrate the 11th year of a marriage that has been, by all accounts, a happy one. They share one email address, wrapped up an offBroadway show together in June and were dubbed “Earth’s greatest love” by New York Magazine, but the very fact that people talk about them is a bit odd to Offerman. “It’s weird,” he says. “To have your life scrutinized is one thing. You can wrap your head around the superficiality of that. But then when your relationship comes under the magnifying glass, it’s a little weird when that gets lionized.” He speaks about Mullally with palpable fondness—the two have none of the stoic, robotic affection one tends to associate with celebrity marriages. They share a goofy, playful dynamic. For aficionados of celebrity love, it’s novel. For Offerman, it’s life. “I come from a fantastic family, and my mom and dad are a great example of a marriage full of love and

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Back in 2009, there was little to hint that Parks and Recreation had the makings of a great show. It was Office creator Greg Daniels’ second show and, given its similar workplace vibe and single camera setup, it couldn’t help but be compared to Michael Scott and the gang’s devastating satire of the American career. But it was all a setup for things to come. In its second season, Parks and Rec began finding its footing as a very different show than The Office. The show has one of the most enviably gifted casts in television history. In addition to Offerman, it has launched careers for Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones and Adam Scott and breathed new wind in the sails of Rob Lowe. Offerman gives credit to the show’s creators. “Greg created the paradigm in which we could thrive. And [Parks and Rec co-creator] Mike Schur did a lot of the best stuff on The Office. So Greg sort of had a bubble of protection around us in which the company, NBC, let us do whatever we want. Mike took the ball and ran. He’s an incredibly intelligent and warm and loving and astonishingly hilarious individual. It’s unbelievable.”

both gunning for that World’s Best Boss coffee mug, but only Knope understands that the secret to earning it is by helping her team become the World’s Best Employees. That’s something Offerman understands, as well. “You put Amy Poehler in there, who’s a ridiculous bundle of sunshine and comedic talent and also an incredible leader of people. Amy is the kind of person who could be elected to office if she so chose. She’s incredibly galvanizing to those around her. And a cast of really cute and talented people—and also myself—we’ve been able to put together a formula that hung on by the hairs on our chin.” And the show has hung on long enough to see Offerman and his fellow cast members move on to whatever’s next. Offerman has several movies in pre-production and is hard at work on his second book. “I like performing good writing. Wherever there’s delicious material to pass along to the audience, I’m happy to be involved. If I keep getting jobs, I’ll keep minding my manners and feeling like the luckiest boy in town.” T YLER HUCK ABEE is the managing editor of RELEVANT magazine.

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MAD

MEN

TRUE

DETECTIVE

Kerry Washington starring in the hit series Scandal

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NINE-NINE

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BREAKING

BAD

PARKS

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more daring. Pioneers like The Wire, The West Wing and Arrested Development kicked open a door that is now being expanded upon by shows like Mad Men, House of Cards and Community. It’s a revolution that shows no signs of slowing. In fact, it might be fair to call our current era of televised programming the new golden age of television.

A FIRST GOLDEN AGE B Y L AU R A T U R N E R

P H O T O C R E D I T: S C A N D A L - C R A I G S J O D I N / A B C

July, Halle Berry appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote her new television show, Extant, in which she plays an astronaut who returns to earth after a year in space with a big secret. Their chatter fluttered around the usual late-night show talk, but buried was a brief—but revealing—discussion about working in TV in this day and age. “Television is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be,” Berry said. “I thought, ‘I’m going to do television so I can be with my kid more.’ I never see my daughter!” Fallon noted that he had heard similar sentiments from a number of film actors who had made the transition to the small screen. “You have to up your game on TV,” Berry said. “TV has the best writing!” A few years ago, the thought of a star of Berry’s caliber moving to television would have been the mark of a career entering its twilight. In 2014, it might mean a jump-start. Berry doesn’t need fresh wind in her sails—she appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past, one of the year’s most successful films— but she’s joining a small but growing exodus toward television’s promised land. Kevin Spacey in House of Cards. Andy Samberg in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Matthew McConaughey in True Detective. Kathy Bates in American Horror Story. These are all stars drawn to TV because, simply put, TV is where the action is. Hollywood isn’t the reliable money maker it once was and, even if it was, Hollywood is leaning less and less on star power to anchor its big films. Instead, big studios rely on comfort food—established franchises, sequels and reboots—to bring audiences in. Television, on the other hand, is getting

By most accounts, TV’s first golden age came about 10 years after the end of World War II made television a popular commodity. Drama series like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents stood side by side with Kraft Television Theatre and I Love Lucy as Americans turned away from radio and toward the small screen. Corporate sponsors paid loads of money to present popular shows, and the television industry expanded in the wake of increased governmental freedom for the medium. Video may have killed the radio star, but it also opened up entire new worlds for the average family. Only 9 percent of U.S. households had a television in 1950. By 1965, that number had jumped to 92 percent. Instead of gathering around the radio after dinner to listen to their favorite series, families turned on the TV.

or House of Cards, a person needs only a computer and a Netflix account. Broad City is one of several shows picked up by a mainstream channel (Comedy Central, in this case) that began as a web series. Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime and HBO Go all let you view just about any show you can think of, past or present, from the comfort of your tablet. If context shapes content, our new golden age of television needs to feature more niche programming, a greater breadth of perspectives, and shows that are less tied than ever before to one time on one day of the week. So what does this shift suggest about the content we watch now? And what has laid the groundwork for the golden age we find ourselves in?

THE DAWN OF THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE Some media critics would say it’s hard to start this conversation anywhere outside The Sopranos—and we’ll get there—but let’s go back a few years earlier, to the very first dramatic one-hour series ever to be produced by HBO: Oz. As a no-holds-barred account of prison life, Oz never enjoyed The Sopranos’ critical acclaim or popular attention, but it went places no other television show had ever gone.

The last few years have ushered in what some have hailed as the best TV writing yet. But if that’s true, it’s also true that TV—in the traditional sense—is not entirely responsible for it. “TV will never be a serious competitor for radio because people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen,” argued a New York Times editorial in 1939. “The average American family hasn’t time for it.” Well, we’ve made time. The last few years of television have ushered in what some have hailed as the best television writing yet. But if that’s true, it’s also true that television—in the traditional sense—is not entirely responsible for it. There are more TV shows now than ever, but an increasing number of them aren’t on TV at all. To watch Orange is the New Black

Part of that was due to HBO; there were no advertisers to whom the writers were beholden, and that premium model of television has made for some of the best shows on TV. Oz was widely criticized for violence and sexuality, and it’s true that the show pushed the envelope in ways that often seemed like it exploited the broken prison system instead of commenting on it. However, HBO’s long leash also gave Oz the freedom to discuss race, religion and class issues in ways other shows couldn’t. Many shows now are led by what is

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B R O O K LY N N I N E - N I N E : Andy Samberg stars as a New York cop in the Fox show.

known as the antihero; men (they’re almost always men) in the ilk of Tony Soprano, Walter White and Frank Underwood. Oz was all antihero, all the time. No one was totally good—not the warden or the unit manager or the priest—and no one was incapable of surprising the viewer with touching humanity. In Oz, television began an arc toward nuance. The presence of nuance and more complex characters on TV—or what, for our purposes, we will call literary television—is a relatively recent occurrence. “Viewers are a lot more sophisticated now,” says Brett McCracken, critic and author of Hipster Christianity. “That happens any time a medium develops over time, and TV is a relatively new phenomenon.” Television may have started out with great programming, but there was also something simple about TV shows in the 1940s and ’50s. They were straightforward, relatively homogeneous, and tended to tie things up quite neatly at the end of 30 minutes or an hour. Multiple-episode arcs hardly existed, let alone stories that continued from one season to the next.

LITERARY FICTION In writing, there is a genre called “literary fiction.” It doesn’t perfectly align to literary television—nor is it always a helpful classification in books itself— but the general concept of literary fiction is that the characters, not the plot, are at the center of the action. The readers (and, in this case, viewers) care more about what is going on in the internal life of the character than what is happening in their life circumstances. The two will always be connected, but the internal world in the case of literary television will always hold an edge over the external. In this sense, literary television can be a highly Christian thing.

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Not, perhaps, in explicitly talking about the Gospel or even the existence of God—although that’s a question that has been raised more and more of late—but in reminding us that people are more important than the circumstances in which they find themselves. Take Breaking Bad, the reigning crown jewel of this new era. It isn’t literary because of the circumstances—although a high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer making meth is pretty compelling on its own—but because the circumstances tell us something about this man, Walter White. We watched the show not primarily to see whether Walter kept making meth, but to see what happened in Walter’s heart and mind. It’s inconceivable to think about watching Leave it to Beaver or The Brady Bunch or even Seinfeld in the same way. We didn’t watch Jerry and the gang to see what kind of people they were becoming—even though they did mark a turning point in TV as it came to look more like real life. Take a more recent show: 30 Rock. At its creative zenith, this was a show that existed in a rare category of comedic genius. But also, the question always remained with Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon: Could she have it all? We tuned in to see what messes her cast would get into each week, but also to see how Liz would attempt to actualize her desire to be the commensurate modern woman. The acting out of her zany cast was more than just the usual sitcom hijinks—they were obstacles in her quest to take control of her life. Who can’t relate to that?

BIG PEOPLE LITTLE MEDIUM As Halle Berry demonstrated, the caliber of talent being attracted to television is another mark of the genre’s advancement.

D A W N of the G O L D E N A G E A few of the shows that paved the way for our current Golden Age.

THE WE ST WING

Political intrigue, complex characters and great writing.

THE WIRE Praised by critics as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time.

THE SOP R A NOS The 2000s-era drama became a staple of American pop culture.

P H O T O C R E D I T: B R E A K I N G B A D - F R A N K W. O C K E N F E L S / A M C ; B R O O K LY N N I N E - N I N E - F O X

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“Success breeds success, in television as in anything,” says Jana Riess, author of What Would Buffy Do? “Twelve years ago, we were beginning to see some of these amazing television programs—Buffy being one of them—and we also started to see actors coming to television who had been famous in film. Once that wall came down and some of the best talent came to television from film, suddenly it was OK.” We’re seeing that in spades right now. Where writers and actors used to belong to television or film, now some of the best are straddling genres: Claire Danes in Homeland; J.J. Abrams is directing both the new Star Wars and CBS’ Person of Interest; Rob Lowe in Parks and Rec; Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder. Television is no longer the puny David to film’s Goliath. Practically speaking, the bigger names being drawn to television often bring with them bigger budgets, and there is an attraction for actors to work on TV because they can stay put in one location with a solid salary and the promise of residuals. The medium of television has also, finally, capitalized on something it has that film doesn’t: time. There are only so many ways a story can get told when you have two hours. What you can do with that same story in 100 hours is radically different, and the end result can be immensely more rewarding. The frequent criticism of film adaptations of books like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings was how much they had to leave out due to time limitations. In television, there are no such restraints. This is the “slow burn of a story reveal,” in the words of professor and film critic Alissa Wilkinson. Shows like Mad Men, for example, “will not let you decide how you feel about anyone or anything. You have a chance to experience a full range of your own emotions, more so than a movie.” The gift of time in a television series returns itself to the viewer in a complicated way. We watch, we absorb, and long after we turn off Mad Men or Girls or Scandal, we still aren’t totally sure how we feel. That’s the sort of feat accomplished by history’s greatest novelists, like Melville, Hemingway and Tolstoy. And it’s what television writers are swinging for now. It’s an ambivalence that looks an awful lot like real life, and it’s usually only through extended amounts of time that

we’re able to get there. More and more, television writers are using the time they have to give us complicated, interesting, nuanced characters.

THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION There are two television shows from the last couple of years that are emblematic of where television is headed, and neither of them come from mainstream media networks. House of Cards and True Detective are about as different as you can get from one another—the former a cynical drama about corruption in

One of the assumptions television can no longer make is that we all have religion in common. Sixty years ago, showing a character going to church wasn’t a radical statement. Nowadays, it would be hard to show that without setting up an expectation that the character was a fundamentalist. On television, as in our culture, rather than approaching God to get answers to life’s biggest questions, people start with the questions. God’s presence is incidental. Good television will reflect that reality, as True Detective did so well in the character of Rust Cohle.

B R E A K I N G B A D : Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.

Washington, D.C.; the latter a dark tale of how violence begets violence in the Deep South. Despite their differences, both shows get at some of life’s biggest questions with consistent depth (The temptation of power. The depravity of man. And the big one: Is God involved with humanity?) At the same time, they depict life’s strange mundaneness (The way Rust Cohle holds a cigarette or how Frank Underwood has to distance himself from an old friend to keep his political hopes alive).

But not all literary television has to be dark. Community heralds the new era of television not only in its diverse cast, but in its acrobatic script. Over the course of five seasons, the show has delighted in patient jokes that take several episodes or even seasons to land. The show about a ramshackle community college and the washed up has-beens trying to graduate at first seemed loaded with stock characters and standard sitcom set-ups, but viewers soon realized that show creator Dan Harmon was drawing two-dimensional characters

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only to hear that his son wants to play field hockey instead of basketball and be called Andy instead of André. One of the pilot’s first scenes shows Dre picking up the newspaper in his upper-class neighborhood while a tour bus drives by. “If you look to the left, you’ll see the mythical and majestic black family,” the tour guide says. “Out of their natural habitat, and yet still thriving.” Fresh off the Boat is based on a memoir by the show’s creator, Eddie Huang. It’s about a Chinese family (the kids are the first generation born in America) who moves from Washington, D.C. to Orlando so their dad can manage a Cattleman’s Ranch Steakhouse franchise. The show’s main character, little Eddie, wears Nas and Notorious B.I.G. T-shirts to school, where he’s ordered away from a cafeteria table after his peers find his lunch of Chinese noodles untenable. “Oh, it didn’t go well for you?” an African-American kid asks as Eddie sits down with him. “The white people didn’t welcome you with open arms?” According to a column by Jeff Yang in the Wall Street Journal, Fresh off the Boat is only the second-ever Asian-American sitcom to make it to prime time, after the 1994 flop that was Margaret Cho’s All-American Girl. H O U S E O F C A R D S : Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood.

just so he could show how fun it is to color outside the lines. The show has struggled in the ratings, but it’s impossibly survived long enough to warrant being the flagship entry of Yahoo’s new original programming initiative. Community joins the growing ranks of shows canned by big networks only to find new life online, where niche communities can often propel a show to highs corporate sponsors are unable or unwilling to.

THE RISE OF NICHE TELEVISION The loss here, McCracken says, is in “the erosion of shared culture.” Television used to be what we talked about around the office watercooler, but now we’re all drinking out of bottles in our cubicles. There are plenty of popular shows still out there, but none of them draw the kinds of numbers TV shows saw when there were only a

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few major networks. The splinter effect of niche programming means there’s more to go around, but also guarantees it won’t go around like it used to. We will see more even-handed shows and characters depicting people of color as actual people, not foils for a morality tale. The new show Mulaney, written by and starring comedian John Mulaney, has the main (white) character sharing an apartment with an Iranian-American woman (Nasim Pedrad) and an African-American man (Seaton Smith). There are a couple other shows debuting this fall that feature families of color: Black-ish and Fresh off the Boat. Black-ish comes in the footsteps of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; it’s about a wealthy African-American family whose patriarch, Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson), tries to imbue his kids with a sense of their heritage

GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS Television is no longer entirely in the television game. Shows like House of Cards can’t really even be called television anymore, Wilkinson says. There will always be demand—and money—for normal, weekly, serial television. But that is no longer the only option for shows that want to get made. While ABC, NBC and CBS may never become truly obsolete, they will also likely never be the behemoths they were in earlier decades— Netflix, HBO, Showtime and many other Internet channels have made sure of that. The rise of niche programming is giving voice to people who audiences haven’t heard from as much in the past, and insofar as that makes television a tool for empathy, that’s a really good thing. L AUR A TURNER is a writer and editor living in San Francisco. She is interested in the intersection of church and culture and blogs at loturner.com.

P H O T O C R E D I T: H O U S E O F C A R D S - N AT H A N I E L B E L L / N E T F L I X ; M A R RY M E - G R E G G AY N E S / N B C ; G R A C E P O I N T - M AT H I E U Y O U N G / F O X ; G O T H A M - F O X

2014 FALL TV PREVIEW

FALL TELEVISION PREVIEW T H E B E S T O F W H AT ’ S N E X T I N T V ’ S F I N E S T E R A

GOTHAM There are two main characters in any great Batman story. One is, of course, Bruce Wayne. The other— more vital to the Batman mythos than the Joker or Alfred or any other of the Dark Knight’s cast of characters—is Gotham City itself. When depicted best, the city is a living thing, a metaphor of darkness begetting darkness. This fall, Fox will debut a Batman show in which a young Bruce Wayne factors in only peripherally. The show is really about Gotham and the actions of a detective named Jim Gordon, who presides over the city’s slow descent into the crime cesspool that will one day need Batman to save it. This show transcends its police procedural trappings to become an exploration of legacy and why some people allow the wounds of their past to warp them while others overcome FOR FANS OF: their wounds to become heroes. Arrow, Luther, Sherlock

GR ACEPOINT In 2013, the BBC aired Broadchurch, a gently devastating drama that followed two detectives (Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Olivia Colman) on their investigation of a young boy’s murder in their small town. Beautifully shot and full of remarkable performances, what could have been just a simple whodunnit transformed into an exploration of the limitations we put on our relationships. An American version of the show has been picked up by Fox and renamed Gracepoint, with Tennant reprising his role and Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) filling in for Colman. If it’s half as good as the source material, it’ll be one of the year’s best.

FOR FANS OF: Broadchurch, Homeland, The Killing

M A R RY M E One of the great losses to TV in 2013 was Happy Endings, David Caspe’s deliriously funny look at six less-than-competent friends in Chicago. After three seasons of toughing it out in the ratings gutter, ABC finally pulled the plug with little fanfare. The show deserved better. So does Caspe, and he’s getting it. Marry Me is loosely based on Caspe’s marriage to Casey Wilson, who stars in the show along with Ken Marino (Party Down) as part of a couple who wants to tie the knot, but can’t quite figure out how. America, don’t make the same F O R F A N S O F : Scrubs, mistake you made with Happy Endings. New Girl, How I Met Your Mother

OT HE R NOTABL ES Here are a few other shows coming this fall that are well worth your time. RE D BAN D SOC IE TY

THE FLASH

B L AC K -ISH

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SEPT_OCT 2014

B Y L I LY D U N N

here’s a common misconception that Christians never talk about sex. But that wasn’t the experience of many who grew up in the thick of evangelical purity culture. Many churches talk about sex a lot. They just spend all that time talking about how and why not to have it. Teaching about abstinence and the sanctity of sex is certainly worthwhile and biblical. But the way churches are going about it isn’t working. According to a study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 80 percent of evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 29 have had premarital sex. In a study of Christian Mingle and JDate users, over half of the respondents said they would consider moving in with someone after dating for a period between six months and two years. Even those who waited until marriage to have sex may have picked up many misleading lessons from youth group sex talks. For me, many of those lessons started to unravel after I got married. As someone who waited to have sex until marriage, I was assured that if I just waited, I would be guaranteed an easy and rewarding sex life. When reality turned out to be different, I was disappointed and disillusioned. Only through gradual conversations with other married friends did I realize I wasn’t alone. Here are four of the biggest lies about sex many of us have picked up from church.

Any and all physical contact is like a gateway drug to sex.

Once, in high school, I attended a big Christian youth conference. One night, one of the chaperones addressed the girls: “Girls, we have noticed some very inappropriate touching going on.” The inappropriate touching she meant turned out to be two high school couples in the youth group holding hands. This woman was deadly serious. “I know it may not seem like a big deal to you,” she said. “But hand-holding leads to other things!” Many of us heard similar things from parents, teachers, church leaders and books. In some churches, it was not unusual for people to pledge not only to save sex until marriage, but even to save their first kiss for their wedding day. “Don’t start the engine if you aren’t ready to drive the car”

and other similar metaphors warned that any physical contact was a slippery slope straight into the jaws of fornication. In reality, there are so many conscious decisions you have to make between kissing and having sex. There isn’t a lot of truth to the idea that it might happen “accidentally.” Despite what Hollywood says, clothes do not take themselves off and bodies do not magically and effortlessly fit together. If you are committed to waiting until you’re married to have sex, there are many valid reasons to set boundaries on your physical relationship, but the fear of accidentally having sex shouldn’t be one of them.

If you wait until you are married, God will reward you with mind-blowing sex and a magical wedding night.

Before my wedding night, I had been told that honeymoon sex isn’t usually the best. I had heard that good sex takes work. I knew that it would probably be uncomfortable at first. But what nobody ever, ever told me was that it was possible that it might not work at all at first. On my wedding night, my mind and heart were there, but my body was locked up tighter than Maid Marian’s chastity belt. I entered marriage with the firm conviction that God rewards those who wait, only to find myself confounded by the mechanics. It was frustrating, disappointing and embarrassing. I felt like an utter failure, both as a wife and a woman. After all, there are 14-year-olds getting pregnant every day. How hard could it be? And while we did (eventually) get things working, this was hard, infuriating, humiliating and a huge blow to our confidences. And losing confidence in the bedroom before we even found it is not exactly what we had in mind when we imagined our honeymoon night. Saving sex for marriage is not a guarantee that you will have great sex or that sex will be easy. All it guarantees is that the person you fumble through it with will be someone who has already committed to love you forever. And fortunately, when it comes to sex with someone you’re in a lifelong commitment with, practice really can make perfect.

Boys are visual and sexual, but girls don’t care about sex.

Most women who grew up in the Church cannot even count the times we heard something to this effect: “Boys are very visual and sexual, so even though you aren’t thinking about sex, you need to be careful because you are responsible for not making them stumble.” Let’s disregard for now how degrading this is toward men and focus on the underlying assumption that boys are sexual and girls aren’t. For years I was told that “girls don’t care about sex.” Well, as it turns out, I do.

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God created us as sexual beings. Enjoying sex makes you a human being created by God with the capacity and desire to love. This was a deep source of shame for me. For a long time I felt like a freak, until I started to realize that I wasn’t the only one, not by a longshot. As it turns out, most of my friends thought about sex, found things to be sexy and—contrary to youth group teaching—were very “visual.” But I never knew it because no one would admit it. Many girls (yes, even Christian girls) think about sex. Many girls (yes, even Christian girls) like sex. This doesn’t make you a freak. It doesn’t make you unfeminine or unnatural. God created us, both men and women, as sexual beings. Enjoying sex makes you a human being created by God, in the image of God, with the capacity and desire to love—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and sexually.

When you get married, you will immediately be able to fully express yourself sexually without guilt or shame.

Many Christians have spent years—from the day they hit puberty until their wedding day—focusing their energy on keeping their sex drives in check. Then, in the space of a few hours, they are expected to stop feeling like their sexuality is something they must carefully control and instead be able

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to express it freely. And not only that—but express it freely with another person. Many of us have programmed guilt into ourselves—this is how we keep ourselves in check throughout our dating relationships. And that “red light” feeling we train ourselves to obey doesn’t always go away just because we’ve spoken some vows and signed some papers. It took me several months to stop having that sick-to-mystomach guilty feeling every time I was together with my husband. Not everyone experiences this, but for the many people who do, it’s terribly isolating. Once again, we’re experiencing something our churches and communities never acknowledged as a possibility. We feel alone and broken and filled with a profound sense that this isn’t the way it’s meant to be. I don’t regret waiting until I was married to have sex, and I’m not advocating that churches stop teaching that sex is designed for marriage. But I do think there is something seriously wrong with the way we’ve handled the conversation. If our reason for saving sex until marriage is because we believe it will make sex better or easier for us, we’re not only setting ourselves up for disappointment, we’re missing the point entirely. Those of us who choose to wait do so because we hold certain beliefs about the sacredness of marriage and about God’s intentions and wishes for humanity, and we honor those regardless of whether they feel easier or harder. In the meantime, we in the evangelical church have a lot of work to do correcting the distorted ways we talk about sex and sexuality, especially to our youth. LILY DUNN loves dessert before dinner, stories that make her laugh and living authentically. She lives and teaches with her husband in Daegu, South Korea and blogs at lilyellyn.wordpress.com.

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THE CHART-TOPPING RAPPER HAS BUILT A CAREER OUT OF ASKING QUESTIONS. WITH HIS NEW ALBUM, HE’S READY TO DELIVER SOME ANSWERS. BY T YLER HUCK ABEE

SEPT_OCT 2014

“I

remember running into Wale at Michael Jordan’s birthday party and he was just shocked I was there.” Lecrae is talking about a recent experience in which his celebrity social circles and Christian reputation were seen as being at odds by acquaintances. He has a few of these stories, and he is a great storyteller, often recounting them like short plays. “I don’t know if it was because the liquor was flowing or just the environment. But I remember him being like, ‘Yo, yo, wait a minute. Aren’t you Christian?’ I was like, ‘Absolutely. But I’m here, and this is who I am.’” At first glance, Wale’s confusion makes sense. Lecrae has been a fixture in the Christian subculture for almost a decade, but in the last few years, his widespread success has earned him access to some unexpected circles. “More recently, especially in conservative Christian circles it’s been, ‘Look, I’m not going to fit the mold that you think I should fit. If I’m hanging out with Chris Brown on Monday and John Piper on Tuesday, that’s what I’m doing and that’s where I live and how I exist.”

CRAZY CRAE As the head of Reach Records, Lecrae is helping make tremendous inroads for Christian hip-hop, but as an artist, he’s also experiencing a level of success uncommon for musicians in any genre. He’s been nominated for Billboard Music Awards and BET Awards. In 2013, he took home a Grammy. His 2011 offering, Rehab: The Overdose, nabbed the top spot on

“GOD GAVE YOU YOUR GIFTS AND THE INSIGHT THAT HE GAVE YOU NOT FOR YOU TO JUST HOLD ONTO IT AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, BUT TO SHARE THAT WITH THE WORLD.” iTunes. His first mixtape, Church Clothes, was downloaded 100,000 times in 48 hours. In September 2012, the deluxe and regular versions of Gravity, along with a mixtape of his, held three of the top 10 spots on iTunes’ hip-hop/rap chart, including the top two, prompting TIME magazine to dub Lecrae “the new hip-hop king.” He’s still adjusting to being in the spotlight. “Everything you do is headlined,” he says, a bit ruefully. “People feel like they know you a lot more. It’s little things. When we go out with my kids, my son’s always like, ‘Daddy, how does this man know you?’ I’m like, ‘Well,

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THE 116 CLIQUE A N DY M IN E O

TR IP LE E

TE DASHII

The rapper’s 2014 EP, Never Land, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard rap albums chart.

Four chart-topping albums in, Lee stepped away from music to become a pastor.

Tedashii’s fourth album, Below Paradise, landed on the Billboard 200 in May.

I don’t know him, but he knows the music.’ Transparently, I don’t like the attention. I’m actually introverted. So, I don’t really like attention. I don’t even like my birthday celebrated.” But at the same time, Lecrae is grateful for his success. “It’s worth it just to have a platform to share your heart, share your gifts with the world,” he says. “And then, over the years, you garner wisdom and realize it’s not just for you. God gave you your gifts and the insight that He gave you not for you to just hold onto it and feel good about it, but to share that with the world.” He has given it back 10 times over—not only as a musician, but as producer and label owner, he’s been able to provide other talents with opportunities for success.

“I’M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND LIVE TO FIT EVERYONE’S MOLD. I’VE BEEN UNIQUELY CRAFTED TO BE MYSELF. THERE’S A CONFIDENCE AND A FREEDOM IN THAT.” In terms of garnering wisdom, Lecrae has come a long way. As a teenager, his propensity for daredevil stunts earned him the nickname “Crazy Crae.” He wound up on a gang list, and his life could have taken a very different route had he not ended up at a performance by Christian hip-hop group The Cross Movement. That started a chain of events that eventually led to him becoming a Christian and starting Reach Records along with his friend, Ben Washer, when Lecrae was 25 years old. It was a move that put him in a unique position of influence within the Christian community, but his journey of personal growth was just beginning. “It took time to be comfortable in my own skin and to not feel like I had to prove myself to any particular side,” he says. “I think really what it came down to was just being me and knowing that no one controls the verdict on my life other than God.

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I’m not going to sit here and live to fit everyone’s mold so that I’m easier to deal with or to handle. I’ve been uniquely crafted to be myself. There’s a confidence and a freedom in that.”

EMBRACING THE ANOMALY Lecrae says his newest album, Anomaly, is the most fully realized effort of his career. “This is the most confident I’ve ever been in who I am,” he says. “I’m not trying to figure myself out anymore. I think there’s never been an album where I wasn’t trying to figure out who I was or where I stood. I don’t mind being vulnerable and putting myself on display. There’s a lot of stuff I’m sharing about my life on this album that I’ve never shared with anybody. I had to actually call my mother and tell her some of these things before I put it on wax so she wouldn’t just hear it and say, ‘Woah.’” Some of those things, like Lecrae’s former life as a drug dealer, (he was arrested for possession and theft) are well outside the realm of what might be considered safe fodder for Christian hip-hop, but Lecrae is learning to deal with the risks. “Fear of being exposed is why people keep secrets and hide stuff,” he says. “It’s why Adam was hiding from God. When he ate the fruit, he was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m found out. Let me hide.’ Instead of just saying, ‘Look, I did it. I blew it. I ate it. I was tripping. Help me. Forgive me.’ I’m just in that place in my life. I’m not saying I’m perfect and I have it down, but I found way more liberation in being honest and transparent. There’s just a freedom in being honest.” While Lecrae acknowledges his transparency has raised eyebrows, he also says it has commanded respect. In addition to the aforementioned tale from Michael Jordan’s birthday party, there was a recent moment with rapper French Montana. “I remember French invited me to a strip club when I was in New York once and I was like, ‘Nah, man. I don’t roll like that.’ And I remember him saying ‘Oh, OK. I respect that. You’re a serious Christian.’ It wasn’t like this big shock. It was just, ‘OK, well, that’s how you roll.’” French Montana might be able to get his head around

P H O T O C R E D I T: G L E N M O O D I E / C O M P L E X P H O T O

Reach Records’ hip-hop group—named for Romans 1:16—has helped launch successful careers for many of its members.

how Lecrae rolls, but Lecrae says conservative Christians have been somewhat less understanding of his position. “I don’t know if they’re surprised as much as they’re a lot quicker to show their disdain or their lack of desire for me,” he says. “And I think there’s a fear there. I think there’s a fear that maybe I’m manipulating people or I really just want to be famous and hang out with stars.” That’s a notion he is very quick to dismiss. “I’ve been around a little while,” he says. “I’m old enough to know the emptiness. I’ve seen the detriment of pursuing vanity. Some things that are appealing, I distance myself from. But a lot of it is keeping people around you. It’s not as if I’m existent in a vacuum. I’ve still got the same friends I had 10 years ago who still hold me to the same standards that they’ve always held me to.”

PLENTY OF OPEN DOORS If Lecrae is reaching forward lyrically, he’s bounding ahead musically. In terms of sonic exploration, he says Anomaly is huge evolution from what his longtime fans might expect. While Lecrae cut his teeth on the sort of bombastic style that tends to get fists pumping, his new album moves in more creatively daring directions. He name-checks visionaries like Drake and Kendrick Lamar and says he drew inspiration from a broad palette of genres. “I just wanted bigger soundscapes,” he says. “I was listening to alternative music and rock because there were bigger soundscapes and it wasn’t as circular. It was taking me places—even classical music. I incorporated a lot of that into this project.” Fresh lyrics. New music. A new vision for his career. Lecrae has never been shy, but 10 years into the game, full-scale revolutions like this are rare and risky, not that he is sweating it. “At this stage in the game, all the doors that are going to close are probably already closed,” he says. “I think the people who are fearful of what I am and what I communicate have already decided they don’t want anything to do with what I have going on. There are plenty of other doors and plenty of other opportunities for me to go through. I meet people every day who are just broken and hiding stuff and slaves to a million other things. I would rather fight for their liberation than fight for my own security.”

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CAN THE TENSION AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF SCIENCE AND FAITH BE RESOLVED? BY JESSE CAR EY

T H E G O D PA RT I C L E

E arlier this year, one of America’s most beloved advocates of science—the bow-tied man many millennials fondly remember as Bill Nye “the Science Guy” (which was also the name of his mid-’90s children’s show)—visited one of evangelicalism’s most polarizing outposts of the culture wars: Kentucky’s Creation Museum. Operated by the organization Answers in Genesis, the massive facility is home to a planetarium, life-like Jurassic displays, a gift shop, café, zip line course and even a large theater that frequently hosts lectures from the organization’s founder, “young earth” creation advocate Ken Ham. The ministry—and $27 million museum— operates under a singular mission: to educate audiences with evidence that Genesis’ account of creation is literally true, particularly the part about God making the universe in six 24-hour days. But on this evening in February, Answers in Genesis allowed a perspective that was not, in their opinion, a “biblical” one. Nye, one of pop culture’s most prominent faces of science, debated Ham, arguing against the concept of creationism. Despite running for more than two hours, the webcast was a hit. Millions tuned in live or have watched the video archived on YouTube. It’s been almost 90 years since the Scopes Monkey Trial first divided American culture—with pro-evolution education advocates on one side and conservative Christian creation advocates on the other—but, as the popularity of the webcast showed, American culture is once again at a crossroads. A recent Pew Research Center analysis found 60 percent of Americans believe in evolution. But among most Protestant groups, around 60 percent believe humans always existed in their present form. And it’s not just creationism that is dividing culture. In the era of “new atheism”—with authors and thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett leading the charge—anti-God rhetoric has aligned itself with

science. In turn, religion—particularly Christianity, by its default of being the most culturally prominent faith—has found itself pitted in an ongoing thought war with what can be empirically observed and measured (science), and defending what, by its very definition, is based on a belief in things that can’t be seen (faith). Science and faith have found themselves on two sides of a debate while a growing segment of the Church is awkwardly sitting in tension in-between.

“M

ANY PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF the conflict,” says Kathryn

Applegate, program director at BioLogos, an organization dedicated to showing the “harmony” between faith and science. “People have felt worried that if they go in one direction or the other; they’re going to lose their faith or have to just stop thinking.” Applegate, who also holds a Ph.D. in computational cell biology, says that when she first started working at BioLogos, it was for the intention of reaching atheists. But it wasn’t long before she saw a different conflict confronting many in the Church. “The more I looked, it seemed like there was such a division within the Church about it,” she says. “And that was heartbreaking to see. So that’s why I was drawn to both areas: reaching out to science-minded people who might be seeking faith, but even more so, reaching out to our own brothers and sisters who see science as a stumbling block, who can’t really accept science, so therefore feel forced to choose. I feel like it’s a false choice between accepting the Bible or accepting science.” Unlike the anti-Darwinism mentalities of Christianity’s recent past, BioLogos instructs that evolution, which is taught by mainstream science, is the method God used to build His creation. Applegate encourages “trying to see that the Bible is really written to a pre-scientific people, and the point is not to teach us about science.” She says much of what people like Ham and Nye are debating over is actually a false dilemma. “Evolutionary creationism—which is the term we like to use for understanding how God might have used evolution to create the enormous, extravagant diversity of species that we have—is very much rooted in a biblical doctrine of creation,” she says.

“I FEEL LIKE IT’S A FALSE CHOICE BETWEEN ACCEPTING THE BIBLE OR ACCEPTING SCIENCE.” —KATHRYN APPLEGATE Obviously, that’s a point many in the Church disagree with. For Dr. Georgia Purdom, a speaker at Answers in Genesis and an advocate of a literal interpretation of Genesis, the stakes for how Christians read the Bible are much higher than deciding what’s metaphor and what’s actual history. In her view, reading Scripture literally, even if that means reading it as a science textbook, is essential. “It really depends on who you believe when it comes to the past. Do you believe the written word of God, or do you not?” says Purdom, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics. “Do you believe God, who was there, or people, who weren’t?” Where BioLogos views a modern understanding of the natural world

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through evolution as further evidence of God’s design, Answers in Genesis sees contemporary understanding of elements of science as a threat to the foundations of Christianity. “What happens, then, to other parts of the Bible?” Purdom says. “Because we’re saying, ‘Well, you know, creation can’t be true. Things evolved. The Earth is millions of years old.’ What about when you get to the New Testament and a virgin gives birth and a dead person comes back to life? Well, science says those things don’t happen. Yet they believe that. So there’s a real disconnect. There’s a real inconsistency there, and I’m concerned about what it’s going to do in other parts of Scripture.”

ATHER ANDREW PINSENT HAS AN impres-

sive resume. A Catholic priest of the diocese of Arundel and Brighton in the U.K., he’s also currently research director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford University, a member of the school’s theology faculty and a research fellow of Harris Manchester College. He holds multiple degrees in physics, theology and philosophy. Some of his research has been so influential that it was used by CERN—the home to a 60-mile long particle accelerator that is conducting some of the world’s most ambitious science experiments, including the search for the “God Particle.”

“I THINK CHRISTIANS WOULD BENEFIT A LOT FROM JUST STUDYING THEIR OWN HISTORY MORE. MANY OF THE QUESTIONS ARE NOT NEW.” —ANDREW PINSENT Pinsent also happens to be an expert on the conflict between faith and science. “A question I sometimes get asked if I’m giving a talk at a school is, ‘How can you be a priest and believe in the Big Bang theory?’” he says. “I always enjoy getting this question because I say, ‘We invented it!’ It was actually a priest, Georges Lemaître, who solved Einstein’s equations to predict an expanding universe.” As Pinsent points out, many of the debates going on in evangelicalism are retreads of previous conversations. “I think Christians would benefit a lot from just studying their own history more,” he says. “Many of the questions are not new.” Pinsent points to the case of early church theologian Saint Augustine. “He suggested that creation was not all at once, but in a sort of seed-like form, which unfolded,”

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A CON V ER SAT ION W I T H

RADIOLAB HOW THE PODCAST DUO IS EMBRACING QUESTIONS ON THEIR SEARCH FOR TRUTH here’s an early episode of Radiolab on which hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are attempting to explain the mystery of time. It may seem like an ambitious topic for a radio show, but as the duo has shown since the show’s first season kicked off in 2005, it’s just the kind of mind-bending subject matter they feel most comfortable with. Their guest for the segment, City College of New York physics professor Michio Kaku, recounts the moment that Einstein—after a decade of studying the idea of time—had the revelation that time was, in fact, relative. It was a notion that would change the course of history, birthing the theory of relativity. Kaku says Einstein later wrote in a letter to his friend that, at that moment, “a storm broke in my mind.”

T H E G O D PA RT I C L E

P H O T O C R E D I T: R A D I O L A B - M A R C O L A U ( M A R C O A N T O N I O . C O M )

Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich created Radiolab in 2005.

If you’ve ever listened to an episode of Radiolab, it’s a sensation you may be familiar with. “I always think of [the show] less in terms as a set of ingredients, and more in terms of a sensation,” Abumrad explains. “Like a visceral reaction you have to encountering some new idea. Sometimes you encounter an idea, and ... You feel your weight go up and chest expand. There’s something expansive on a physical sensation level about that idea.” These big ideas—distilled into thought-provoking narratives and compelling audio presentations—are what have taken Radiolab from a public radio science hour produced for local station WNYC, to a nationally syndicated, Peabody Award-winning NPR staple that’s also iTunes’ No. 2 most downloaded podcast. On each episode, Abumrad, a former professional musician and journalist and Krulwich, an award-winning reporter and broadcaster, tackle a different topic, often dealing with deep, science-related issues. From complex cosmic concepts like time to philosophical issues like morality, language and bliss, each episode marries difficult ideas with human narratives and fresh understandings of how the world works. “Regularly, in the course of Radiolab stories, we arrive at this idea that science is not the only way to know the world,” Abumrad says. “There is a way of knowing the world by engaging the wonder of the world and the magic and mystery. And I feel like that’s as equally as valid a way of know the world as a classic, reductive scientific approach.” CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Pinsent explains. “And he used the Latin term evolutio, from which we get the word evolution. And so you’ve got an early doctor of the Church—a very brilliant man, Augustine—already talking in the kind of language that would not be out of place with sort of a modern theistic evolutionary stance. The issues often need to be based in the past, by minds of great subtlety.” But as Pinsent sees it, the responsibility for the modern cultural divide doesn’t just rest on the shoulders of Christians who are seeking to protect their view of Scripture. It’s also with the modern culture of science, much of which is hesitant to explore philosophical ideas. “Our science today doesn’t give us enough knowledge of the humanities,” he says. “I think we’re not as good as we could be in science, because of that.” Pinsent says because current science education institutions force students to select their area of focus so early on, many scientists maintain narrow views in their search for Truth, excluding fields like philosophy and religion. “Imagine if you spend all of your time looking at the world through blue colored glasses. Everything looks blue,” he says. “And if you spend all of your time immersed, doing nothing but science, everything becomes a measurement, for example. And it becomes very difficult to think about the world in other terms.” However, as he points out, this wasn’t always the case. “What is one of the most striking things about looking at these deep aspects of material reality is that there’s extraordinary beauty, and often order on a superhuman level. It is a natural response to have a sense of religious awe in light of these things,” he says. “It’s fairly common for people to use religious language when confronted with some of these realities. Einstein for example, often used God talk without actually having any form of religious belief.” NE OUTLET THAT IS BLURRING the lines

between the religious and the scientific is the Peabody Award-winning public radio program Radiolab. Their stories blend philosophy and neurology, human emotion and empirical fact, wonder and observation. And, often, they find themselves at the intersections of both science and religion. On each episode of Radiolab, hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad at some point take on different sides of a discussion about an idea. A skeptic and a believer. The scientist and the storyteller. “We tend to somehow, in the course of a story, organically, without any sort of pretense, assume opposite points on that tension,” Abumrad says. “Radiolab as an expression of that tension, I think, is something that grows out of the place [Krulwich] and I choose to stand in any given moment.” Unlike contemporary debates about science and religion, Radiolab isn’t always interested in finding an ultimate answer. Instead, it’s become such a popular source of science in pop culture because it’s comfortable doing

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the opposite: asking big questions. It’s looking for these difficult questions that provides the tension that makes episodes of Radiolab so compelling. The tension they’ve embraced isn’t just a metaphor for what’s happening among conflicted believers or even within culture at large. It also demonstrates how asking questions can actually lead to bigger truths—even if it’s with different answers than we were looking for in the first place. It’s an idea Krulwich relates to the biblical story of Job. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, after losing everything he has, Job—a man who faithfully served God—questions how a just God could allow such awful things to happen to good person. Later, in frustration, he laments that God won’t answer the questions he demands to know. Toward the end of the story, God does speak to Job, asking him, of all things, about his knowledge of natural science. God rhetorically asks, “Where were you when I laid the Earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions?” At this point, Job concedes in humility, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Krulwich explains, “And God says, ‘All right, you really want to know? I’ll tell you!’ And then He lifts Job up, and Job gets a terrible headache and says, ‘Put me down. I know the limits of what I can know. I will now return to a kind of trust in You.’” For Krulwich, who describes himself as religious, the idea of exploring the questions he and Abumrad tackle on Radiolab, even if it does not lead to answers, is still part of what makes the show— and their approach to science—so appealing to a mass audience. Because oftentimes, science—like faith—is about embracing the mysteries of Job’s “things too wonderful for me to know.” “I don’t want to use knowledge to pretend that I understand.” Krulwich says. “I think it’s almost a kind of worship to ask, and to explore and to try and find out what you may never know.” But even Radiolab’s approach, which embraces the mysteries of science without always finding easy answers to big questions, has its culture war critics. Abumrad acknowledges that there are segments of their audience that get uncomfortable when the lines between hard science and questions about the role faith plays become blurred. “We’ll put these stories on the air, and if there’s a whiff of ‘believerness’ to them, you do feel a very strong roar from the outside of, ‘How dare you?’” Abumrad says. “There does seem to be a real intolerance between the two categories from the outside. But somehow, internally, that difference is never interesting. We’re not trying to prove or disprove God. We’re not trying to validate or invalidate science. We’re somehow just looking at mysteries that are intoxicating to us and trying to drink them in.”

HE SUCCESS OF A SHOW like Radiolab may not be

an indication that the end of the traditional culture wars is nearing, but it shows that embracing both the answers of science and deeper questions that often involve faith—and living in the tension between the two—may not be a bad thing. In the end, neither side will win a culture war. Whether the debate is about creation vs. evolution, atheism vs. evidence of God or observation vs. faith in the supernatural, this new type of

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M O R E Q UE STIO N S Instead of college-style lectures or textbook explanations of a phenomenon, Radiolab relies on the power of story. In one episode about the placebo effect, the duo recounts the documented account of a doctor who was able to cure

“REGULARLY, IN THE COURSE OF RADIOLAB STORIES, WE ARRIVE AT THIS IDEA THAT SCIENCE IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE WORLD.” —JAD ABUMRAD “incurable” skin conditions in his patients simply by making them believe they would become better. How much control do our minds have over our bodies? Can this be replicated? Are the events supported by science? It’s in unraveling these types of questions that the show creates “driveway moments” on car radios and inspires joggers to go an extra mile just to see how the podcast ends—even if it means the answers they are looking for are not always knowable. “We share the mood that it’s better to try to find out than to know,” Krulwich says. “It’s just more fun. And there’s something more human about it, I think.” The pair have tackled stories about morality—whether it is social and moral convictions that shape our sense of right and wrong instead of evolutionary ones. They’ve brought up questions about genetic predispositions in making decisions. These are the kinds of difficult ideas that often sit in the tension between reason and imagination. Krulwich gives an example of a story that took that tension “to the ultimate edge.” “It described a woman who wanted to be a nun. She took her prayers very seriously and found that in prayer, she became ecstatic,” he says. “So ecstatic that she fainted. And when she fainted more than once, the mother superior worried what was giving her such crazy joy in her love of God was maybe a tumor. “You can’t really think of those two ideas easily in the same breath. How could the thing you most want—if you’re a spiritual woman—how could that be a disease? That would be an erasure, and almost an insult to everything you know. And so, in this story, she goes to the doctor and the doctor says, ‘Actually, it is a tumor.’ And then the question is, if you remove the tumor will you remove her faith? In which case, what was her faith?” “The stories are hard for us,” Abumrad admits. “They’re not easy.”

T H E G O D PA RT I C L E

E MB R ACIN G THE U N R E S O LV E D

thinking doesn’t involve choosing sides—it involves finding the beauty in the tension between the mysteries of God and the wonder of what we can see in our world through science, even it if isn’t always easy. “I love that idea that somehow, if you sit between things and you compose yourself, the tension resolves, not into an answer, but into some new state. Some new phase change,” Abumrad says. Radiolab has discovered what many evangelicals—raised during the heights of the culture war—are also coming to terms with: When it comes to balancing empirical evidence that’s demanded by science and the commitment to faith required by a relationship with God, being able to embrace the tension of things we can’t know about God and science expands your understanding of both. “When we encounter ideas that have sort of a tension between science and religion, I’m always looking for that kind of resolution,” Abumrad says. “Because I feel like if you give into any of the poles, you are somehow losing. I feel like you can’t give into that. I feel like the game is somehow in organizing the network, where all the nodes are active at once.”

Before Abumrad began hosting Radiolab in 2005, he was a musician turned journalist, still developing a tone to cover big stories. Both of his parents were scientists, who left their home country of Lebanon to escape the violence of an ongoing war. “They left their culture and their traditions and watched those cultures and lands be destroyed on television,” he says. “They entered the field of science, which is all about standing at an objective distance from the world and trying to understand the objective truth of things. And so they both have a very rational, dispassionate approach to knowledge. I, consequently went in the opposite direction. I became a musician. And, then as a reporter and as a storyteller, I came back to it.” When he later met Krulwich, he was intrigued how a fellow journalist could be “a very skeptical beast—but, at the same time, a believer in some way” when covering issues like science. “I find that continually fascinating about working with Robert,” he says. “He is deeply passionate about his faith, but ODAY, MIKE MCHARGUE BELIEVES IN God, but there he’s also incredibly hard-nosed about his journalism.” was a time—while he was serving as a church deacon— In many ways, Radiolab married Abumrad’s passion for that he found science and atheism so compelling, he music and his love of storytelling. Each episode contains actually became a nonbeliever. atmospheres made of effects and sounds, but the music and But it’s been an interesting few years for McHargue, who is now journalism combination also breaks through in the storytelling. a speaker in The Liturgists worship and teaching group. Today, he “The stories we go to are genuine expressions of some doesn’t see his love of science and his love of God as being at odds complexity we want to make sense of, which is with each other. The two may seem like they are in actually probably beyond us,” he says. “There’s conflict, but maybe that tension is the entire point. something irreducible about it. And that’s just a “When you start to roll the mathematical clock feeling you have—an unresolved feeling. Early in back on our universe far enough, the values of equamy career, I used to feel those feelings and be like, tions begin to approach or reach infinity, which is ‘I need to make this go away.’ That used to be the bad,” McHargue explains. “That’s a bad thing in purpose of the reporting, to somehow resolve it. mathematics and science. A bunch of infinities Now, actually, the reporting operates in the exact mean your model is breaking down.” opposite mode. It’s about holding that feeling.” “So when we go back to the earliest moments of the Krulwich adds, “You can’t be a musician and not universe, our math doesn’t describe them anymore. Since it first aired in 2005, Radiolab has become understand that knowledge isn’t just words and When people much, much smarter and more educated the No. 2 most popular things that you’ve read and things that have been than I examine this issue, they start to say things like, podcast in the iTunes passed down to you. Knowledge is sometimes just ‘All the fundamental physics were one. And time and store, just behind This finding beauty and balance, and there may not be space were one to the point time didn’t even exist.’ American Life. TAL creator any words necessary.” And you start hearing this language that sounds very Ira Glass is a huge fan. Creating wordless emotion and posing mystical and very religious. We’re pushing up against In an essay for Transom. org, he wrote “I marvel unsolvable questions sets Radiolab apart, even the limits of what humans today can understand.” at Radiolab when I hear it. from other successful shows. Stories on most In a way, it almost seems like the mathematical I feel jealous.” other longform narrative podcasts mostly follow a observations McHargue describes are pointing to the traditional format: They have a beginning, middle same question God rhetorically asked Job: “Where and, importantly, an end. But for Radiolab, endings were you when I laid the Earth’s foundation?” aren’t always as easy. Maybe the point of the science vs. faith debate “The ability to say, ‘We’re done’ is a mysterious gift,” Krulwich isn’t finding the answers to all of the questions science leaves us says. “You know how God spends six days making the world and with. Maybe Truth is found in putting our trust in the Creator in then for some reason He says, ‘And it was good’? The ‘It was the midst of this tension, embracing His mystery and recognizing good’ part is very crucial. Because He would have fallen right that there are some things too wonderful for us to know. into the sabbath. And we do our ‘It was good’ really well.”

JESSE CARE Y is RELEVANT’s web editor and a mainstay on the RELEVANT Podcast.

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JULY_AUG 2014

PHOTO: MADS PERCH / COURTESY OF HIGH RISE PR

THEY CONQUERED THE U.K.’S MUSIC SCENE. WE’RE NEXT.

B Y M AC K H AY D E N

IF YOU WAIT London Grammar’s debut album peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. album chart.

lot of people were saying they thought I was a man before they saw I was a girl,” London Grammar frontwoman Hannah Reid says. While it’s hard to understand how anyone could misconstrue her voice for a male’s, the fact remains that voices of great and natural power are becoming harder to find in the auto-tune age. The appearance of London Grammar’s 2013 record, If You Wait, signaled a turn back in the right direction. With London Grammar, all the gears seem to be turning just right. Hannah Reid’s heaven-sent voice is backed by music (provided by guitarist Dan Rothman and keyboardist/percussionist Dot Major) as tailored to it as as an actress’ designer dress at the Oscars. After the group posted their song “Hey Now” on YouTube and became something of a sensation, people tried to make sense of her powerful pipes by playing a game of “Who Does She Sound Like?” “It’s funny,” Reid says. “I was compared to so many vocalists when we first released ‘Hey Now.’ Adele, Florence, Lana Del Rey, Annie Lennox. I didn’t try to replicate anyone, but I’m sure I’ve been influenced by lots of the singers above, including men.” This, of course, begs the question of who she counts as her favorite musicians. Her list is concise and classic, filled with pop heroes and crooners. “Essential listening for me, I’d say, is Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Gladys Knight. I could go on forever!” Reid’s favorite artists hint at why London Grammar’s sound has such a unique edge in today’s market. It’s youthful, modern, contemporary and educated—just like the people making it—but it also possesses a classicism lost in a world obsessed with Skrillex and Nicki Minaj. Even though Reid is in her early twenties, she’s something of an old soul. “I do hope that our generation and younger teenagers still listen to artists who are, for me, classic and timeless,” she says. “There is a wealth of emotion and musical richness in the music my parents listened to that I sometimes feel modern pop music can lack.” That’s not to say Reid is inordinately hung up on the past. Neither are her bandmates. In fact, modern technology played a major part in the formation and success of the band. Reid and Rothman were running in the same social circles for a while but finally met up with each other at the University of Nottingham after he saw a picture of her on Facebook with a guitar. He messaged her asking if she wanted to collaborate and she accepted the offer. To complete their sound, the two brought in Dominic “Dot” Major, whose keyboard playing provides the solid yet ethereal landscape upon which Reid and Rothman can play out their melody lines. Even though their sonic palette is so gentle it makes Coldplay sound like Led Zeppelin by comparison, it’s still taking no prisoners when it comes to their native

England. If You Wait peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. album chart, and they were featured on Disclosure’s No. 1 U.K. album Settle on the track “Help Me Lose My Mind.” As of April, they had the fifth best-selling album of 2014. If You Wait has been hailed by critics as an impressive first record. While Reid’s voice is always at the forefront, the songs are textured with lullaby keyboards and the light plucking of guitar notes. There’s no grandstanding, no showy flourishes, just stark and simple songwriting that can serve as its own witness. The band’s songs are plagued by love and loss, which is as much due to Reid’s lyrics as it is to the voice singing them. If You Wait doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to vulnerability. Reid’s heart is so on her sleeve on these songs that she sometimes worries she may not be able to reach this level of honesty again in the future. “The lyrics are pretty vulnerable,” she says. “It wasn’t an issue until we started performing live. When we were in the studio, or if I was writing at home, I never thought anyone but Dan and Dot would be hearing it. So I could be as honest as I liked. On the second album, I hope I can feel that way again.” Her willingness to warble about heartbreak and regret are part of what make London Grammar so engaging. Songs like “Wasting My Young Years” were admittedly written about an ex-boyfriend. Reid maintains her subtlety, not going for any obvious clichés, but she doesn’t shirk from sharing just what she means. If You Wait doesn’t just give you music to enjoy, but a person to empathize with. There is a deep sense of yearning permeating her lyrics, as well. There’s not just a sense of resignation to the fact love and life so often go wrong, but a feeling of hope it doesn’t have to be this way. Music as ethereal and transcendent as this can’t help but put the listener in mind of the spiritual. And Reid admits there’s something of the beyond that her music seems to tap into. “None of us were brought up religious,” she says. “But rather, I think we are obsessed by people, how we function as a society and individuals. That’s a subject impossible to search, though, without spirituality.” Wherever they stand on the spirituality question, London Grammar is a band with heart, a band that highlights one individual’s powerful voice dealing with how fragile its owner can feel about life. It’s this combination of strength and vulnerability that makes London Grammar such an exciting band to watch. They make the kind of music that invites listeners to participate. It’s music about living, loving and losing, but listeners only stand to gain from everything the band seems to have up their sleeve. MACK HAYDEN is a writer and college student. He blogs at Biola University’s Culture in Context and tweets @unionmack.

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HOW TO SETTLE DOWN WITHOUT GIVING UP

SEPT_OCT 2014

SO HOW DO YOU GO INTO MARRIAGE WITH AN ETERNAL MINDSET?

You have to start off saying, “Honey, I love you, but we can’t slow each other down from accomplishing what God created us to do. If this marriage is supposed to work right, we should be bringing each other closer to the Lord and we should be more effective for the Kingdom.” Because there’s a mission that’s bigger than your marriage. So how do we enjoy marriage, which God created, and yet at the same time, make sure it doesn’t distract us from doing what He’s called us to do? With my wife and I, by focusing on the Kingdom and trying to make disciples and trying to evangelize, we naturally grew together. It’s almost that by working on furthering the Kingdom, it’s caused us to really fall in love. It’s caused our family to be tighter because we’re battling together for something. I feel like people miss out because they try too hard to make a great family rather than really pursuing the things that are eternal. People need to be disci-

FR ANCIS:

A CONVERSATION WITH FRANCIS AND LISA CHAN ABOUT HOW TO HAVE AN ETERNITY-FOCUSED MARRIAGE

here’s a classic story: Boy meets girl. They fall in love. They spend hours talking about all the things they want to do together. Maybe it’s overseas missions work or investing in urban renewal or pursuing graduate degrees. They get married and there is simply no ceiling on their aspirations. And then, a few years later, the dreams have settled a little. They’re not gone, exactly, but they’re definitely in the background. There’s rent or a mortgage to think about. Maybe she gets a demanding promotion. Maybe he gets focused on fixing up the house. Whatever it is, they get a little too busy for the life they had envisioned. Their marriage isn’t unhappy, but it’s certainly not what they originally had in mind. This is a common story, and it’s one that has scared many brave people away from settling down altogether. There’s a sense that life can either be one of adventure and doing big things for God, or of security and calm and, well, settling. But are those the only options? Not according to Francis and Lisa Chan. As the best-selling author of books such as Crazy Love, Francis has never been one to sacrifice what God puts on his heart—and he’s done it all while maintaining a growing marriage. He and his wife, Lisa, write about just that in their new book, You and Me Forever, which explores the idea of a marriage more focused on eternity

than the present. They’re mastering the art of a marriage that doesn’t sacrifice the passions and desires God places in the hearts of the people getting married—and they’re ready to tell others how to do the same. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN FOR THE IDEAS YOU EXPLORE IN YOUR NEW BOOK?

Sometimes here in the U.S., when we get married, we become less and less effective for the Kingdom. When was the last time you saw two people who love the

FR ANCIS:

“In many ways, we’re replacing God with our families. It could be so much more. I’m not hearing people talk about marriage in light of eternity and what’s really going to matter a hundred years from now.” Lord and were serving the Lord as single people get married and actually do more for the Kingdom? I could maybe count on one hand the times I’ve seen that. And yet, how many times have we seen the people doing some pretty radical things as singles and then once they get married, they’re either fighting with their spouse and in counseling every week, or they’re just so focused on nesting that loving and enjoying each other is their mission on earth. I think, in many ways, we’re replacing God with our families. It could be so much more. But I’m not hearing people talk about marriage in light of eternity and what’s really going to matter a hundred years from now, a thousand years from now. And did we really invest our marriages and families for those purposes?

pled through that process of understanding how marriage really can be used for the Kingdom. WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO AREN’T SURE WHAT GOD’S CALLING THEM TO? LISA: There are so many people who need to hear the Gospel. They need to see the love of Christ in action. There’s no lack of need. It’s really a matter of people turning their heart in prayer and being in tune with the Holy Spirit, asking God, “Would you show me the needs around me that I can meet?” In some ways, you put a little bit of the burden onto God to show you and reveal that to you. And if you’re sensitive to that, He will show you. He will put people in your path. You could walk around your neighborhood

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“There’s no substitute for just loving God. From that comes all this change. As the Spirit works in you and as you become a godly person, the fruit of the Spirit is naturally going to come out of your life.” ETERNITY-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS NOT THE SAME AS A “FUN” MARRIAGE. TO MANY, THE IDEA OF NOT HAVING A FUN MARRIAGE IS PRETTY INTIMIDATING.

We’re not living for this world. So heaven has to be very real and very much on our minds in order to live this kind of life and to say, “I’ll give up some of this temporary happiness for a Christ-centered marriage that ultimately leads to true joy in heaven with Christ. There’s sacrifice and discipline for an athlete. He puts in time and effort and gives up relationships and gives up a “normal life” for just a gold medal. And then we—as believers in Christ who have the hope of heaven— we kind of whine and complain like, “I’m going to have to give stuff up. I’m going to have to sacrifice. And I’m not going to be able to feel right with my conscience to say yes to these cars and this giant house and all these possessions because Jesus told us, ‘Don’t store up for yourself treasures on earth.’” Yes, it can give you some happiness, but you want to put stuff in heaven where it’s going to last and you’re going to enjoy it forever. That’s the joy that’s set before me. I’m doing all of this so I can enjoy heaven and be with Christ. I’ll give up everything for that, because He’s worth it.

LISA:

A CHAN OF HIS WORD Four years ago, just as Francis Chan was getting lots of attention for his book Crazy Love, he resigned from the church he pastored in California and took his family on a trip to Asia. They have since settled in San Francisco, where Chan is focusing on discipleship in the inner city.

and run into someone who just lost their husband and needs you to mow their lawn or bring them a meal. There are just so many small, tangible ways. Then you can move up to bigger things like, “God, do you want us to open our home and invite people in and take in some of these foster kids who are really in need a of a home?” These are things that are already on the heart of God that we can see in Scripture. He wants us as a church to love and care for widows and orphans, so how can we do that? Find out if there are widows in your church that you could help. Find out who the foster kids are in your community. FR ANCIS: So much of the Church thinks nowadays that a mission from God is when you hear a voice from heaven versus what’s obviously in the Word of God. He rose from the dead and says, “Go make disciples of all the nations.” He gave us this calling. And yet we’re waiting for some more spiritual experience because the Word of God is not enough.

SEPT_OCT 2014

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO HAVE AN ETERNITY-CENTERED MARRIAGE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THEY NEED TO START WORKING ON OR GIVING UP?

You have to be careful, because we’re not talking about living

FR ANCIS:

a life of asceticism and just saying, “I’m going to resist this pleasure, this pleasure.” It’s not, “We’d better not have fun tonight. Let’s think of something else to do.” According to 1 Corinthians 13, there’s no reward in that. That’s just making a bunch of noise. It’s saying, “God, give me a heart for kids who are starving right now.” I don’t want to be that type of person who’s so selfcentered that I’m just thinking about my own pleasures when there’s real need. So it’s actually, “God, give me a greater love.” Love has to be the motivation for all of this. WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THE BOOK AND THIS IDEA? FR ANCIS: The Holy Spirit is supposed to produce this fruit of love and joy inside of you so that it becomes your joy, desire and passion for people that motivates these things. If you hear this or read this and think, “What do I do next?” First just pray, “Lord, help me love the people around me. Give me eyes that, when I see a need, I actually want to help rather than everything being so forced and mechanical. Give me that desire.” I would just say guard your heart in this. It’s a good thing to be a loving person. It’s a good thing to be a selfless person. Pray for God’s grace. Say, “God, help me become like that. That’s the way Jesus was, and I want to be more and more like that.” LISA: Don’t underestimate what God can do and what He can heal in a marriage that’s broken and not in a great state. Don’t underestimate what God can do through His Spirit even in one person as He changes you and you become more and more like Christ. Also, it’s easy to try and do something and focus on “I will be a good wife!” or “I will care for the poor!” But there’s no substitute for just loving God. From that comes all this change. As the Spirit works in you and as you become a godly person, the fruit of the Spirit is naturally going to come out of your life. Don’t chase after the work, but chase after God.

P H O T O C R E D I T: F R A N C I S C H A N - D A L E Y H A K E

IN THE THE BOOK, YOU SAY AN

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CONTENTS

relevant recommends ISSUE _68

MUSIC

ALT-J

THIS IS ALL YOURS [AT L A N T I C ]

Every alt-J song is an event. Part brainiac math-rock for music connoisseurs and part epic prog-rock for foot-tapping hipsters, the band—who won the Mercury Prize in 2012 and captured a legion of followers with their catchy debut—does the impossible here: They sound even smarter. The songs twist and turn like a Dave Eggers novel. The vocal accents on “Bloodflood pt. II” shiver and shine. On “The Gospel of John Hurt,” the band melds an electric and acoustic guitar into one. Then, a fantastic drum roll fills the analog void amid a low-level synth roar.

SEPT_OCT 2014

BELLARIVE

CARIBOU

BEFORE THERE WAS

OUR LOVE

[SPARROW]

[MERGE RECORDS]

The worship band Bellarive have gone progressive-rock on their second album. The lead track, “Lazarus,” is about someone rising from the dead with just one command. “Your Great Love” breaks into a piano segue with a fervent joy. “Chains” has echoes of Galatians 5:6, that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Say goodbye to repetitive techno music, say hello to heavily orchestrated synth-rock. Caribou is the creation of Daniel Snaith, and his new outing is a conjoinment of lush, soulful mashups that sound like Mary J. Blige learned Pro Tools. The synths dance around in unpredictable patterns, and the drums never just labor in perpetuity but add interest.

INTERPOL

RYAN ADAMS

TWEEDY

LA ROUX

EL PINTOR

RYAN ADAMS

SUKIERAE

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

[M ATA D O R R E C O R D S]

[BLUE NOTE]

[ANTI RECORDS]

[P O LY D O R ]

Interpol’s fifth album is the antithesis of shoegaze rock—intricate, anxious and immediate. On “Tidal Wave,” singer Paul Banks switches effortlessly between a deep droll and a brilliant upperregistry swoon. The hints of orchestral maneuvering on “Twice As Hard” include flourishes by Rob Moose of Bon Iver. The lyrics touch on the pain of infamy and lost love.

A brilliant return to form, this self-titled Ryan Adams album is enough to make us all forget about Bryan Adams once and for all. On the lead track, a chunky guitar rings almost as clear as the sentiment about holding everything in life like it’s broken. Adams’ anguish on “My Wrecking Ball” seems real, part and parcel of a life spent on the road.

Fresh off a hiatus from Wilco, Jeff Tweedy surprised everyone with a new band. He’s joined by his son Spencer on drums, but Sukierae is like a retrospective of the elder Tweedy’s career. There are hints of Wilco, his solo performances and even a touch of Uncle Tupelo. “Low Key,” has a doo-wop chorus and a funny line about people not knowing when he is excited.

Most synth music is dense, slightly myopic and a bit hard to pin down. That’s not true of La Roux. On her second album, she spins some fantastic pop confections that engulf but don’t overwhelm. “Kiss And Not Tell” and “Silent Partner” never quite embrace the bubblegum pop of Blondie, but they’re on the same candy rack.

Z How can I make a long-term impact by partnering with CSM on a short-term trip? Because we serve alongside existing organizations, you are able to come alongside ongoing work. The work does not begin when you arrive, and it keeps going for years after you leave.

Whether it's a weekend or a week-long trip, your service has a lasting impact on the community.

www.csm.org 267.928.2620

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relevant recommends

MOVIES + BOOKS

MOVIES

EDGE OF TOMORROW

GODZILLA

CHEF

DOUG LIMAN

GARETH EDWARDS

JON FAVREAU

[WA R NER B RO S . P IC T UR E S]

[OPEN ROA D FIL MS]

[A24 FILMS]

Edge of Tomorrow functions like a video game. It’s an explosive action vehicle for the wit and talent of Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. But beneath that is a deeper concept. The story, based on a novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, connects fantasy and history. Through the Groundhog-esque plot, it takes on both romance and redemption.

Past Godzilla films portrayed the creature as a vengeful, godlike force pouring wrath out on humanity, but director Gareth Edwards depicts Godzilla more as a god of restoration than destruction. He also knows how to make an entertaining popcorn flick and gets some help from Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston.

With Chef, Jon Favreau takes a break from Ironman to make something more personal. The film is infused with personality and heart. A story about a chef, played by Favreau, with a shot at reconciliation between his family and career, this road movie will definitely make you hungry and probably even make you cry.

From the director of the underrated Prisoners, Enemy brings as much force and vitality to the table as its predecessor. A doppelganger film, Enemy explores the many selves and struggles of humanity, as well as the universal quest for identity. Jake Gyllenhaal brings everything together in an Oscar-worthy performance.

ENEMY DENIS VILLENEUVE

THE ED.D. PASTOR

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

DURHAM, NC

BALTIMORE, MD

THE MIDDLE EAST

WE’LL HELP YOU GET THERE. iamgoing.org

Wake Forest, NC /sebts

SEPT_OCT 2014

BOOKS

OUR GREAT BIG AMERICAN GOD

THE SACRED YEAR

TEACH US TO WANT

WOLF IN A WHITE VAN

MICHAEL YANKOSKI

JEN POLLOCK MICHEL

JOHN DARNIELLE

MATTHEW PAUL TURNER

[THOMA S NEL SON]

[I V P BOOK S]

[FSG BOOK S]

Through telling his own story of experimenting with spiritual practices as he searched for a meaningful faith, Michael Yankoski calls us to a deeper life in Christ. In The Sacred Year, he guides us on a pilgrimage to explore a multitude of practices that usher us into a deeper life with ourselves, with God and with one another.

In her debut book, Jen Pollock Michel offers a meditation on what it means to walk the line between dismissing our desires as evil and abandoning ourselves to them. The bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mix of narrative and biblical reflection nudges us into deeper contemplation of our desires, God and the ends toward which our desires are driving us.

As the voice of the indie band The Mountain Goats, Darnielle is hailed for the twisted characters his songs portray. His debut novel follows that tradition, depicting the tale of Sean Phillips, who runs a role-playing game through the mail. The novel revolves around the game and what unfolds as two teenagers take it too seriously.

[ JERICHO BOOKS]

With wit and captivating narrative style, Turner takes a historical look at the ways Americans have been shaped by our faith and how the development of the American empire has affected our perception of God. His work offers a deeper look at what it means to be a Christian in the United States.

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CONTENTS

relevant podcast ISSUE _68 CHECK OUT THESE RECENT EPISODES OF THE RELEVANT PODCAST

HILLSONG YOUNG & FREE

CROWDER

EPISODE 380

EPISODE 381

JESUS CULTURE’S BANNING LIEBSCHER

THE FRAY EPISODE 386

EPISODE 382 Hillsong Young & Free’s concerts are like Jesus-infused dance parties. A band out of Hillsong Church geared toward younger audiences, their version of worship music makes you want to move. In this podcast episode, we meet up with them for a live performance. We also talk to Dr. George Wood from the Assemblies of God about the Holy Spirit, brainstorm a new way to give messages and more.

David Crowder Band songs have long been staples in modern worship services, but now the frontman has dropped his band (and his first name) and gone solo. We talk to the singersongwriter and bearded wonder about his new album, Neon Steeple, (which mixes folk with electronica), the future of music and whether electronic dance music has a place in the Church.

Jesus Culture has been leading people to experience the love of God since the late ’90s, and now the movement is branching out to launch a church in Sacramento. We talked to Jesus Culture’s founder and director, Banning Liebscher, about the church plant, worship and the Church. His thoughts will challenge and inspire you.

The Fray has had chart-topping success from the beginning. The band’s debut album, How to Save a Life, went double platinum, and they’ve garnered four Grammy nominations, several Billboard Music Awards and more in the years since. We talk to frontman Isaac Slade about the band’s latest album, Helios, how they’ve grown musically and what the future holds for The Fray.

Bridging difference Listening generously Tell i n g Good News

Lanie Smart, MDiv Student Westerville, Ohio

800.264.1839 | lpts.edu

Explore these degrees | Master of Divinity, MA Marriage & Family Therapy, MA (Religion), Doctor of Ministry

SEPT_OCT 2014

relevant .tv ISSUE _68 CONTENTS

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AUSTIN STONE STORY TEAM

DOUGLAS GAUTRAUD

Hillsong Church’s energetic “youth band,” Hillsong Young & Free is engaging the younger generation in worship. Their song “Alive,” became an instant hit, fusing an infectuous, dance-inspiring beat with lyrics praising God for His goodness. We caught up with them before a show in Tampa for a live, stripped-down, acoustic performance of the song. Don’t miss it.

The heart-wrenching story of a young girl taken from her home and placed in the foster care system told by the girl herself, “ReMoved” was made for use in training foster parents. But whether you’ve been involved with the foster care system or not, the film brings light to an incredibly important issue in America in a poignant, poetic and ultimately hopeful way.

Born with a rare defect, Brooklyn Olivia Hull passed away just a few months after she was born. This documentary-style short film follows her parents, Adam and Corrie, as they deal with grief after her death, ask difficult questions and ultimately learn to cling to their hope in Christ amid the pain. The result is a beautiful, honest and challenging reflection on tragedy.

In just five minutes, Douglas Gautraud manages to reflect on family lineage, what our possessions say about us, our desire for authenticity and what’s worth leaving behind all packaged in a way that would make Wes Anderson proud. Funny and insightful, it will make you think about making the most of life, leaving a legacy and why things like vinyl and artisan coffee have come back in style.

faces Of mInIstry

Huntington University announces the creation of the

How do we lead so the church stays relevant in the 21st century?

CLASSES BEGIN IN THE FALL OF 2015

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We need to build relationships across generations. Our elders bring the wisdom of the tradition and the church benefits from the energy of our youth. Sarah ChanCellor

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John Townsend, Ph.D. Author of 27 books including bestseller Boundaries Licensed Psychologist Leadership and Business Consultant

Interested in learning more? austinseminary.edu/visit

Discovery Weekend: October 24-26, 2014 Preparing strong, imaginative leaders for the church.

Admission is limited, so apply now!

www.TownsendInstitute.org graduate@huntington.edu | (888) 424-7231

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contents

SEP T/OCT 2014 ISSUE 7 1

FEATURES

OK GO On their videos, creativity and innovation.

WELCOME TO TV’S GOLDEN AGE Examining the changing face of television and the recent wave of well-written shows, plus a few new ones to look out for.

4 LIES THE CHURCH TAUGHT US ABOUT SEX Dispelling a few myths learned from growing up in evangelical purity culture.

NICK OFFERMAN

LECRAE How the hip-hop star is bridging two worlds.

He’s created one of TV’s most iconic characters in Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson, but as the show enters its last season, Nick Offerman is just getting started.

THE GOD PARTICLE (FEATURING RADIOLAB) How experts on both sides of the debate between faith and science are learning that their positions might not be as polarized as they thought.

LONDON GRAMMAR How the band is pushing boundaries by returning to the basics.

78 LECRAE

FIR ST WOR D

FEEDBACK

SLICES

Bible movies’ race problem, 5 apps creating real-life connections, the transportation revolution and more.

104

SEPT_OCT 2014

Francis and Lisa Chan on crafting an eternity-centered marriage.

68 GOLDEN AGE OF TV

THE DROP

R E J E C T A PAT H Y

How the Church can help fix the broken foster care system, examining the stats on gun violence and more.

First Aid Kit, Colony House, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Crowder and more. 42

HOW TO SETTLE DOWN WITHOUT GIVING UP

MAKER

The rise of the artisan entrepreneur, Harry’s, tips for creating your own path and more.

R E L E VA N T R E C O M M E N D S

Music, movies, books and digital media you should know about.

A dv e n t u r e . E n c o u n t e r . t ra n s f o r m at i o n . C O M E J O I N U S I N B E AU T I F U L N E W Z E A L A N D FOR LIFE CHANGING MISSIONS TRAINING AT T H E E N D S O F T H E E A R T H

SERAPHIM’S

SPORTS DTS

SCHOOL OF WORSHIP

A C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R E D A RO U N D

ENJOYABLE PRAYER

GLOBAL MISSIONS

THE LOCAL CHURCH

NEW ZEALAND

W W W.Y WA M B E T H L E H E M . C O . N Z