The SkyePod – Drew’s News

Host: Skye Jethani
Guest: Drew Dyck
Date: September 12, 2025

Overview

This episode of The SkyePod opens with a somber shift in focus due to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, which has gripped the nation. Skye Jethani and Drew Dyck wrestle with the implications of the event for America’s political climate, the dangers of polarization, and the role of virtuous leadership in turbulent times. The episode later pivots to “Drew’s News,” spotlighting a new book about midlife and mid-faith crises and touching on concerning trends in U.S. student performance.

Main Theme

Theme: Responding to Political Violence, National Grief, and Societal Trends

The assassination of Charlie Kirk prompts a candid, heartfelt discussion on the state of American discourse, political violence, historical parallels, and what it means for the country’s future. In the second half, the conversation shifts to exploring challenges of midlife faith and worrying declines in student achievement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Processing the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

[00:18–14:51]

• Initial Reactions & National Grief

  • Drew recounts witnessing the aftermath on social media: "Just horror, sadness... I was getting these real-time updates, and there were videos of the shooting. If you haven't seen the video, I would advise not seeing it. It's something I wish I could unsee." (Drew, 01:09)
  • Both hosts agree the act is "utterly unjustifiable" regardless of one’s opinions about Kirk.

• Fear of Escalation in Polarization

  • Drew notes recent violence (e.g., murder of Ukrainian refugee Irena Zuritska) and fears increasing national division: "This could escalate into something really ugly nationwide." (Drew, 02:04)
  • Skye references rising acceptance of violence in campus speech, citing FIRE surveys: “34% of college students said they support to some degree using violence to shut down campus speech they don't agree with. That's up 10 points from just three years ago.” (Skye, 04:36)

• Historical Context & Unique Dangers Today

  • Skye rejects easy historical comparisons to the 1960s: “America was not nearly as politically polarized as it is today. Obviously, there was no Internet or social media algorithms that perpetuate that polarization and flame it.” (Skye, 04:43)
  • Instead, he warns: “I’m reluctant to say we’re living through the 1960s again… my biggest concern is… we might be in 1914. …I worry that the assassination of Charlie Kirk might look more like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.” (Skye, 05:15)

• Role of Leadership and Media

  • Skye highlights the need for virtuous leadership: “We need virtuous leaders to say, we're Americans first, we're coming together, we're locking arms, we're denouncing violence.” (Skye, 06:33)
  • He laments that social algorithms elevate inflammatory voices and silence moderates: “They tap down the leaders who are using kindness and rationality and empathy, and they elevate the leaders who use inflamed rhetoric and retribution.” (Skye, 07:04)

• Dangerous Rhetoric on Both Sides

  • Drew criticizes unhealthy responses from all sides: "I've seen people on the left saying, ‘well, this is kind of what happens, chickens coming home to roost.’ …On the right, I've seen language like… 'Today we grieve, tomorrow we fight.' That's not helpful either." (Drew, 07:34)

2. The Example of Martin Luther King, Jr.

[08:31–11:46]

• MLK’s Leadership as a Model
  • Skye tells the story of King facing violence with nonviolent leadership: “King got on the porch and addressed the crowd. He said to them, ‘Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. And I want you to love your enemies and make sure that they know that you love them.’” (Skye, 09:39)
  • King's intervention prevented violence; Skye invokes this as the kind of leadership urgently needed: “That kind of strength, that kind of vision… that’s the kind of leadership we need right now to stop this cycle.” (Skye, 10:41)
  • Memorable line: “It’s Lincoln saying, with malice toward none and charity for all in the height of the Civil War—that’s what’s going to hold this country together.” (Skye, 10:57)

3. Free Speech, Violence, and Chilling Effects

[11:46–14:51]

• Erosion of ‘Voltairean’ Principles

  • Drew laments the loss of classic free speech values: “That Voltairean principle of 'I'm going to fight to the death for your right to say things that I really disagree with' seems to be lost.” (Drew, 11:46)

• Second Amendment ‘Attacking’ the First

  • Skye expresses fear: “In which the Second Amendment ends up attacking the First Amendment… Charlie Kirk… was engaging in free speech, and a gun took him down.” (Skye, 12:10)
  • The potential chilling effect on open dialogue, especially on campuses, is emphasized.

• Concerns About Dangerous Patterns

  • Skye observes a developing pattern: “When your side loses, violence is justifiable… This cannot be how we function as a country.” (Skye, 13:01; 13:47)

• Violence as Failed Strategy

  • Drew: “When you try to Silence someone with violence, usually you end up… giving their ideas more traction. So it's not only morally reprehensible, but it is… the least effective thing you can do.” (Drew, 13:47)

4. Drew’s News: National and Spiritual Health

a) “Mid Faith Crisis” Book Review

[15:55–24:43]

• Emergence of Midlife/Midfaith Crisis

  • Drew comments on a new book highlighted in Christianity Today, examining faith crises in midlife: “It sounds like it's a play on midlife crisis, but talking about this phenomenon of people at midlife… running into a bit of a faith crisis.” (Drew, 15:55)

• Role of Expectations

  • Skye: “A lot of it seems to hinge on this idea of expectations. What causes a midlife crisis… is we had certain expectations… Some… were met, some were not. But it causes that crisis.” (Skye, 16:44)
  • Drew: “Some expectations… aren’t healthy. And then somewhere along the line you go, wait, this is different than I thought it would be.” (Drew, 17:46)

• Scriptural and Psychological Parallels

  • Skye: “You see this even in the Old Testament… you can see even God’s people… saying, ‘Hey, this isn’t going the way we expected it to.’” (Skye, 18:44)
  • Discussion on the “U-shaped happiness curve” and how midlife stressors can precipitate faith crises.

• Toxic Church Culture and Disappointment

  • Drew: “If you've imbibed a sort of prosperity gospel… you're definitely set up for disappointment because life is going to punch you in the face.” (Drew, 19:34)

• Value of Intergenerational Community

  • Skye: “This is part of why intergenerational Christian community is so important… they can empathize with us, encourage us, pass along wisdom…” (Skye, 22:53)
  • Drew: “The way we do ministry is so age segmented… we're dying here. We don't know what we're talking about. We're just pulling our ignorance.” (Drew, 23:38)
  • Both emphasize that connection with older mentors is the top predictor of lasting faith for young people—and necessary for adults, too.

b) Declining Student Performance in the U.S.

[25:24–26:14]

• Disturbing Trends in Education

  • Drew highlights new figures: “The kids are not all right, at least academically… US student scores hit new lows. Children in the United States score lower on reading and math than ever before.” (Drew, 25:24)
  • Drew jokes: “Well, math doesn’t matter, but reading does. I say that because I was never good at math.” (Drew, 25:36)

• Whose Fault? Partisan Blame

  • Skye: “When I read the article, this is the kind of stat that everyone loves because they get to pick who to blame.” (Skye, 26:04)
  • Drew: “Choose your boogeyman.” (Drew, 26:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Violence as Justifiable:
  “When 30% of college students were saying, yeah, violence is okay when you don't like the speech. We are in new territory here in America.”
  — Skye, 04:54

• On Historical Parallels:
  “I worry that the assassination of Charlie Kirk might look more like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.”
  — Skye, 05:15

• On Leadership:
  “The algorithms don't help because they silence the leaders who are saying, we need to love our enemies. And they tap down the leaders who are using kindness and rationality and empathy, and they elevate the leaders who use inflamed rhetoric and retribution and all this.”
  — Skye, 06:33

• On King’s Example:
  “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. And I want you to love your enemies…”
  — Skye quoting MLK, 09:39

• On the Value of Intergenerational Relationships:
  “The number one predictive factor of whether a young person is going to retain his or her faith is if they have intergenerational relationships, like a connection to an older, mature Christian.”
  — Drew, 24:27

Important Timestamps

• 00:18 – Initial acknowledgment of the assassination and emotional responses
• 04:36 – Data point on college students supporting violence to silence speech
• 05:15 – Skye’s World War I historical parallel warning
• 06:33 – The role of virtuous leadership and dangers of current media
• 08:31 – The MLK story and its relevance
• 11:46 – Discussion about loss of free speech values among younger generations
• 12:10 – Second Amendment “attacking” the First Amendment
• 15:55 – Drew introduces the “Mid Faith Crisis” book
• 19:34 – Dangers of prosperity gospel/false expectations
• 22:53 – Importance of intergenerational relationships in faith
• 25:24 – Statistics on declining student test scores

Tone & Language

• Tone: Serious, contemplative, urgent, but with moments of familiar, dry humor (especially during Drew’s News segment).
• Language: Reflective, empathetic, concerned; strives to avoid demonizing any group despite recognizing ugly rhetoric.

Summary

In this episode, Skye Jethani and Drew Dyck process the shock of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, warning of the dangerous normalization of political violence and the lack of virtuous leaders to stem polarization. By recalling MLK’s example, they call for nonviolent, loving responses and mourn the erosion of foundational American values like free speech. In lighter, but still serious “Drew’s News,” they outline the predictable—but painful—crises of faith in midlife and decry the sharp and ongoing drops in U.S. student performance. The episode closes with a call for prayer, reflection, and a renewal of healthy, intergenerational communities that can weather national and personal storms alike.