12.19.24 Response to tragedy, punishment for childhood independence, and a Festival of Nativities

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Response to Tragedy, Punishment for Childhood Independence, and a Festival of Nativities"

Introduction In the December 19, 2024 episode of The World and Everything In It, hosted by Mary Reichert and co-hosted by Myrna Brown and Kent Covington, WORLD Radio delves into a series of poignant and timely topics. The episode navigates through a tragic school shooting, debates on parental rights, and a heartwarming celebration of diverse nativity scenes, all while providing expert analysis and insightful commentary.

---

1. Tragic Shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin

The episode opens with a somber account of a devastating shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. A 15-year-old female student killed two classmates and a teacher, leaving the community in mourning.

• Community Response and Prayer Service

  • [00:05] Mary Reichert introduces the tragedy, highlighting the community's struggle with heartbreak.
  • [06:43] Kent Covington reports on the City Church's prayer service, providing a space for collective mourning and solace.
  • [07:13] Myrna Brown shares personal reflections on faith amidst tragedy, asking, “How do we not live in fear? And how do we address when evil comes knocking at your door?”

• Pastoral Leadership and Comfort

  • [08:06] Pastor Tom Flaherty leads the prayer, emphasizing the importance of community and divine presence: “Father, as we are gathered tonight to mourn loss, would you fill this house with your presence?”
  • The service includes readings from the Book of Psalms, particularly Psalms of Lament, offering words of grief and seeking understanding.

• Personal Testimonies

  • [10:04] Rob, a pastor at Doxa Church, and [10:44] Middle School Teacher Lisa Haney share their prayers and emotional struggles, reflecting the community's collective pain and search for meaning.

• Community Solidarity

  • Jim Smith, a parent at the school, recounts his experience at the Reunification center: “I saw a lot of people that were grieving deeply, but there were people coming alongside. Nobody was leaving anybody alone.”

---

2. Parental Rights and the Arrest of Brittany Patterson

Transitioning from community tragedy, the episode addresses a controversial case highlighting potential overreach in parental rights.

• Case Overview

  • [14:23] Mary Reichert previews the segment on parental rights, focusing on Brittany Patterson, a mother arrested for allowing her 10-year-old son, Soren, to walk alone.
  • [14:56] Brittany Patterson explains her family's lifestyle in Mineral Bluff, Georgia, emphasizing their active and supervised routines: “The kids are active. We're involved in a lot of sports activities, community events, church, all kinds of stuff.”

• Incident Details

  • On a warm fall day in October, Patterson left her son Soren at home while she attended a doctor's appointment. Soren walked alone to a nearby dollar store, prompting a concerned call to the police.
  • [16:17] Audio Transcript captures the tense interaction during Patterson’s arrest, highlighting the nature of the charges: “You're under arrest for reckless endangerment.”

• Legal and Community Implications

  • [17:07] Brittany Patterson discusses the legal inconsistencies and the impact on parental autonomy: “It’s not right for law enforcement to be able to upend people's lives for really no reason at all.”
  • The case has sparked debate on parental rights, with organizations like Let Grow advocating for reasonable childhood independence laws. Lenore Skenazy, Let Grow president, emphasizes the importance of allowing children regular independence: “You can always come up with a terrible worst case scenario, but we can't judge parents for allowing their kids to have a regular day.”

• Expert Analysis

  • Legal experts explain that Georgia law does not specify an age when children can be left alone, and past court rulings, such as the Georgia Supreme Court decision in 1997, have deemed similar charges unconstitutional.

• Community Support and Awareness

  • [19:57] Eric Naquin, Patterson's daughter, voices the family's frustration and the broader implications for parental control: “With your property and with your kids, those are your two sacred things.”

---

3. Festival of Nativities: Celebrating Diverse Traditions

Shifting to a more uplifting topic, the episode explores the Festival of Nativities at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, celebrating unique nativity scenes from around the world.

• Event Highlights

  • [22:16] Mary Reichert and [23:06] Kent Covington describe the transformation of the church's basketball court into an elegant exhibit hall adorned with 20 round tables featuring diverse nativity scenes.
  • [23:19] Lisa Haney shares a personal story about her mother's tradition of gifting nativity sets: “My mother started every grandchild with baby Jesus.”

• Diverse Representations

  • Rebecca Dyson, pastor's wife and nativity collector, discusses the inspiration behind showcasing global nativity variations, emphasizing cultural diversity in celebrating Christ’s birth.
  • Exhibitors like Margaret Cummins, Eileen Head, and Debbie Quinn present nativity scenes crafted from unique materials and cultural perspectives, highlighting global interpretations of the biblical story.

• Cultural and Theological Insights

  • Mike McGarry, a youth pastor, provides insights on interpreting nativity scenes through cultural lenses without losing the core message of Jesus’ birth: “Jesus is the plot. Jesus is the big idea. He is the one who we're celebrating.”

• Community Engagement

  • Families, including Eric and Audra Naquin, attend the exhibit with their children, appreciating the educational and spiritual value of the diverse displays: “It's really amazing. I like all the different nativities from everywhere around the world.”

---

4. Political Commentary: Cal Thomas on the Biden Administration

In his segment, world commentator Cal Thomas offers a critical analysis of the outgoing Biden administration's actions, suggesting efforts to undermine the incoming Trump administration.

• Pardons and Clemencies

  • Thomas highlights controversial pardons by President Biden, including cases like Rita Crundwell, who embezzled $54 million from Dixon, Illinois. He criticizes these actions as part of a “vindictive transition of presidential power.”

• Border Security and Policy Shifts

  • He discusses the administration’s handling of border security, including the sale of steel barriers intended for border walls, labeling them as attempts to complicate the incoming administration’s efforts.

• Drones and Public Safety Concerns

  • Thomas raises concerns about unidentified drones spotted across various states, questioning the administration’s explanations and suggesting possible cover-ups: “If they know nothing, how can they assert they're not from foreign entities and will not harm people?”

• Deportation Policies and Public Opinion

  • The commentator notes increasing public support for deportation policies, citing a Fox News poll indicating a 15-20 percentage point rise since 2015, and critiques the administration's perceived disregard for voter sentiment.

• Implications for the Trump Administration

  • Thomas forecasts significant challenges for the incoming Trump administration in reversing current policies and restoring public confidence: “Public approval will likely remain high as they and a GOP congressional majority seek to reverse the damage caused by the current administration.”

---

5. Additional Features and Conclusion

The episode concludes with lighter segments, including a feature on the UK’s GCHQ Christmas puzzle for youth and previews of upcoming cultural and family-oriented programs.

• GCHQ’s Christmas Puzzle

  • Mary Reichert and Kent Covington highlight the Government Communications Headquarters' annual Christmas puzzle aimed at engaging young minds in STEM fields, encouraging listeners to participate and solve the challenges.

• Upcoming Programs Preview

  • Hosts preview upcoming shows focusing on family films, music of Advent, and more, ensuring a balanced mix of news, cultural appreciation, and community-focused storytelling.

• Final Reflections

  • Mary Reichert concludes with a biblical reflection from 2 Peter, emphasizing the podcast’s mission to provide biblically grounded journalism: “Make every effort to see... Go now in grace and peace.”

---

Notable Quotes with Speaker Attribution and Timestamps

• Myrna Brown [00:14]: “How do we not live in fear? And how do we address when evil comes knocking at your door?”
• Kent Covington [08:06]: “Father, as we are gathered tonight to mourn loss, would you fill this house with your presence?”
• Brittany Patterson [17:37]: “With your property and with your kids, those are your two sacred things, that you should be able to have, you know, pretty much ultimate control over.”
• Cal Thomas [29:21]: “What appears to be a cynical plan to frustrate the incoming Trump team and make their border control job more difficult.”

---

Conclusion This episode of The World and Everything In It masterfully blends reporting on tragic events, exploring complex societal issues, and celebrating cultural traditions. Through heartfelt stories, expert commentary, and community engagement, WORLD Radio provides listeners with a comprehensive and emotionally resonant narrative, staying true to its mission of delivering sound journalism grounded in God’s Word.

Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. Families in Madison, Wisconsin deal with heartbreak as they gather together following another shooting at a Christian school.

[Myrna Brown]

How do we not live in fear? And how do we address when evil comes knocking at your door?

[Kent Covington]

Also, we talked to the mother arrested after her child went for a walk on his own. What's it mean for the rights of parents? And a church exhibits unique nativity scenes from around the world. It's beautiful just to see how the other nations, all the nations, we all look to Jesus and world commentator Cal Thomas says we may be witnessing the most vindictive transition of presidential power yet.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Thursday, December 19th. This is the world and everything in it from listeners supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

It's time for the news. Here's Kent Covington.

[Paul Butler]

A 1500 page spending bill that would fund the federal government into March and avert a partial government shutdown may have just gone up in flames. President elect Trump came out against the bill on Wednesday with many Republicans already wary of it. Vice President elect J.D. vance said Trump could support a continuing resolution, or CR for short, which would keep spending at current levels.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, what the president believes is we should support a clean CR so long as it contains a debt limit increase.

[Paul Butler]

A clean CR would mean not adding any additional spending to the bill right now beyond what the government is already spending. But the existing bill includes more money for pet projects at the local level and a pay raise for members of Congress. GOP Congressman Chip Roy of Texas said yesterday.

[Myrna Brown]

If we pass this bill, which we.

[Paul Butler]

Should not, then we will have passed.

[Cal Thomas]

At least 300 and something like 10 to 30 billion dollars of literal just.

[Paul Butler]

Increase in deficit spending printing money, none.

[Myrna Brown]

Of it paid for.

[Paul Butler]

Democrats accused President elect Trump and other Republicans of last minute grandstanding that risks a partial government shutdown right before Christmas. The deadline to pass a new funding bill is Friday night, one week after the fall of the Assad regime. The US Government continues to monitor rising tensions in Syria between Israel and Turkey. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the US Is focused on preventing the conflict from escalating.

[Myrna Brown]

I think we are not alone when we say that we want to see.

[Jim Smith]

Stability across the region.

[Myrna Brown]

We want to make sure that nothing we see is consistent with escalation.

[Paul Butler]

This comes as the Biden administration and President elect Donald Trump continue efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Federal Reserve is cutting its key interest rate by another quarter point, its third cut this year. But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the decision was not as easy this time as with those prior cuts. I would say today was a closer call, but we decided it was the right call. That's because consumer prices are still elevated and inflation is not moving toward the Fed's 2% target as quickly as hoped. And Powell said the central bank is trying to strike a balance. We see the risks as two sided.

[Myrna Brown]

Moving too slowly and needlessly undermine economic activity in the labor market, or move too quickly and needlessly undermine our progress on inflation.

[Paul Butler]

He also signaled that the Fed now expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned. The state of Florida is charging Ryan Ruth with felony attempted murder. Ryan Ruth is the man that the FBI says hid in the bushes at Donald Trump's South Florida golf resort in a failed attempt to assassinate him. But the new charge is not directly tied to that alleged plot. Rather, it's related to a car crash that authorities say was caused by Ruth's attempt to flee from law enforcement. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody says the feds have tried to impede the state's ability to bring charges over the alleged assassination attempt attempt itself.

[Brittany Patterson]

We immediately were confronted with a lack.

[Myrna Brown]

Of willingness to allow us access to the crime scene.

[Paul Butler]

The state even sued the Justice Department for not cooperating. The U S Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of a new law that could ban TikTok in the US if its Chinese parent company doesn't sell it. The justices said Wednesday that they'll hear arguments Jan. 10. The law, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or face a ban in the US that was in response to security concerns related to the app. Something will be missing from a new animated Pixar series on Disney and many parents will be glad to hear that.

[Mary Reichert]

You all did great today, but there.

[Myrna Brown]

Is one person who did the same.

[Kent Covington]

Level as all of you.

[Paul Butler]

Just fantastic, but better. The new series is called Win or Lose, which follows a co ed middle school softball team and the off the field lives of its characters, and Disney has removed a planned transgender storyline from that series. In a statement, the company said it made the decision because many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline. Disney and Pixar reportedly also intentionally steered away from a planned lesbian story arc in the summer release of Inside Out 2, which went on to become a record setting blockbuster. That came after a string of Disney movies with LGBT messaging bombed at the box office. I'm Cat Covington and still ahead, the aftermath of a deadly Shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin. Plus unique nativity scenes from around the world. This is the world and everything in it.

[Kent Covington]

It's Thursday 19th December. We're so glad you've joined us for today's edition of the World and everything in It. Good morning, I'm Mona Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up, grieving. In Madison, Wisconsin On Monday, a 15 year old female student shot and killed two classmates and a teacher at Abundant Life Christian School. Police have offered few details so far.

[Kent Covington]

Last night, City Church hosted a prayer service for the community as parents and students come to terms with the tragic shooting. World's Paul Butler has our story.

[Jim Smith]

Madison City Church is just a stone's throw away from the scene of Monday's shooting at Abundant Life Christian School. A large parking lot connects the partner ministries. While the community awaits answers, the church family finds solace together.

[Myrna Brown]

You know I have a personal relationship with Jesus.

[Tom Flaherty]

But God never called us to walk out our faith alone.

[Myrna Brown]

So here we are tonight and we need each other.

[Jim Smith]

On Tuesday evening, the church streamed its regular prayer service as hundreds of people gathered for a time of worship and prayer inside.

[Myrna Brown]

Oh, no power of hell, no power of hell no scheme of man can never plug me from his hand till he returns or calls me home. Here in the power of Christ I'll.

[Kent Covington]

Stand.

[Jim Smith]

Lead Pastor Tom Flaherty.

[Tom Flaherty]

Father, as we are gathered tonight to mourn loss, would you fill this house with your presence? With that peace that passes all understanding, knit each one to your heart and then God knit us to each other as well. We ask this in Jesus name.

[Paul Butler]

Amen.

[Jim Smith]

Abundant Life Christian school has about 300 students. Many of them were in attendance with their families. Pastor Flaherty began his comments by thanking first responders.

[Tom Flaherty]

They were absolutely all over this place, making kids feel safe, bringing them out, going into harm's way, just amazing. The kindness and steadiness, amazing.

[Jim Smith]

Pastor Flaherty's warmest words were for the church across Madison.

[Tom Flaherty]

And we're so grateful for all of the help that has been extended churches and pastors and everybody has said we'll do whatever and thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Jim Smith]

Flaherty then opened the Word of God to the book of Psalms.

[Tom Flaherty]

So it turns out that no less than a third of the Psalms are Psalms of Lament are about the human situation in a world of grief, confusion and loss. And the questions there are God, where are you? God help me through this.

[Jim Smith]

Flaherty read words of lament for about 10 minutes. Then everyone sat in silence, pouring out their hearts to God privately.

[Myrna Brown]

Good evening, My name is Rob. I'm one of the pastors at doxa church. Psalm 34 says this.

[Jim Smith]

For the next hour, the Psalms and other scriptures continued to provide the words as pastors and teachers led in prayer.

[Myrna Brown]

And Lord, I know that you are faithful over everything and that you're always good, even in this dark time. And Father, I pray that your glory would burst forth in this darkness. God, that you would give us all a fresh revelation of who you are and your character and your goodness and your glory and your strength and God, that our city would see you for who you are, that your glory would shine forward.

[Jim Smith]

Middle school teacher Lisa Haney God, we.

[Lisa Haney]

Just come before you and while in the depths of our spirit we know that you are good, our hearts are so confused and our hearts waffle between being angry and being afraid and being filled with memories and trauma. And God, we just don't know how to manage all of that. So we're just coming to you and acknowledging that we need you just like we sang. God, I don't know how to still and quiet my own soul because it's going crazy right now on the inside of me. And Lord, for those of us that need you to just help us take a deep breath and fall on your grace and trust in you God, we're just going to look to you for that. Lord, would you cover each one of us by that grace tonight in Jesus name.

[Jim Smith]

One man in attendance was Jim Smith. He's been an active parent at Abundant Life since first enrolling his now 11th grade daughter as an elementary schooler. He spoke with World on Monday after spending six hours at the Reunification center where parents awaited news of their children.

[Myrna Brown]

So I saw a lot of people that were grieving deeply, but there were people coming alongside. Nobody was leaving anybody alone. People were banding around. People were praying together.

[Jim Smith]

Closer to home, Smith is prayerfully helping his daughter come to terms with the shooting and why a good God allowed it.

[Myrna Brown]

We trust that there is a a caring, personal Lord in heaven that wants to reach out to us and draw us close, especially when tragedy happens. How do we band together as a community? How do we not live in fear? And how do we address when evil comes knocking at your door?

[Jim Smith]

Back at the Tuesday evening prayer service, Abundant Life athletic director Mike Theise ended the evening with a handful of scripture readings, just allowing God's word to comfort the suffering.

[Myrna Brown]

Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Though its waters roar in foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river who streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the most high dwells. God is within her. She will not fall. God will help her. At break of day, nations are in uproar. Kingdoms fall. He lifts his voice. The earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

[Jim Smith]

Reporting for world, I'm Paul Butler.

[Myrna Brown]

I raise a hallelujah. I raise a hallelujah. I raise a hallelujah. Oh, I raise a hallelujah. Sing one more time. I raise, I raise a hallelujah.

[Mary Reichert]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and everything in it, parental rights and letting kids be kids. A woman in North Georgia called police back in October after seeing a 10 year old boy walking alone. Later that day, sheriff's deputies went to his home and arrested his mother.

[Kent Covington]

The body cam video went viral and left many people wondering the same thing. The mother wanted to know, since when is it illegal for a kid to go on a walk? World's Lindsay Mass talked to the mother about the arrest and its implications for parental rights.

[Brittany Patterson]

Brittany Patterson and her husband and kids live a busy life in the mountains near Mineral Bluff, Georgia.

[Eric Naquin]

The kids are active. We're involved in a lot of, you know, sports activities, community events, church, all kinds of stuff.

[Brittany Patterson]

Patterson's a realtor. She homeschools two of her children. The other two go to public school. The children's grandfather lives in the house, too. On a warm fall day this past October, they were living life as usual. Patterson left home to take her 16 year old to a doctor's appointment. She left her son Soren, who was almost 11 at the time, at the house.

[Eric Naquin]

I knew I'd be back in an hour and a half or so. I knew Soren was either in the house or on the property. So I just the way we live our normal daily lives, that was not even a second thought in my mind.

[Brittany Patterson]

But at the doctor's office, she got a call from a sheriff's deputy. Patterson didn't know it, but Soren had gone for a walk toward a dollar store less than a mile from their home. Part of the route is on a two lane highway with no sidewalk. A woman had called law enforcement when she had seen him walking alone. They found Soren and called Brittany.

[Eric Naquin]

She asked me if he knew he was there and I said no. I obviously hadn't been looking for him. I didn't, you know, think he was missing.

[Brittany Patterson]

The deputy Took Soren home and left him. Patterson got home A few minutes later that evening, two deputies knocked on her door. Audio here from the body cam worn by one of them.

[Eric Naquin]

Yes, ma'am.

[Lisa Haney]

Is there somebody else here with the kids besides your grandpa?

[Eric Naquin]

No, there's nobody here but Pop. Okay, Turn around for me. Why?

[Lisa Haney]

Because you're under arrest.

[Eric Naquin]

For what?

[Lisa Haney]

For the incident we talked about earlier today.

[Eric Naquin]

What am I under arrest for?

[Lisa Haney]

For reckless endangerment.

[Eric Naquin]

And how was I recklessly endangering my life?

[Paul Butler]

We're not talking about it.

[Eric Naquin]

Soren, call Molly and tell them they're taking you to jail because you decided to walk down the street, let go of your house.

[Lisa Haney]

That's not his fault.

[Eric Naquin]

Yeah, Call Marie.

[Lisa Haney]

You're the mother.

[Myrna Brown]

That's your responsibility.

[Eric Naquin]

Please do not talk to me. Please. Okay, okay, okay. Last time I checked, it wasn't illegal for a kid to walk to the store.

[Myrna Brown]

It Is when they're 10 years old.

[Eric Naquin]

It is?

[Lisa Haney]

Yes.

[Eric Naquin]

Okay. I'd like to see that on the books.

[Lisa Haney]

Okay, well, you'll see it on your warrant.

[Brittany Patterson]

Great.

[Lisa Haney]

I need somebody here to stay with the kids.

[Eric Naquin]

I don't have anybody.

[Brittany Patterson]

But the charge on the arrest warrant isn't reckless endangerment, like the deputy said. It's reckless conduct. It alleges that Brittany Patterson endangered the bodily safety of her son. It's a law the Georgia Supreme Court in 1997 said was unconstitutional as applied to a similar situation. Further, Georgia has no law about when children can be left alone. Guidance from the state's Division of Family and Children services suggests children 8 through 11 can stay home for up to two hours unsupervised.

[Eric Naquin]

Can I tell my other two kids goodbye so they don't freak out? Please, please go get a Nolan Evander and tell them to come.

[Brittany Patterson]

The arrest video spread quickly and left many, including Patterson, wondering about its implications on parental rights, especially as parents.

[Eric Naquin]

You know, that I feel like that's kind of a. With your property and with your kids, those are your two sacred things, right? That you should be able to have, you know, pretty much ultimate control over. And. And so for them to be able to come to my home, on my property, arrest me in front of my children, and not even be able to tell me, really, why I'm being arrested, that's too much.

[Brittany Patterson]

Patterson says the DA's office offered to drop charges if she signed what they called a safety plan. It would require another adult to be home when she's not, and the use of a GPS tracking device to know where Soren is. She says she refused to sign it, in part because knowing a child's location doesn't prevent bad things from happening. It also doesn't prevent a child from deciding to walk to the store.

[Eric Naquin]

And my kids were not unsafe to begin with. Nothing in that plan was going to make them more safe. And even if it was, I might still not assigned it because I don't need the government telling me how to keep my kids safe.

[Brittany Patterson]

One organization helping states pass reasonable childhood independence laws is Let Grow. So far, it's helped eight states protect parental rights in this way. Lenore Skenazy is Let Grow president.

[Mary Reichert]

You can always come up with a terrible worst case scenario, but we can't judge parents for allowing their kids to have a regular day in the regular world that is not filled with these worst case scenarios, she says.

[Brittany Patterson]

Cases like Brittany Patterson's are rare but unnerving. The laws she promotes serve to help parents feel more comfortable letting their kids stretch their wings when they decide it's appropriate.

[Mary Reichert]

It really just reassures parents that it is up to them to decide when their kid is ready for some independence, some unsupervised time. Not up to some government caseworker or a cop with a with a pair of handcuffs. Because they don't know you. They don't know your kid.

[Brittany Patterson]

The Fannin County DA's office didn't return our call asking for comment on the case. Patterson's lawyer says they have up to two years to decide whether to press charges. In the meantime, Patterson encourages parents to know what their rights are under the law.

[Eric Naquin]

It's not right for law enforcement to be able to upend people's lives for really no reason at all.

[Brittany Patterson]

Reporting for World, I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Paul Butler]

Additional support comes from season two of Eyewitness, Silent Night. The student led podcast drama following time travelers to the first Christmas on Podcast Apps or at the Letter I Witness podcast. And from Dort University. Student musicians at Dort enjoy opportunities to discover, develop and share the gift of music and bring glory to God until all is made new.

[Mary Reichert]

The UK's spy agency is known as the GCHQ, the Government Communications headquarters. It's not just a bunch of cool nerds over there either. They like to have some fun. So for nine years running, GCHQ has put out a Christmas greeting card with tough puzzles to solve aimed at kids 11 to 18. The ulterior motive is to peak interest in STEM careers. You know, science, technology, engineering and math. Listen to YouTuber Mr. Pashler. Deciphering this year's puzzle, you'll notice that.

[Kent Covington]

The dots all around the map. Map onto Morse code. If I decode the Morse code, it.

[Mary Reichert]

Says no, no, no, no, no, no. You're going to have to decode that for yourself and you can download the challenge and solve it for [e-mail] as.

[Myrna Brown]

Always, should you or any of your.

[Paul Butler]

IM Force be caught, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. The state will self destruct in five seconds.

[Mary Reichert]

It's the world and everything in itself.

[Kent Covington]

Today is Thursday, December 19th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichardt. Coming next on the world and everything in it, the Nativity. Now, where I live here in the Midwest this time of year, you can always count on seeing images of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus lying in a manger with farm animals all around.

[Kent Covington]

Same here in the south where I live, Mary. But an exhibit I visited recently invites us to consider what happened that morning in Judea through a different lens. And this is somebody that's on you. Here's the baby Jesus. It's the most important discovery of the day. Drop off day when dozens of artists, designers and collectors unpack.

[Mary Reichert]

So Allison has gone get some wooden risers for you.

[Kent Covington]

Uncover.

[Mary Reichert]

This is it. We found the garland.

[Kent Covington]

And unveil their most precious Christmas keepsakes. Where's Joseph? Oh, here's Joseph. Their nativity scenes.

[Lisa Haney]

My story is my mother started every grandchild with baby Jesus. So everyone receives baby Jesus the year they're born. She's 84 now. She hopes that one day that they're going to go in each other's homes and go. That's what Matmat gave you because I have it too.

[Kent Covington]

Volunteers like Swain Byrd are helping to transform this 20,000 square foot basketball court at St. Paul's Episcopal Church into an elegant exhibit hall. About 20 round tables are draped with white tablecloths and decorated with fresh greens. Nativity scenes, both homespun and store bought, will be the centerpieces.

[Mary Reichert]

How are you doing?

[Kent Covington]

Rebecca Dyson is Dylan is the Pastor's wife at St. Paul's she's also a nativity collector. Nine years ago, she met a woman who fashioned a nativity scene from driftwood. She wondered how many other creative expressions of the birth of Christ were out there.

[Mary Reichert]

That was when I went to the church, went to my husband and they said we could do it as long as it didn't cost the church any money.

[Kent Covington]

Dyson and this small army of volunteers began hosting the Come and behold him. Festival of nativities. It's their gift to the community.

[Mary Reichert]

See, that's the thing that makes it great, because there are different nativities every year.

[Kent Covington]

It's not the same set or the same backstory. Margaret Cummins is a first time exhibitor. I was cleaning out my brother's house after his death, and I found this stained glass deck that I never knew he had. Eileen Head grew up in Ireland, but found one of her Nativity scenes in France. It almost looks like a cave. It's tiny and looks like one half of a boiled egg with baby Jesus tucked away in the back. And I love that feeling, like everybody.

[Mary Reichert]

Is leaning into him.

[Kent Covington]

Feel it? What does it feel like to you?

[Tom Flaherty]

Satin.

[Kent Covington]

But it's made out of salt.

[Brittany Patterson]

And the salt flats in the south of France.

[Kent Covington]

And Debbie Quinn has a Nativity set from every city and country she's visited over the last 20 years. The very first one I got was Mexico City, and it's got a terracotta people sitting on an elephant's back. This one's from Russia. And Joseph has a lantern in his hand. And then Mama is in the traditional Russian attire, the headdress. Argentina is known for more cattle. And so this one is made of leather. This one's from Africa, and it's just made of, you know, simple. I don't know if you can hear that, but it's just simple plant material. Every country has such a, you know, their own idea of what the Nativity not only should look like, but the materials that they can use. But what happens when we realize solely on our cultural lens to understand the Bible. Where did you study?

[Myrna Brown]

I studied at Gordon.

[Kent Covington]

I called up someone who spent time thinking about that. Mike McGarry was a youth pastor for 20 years. Now he leads a ministry that helps equip leaders serving the next generation. He says interpreting the Nativity from a cultural lens is natural, but not always accurate.

[Myrna Brown]

Then when we hear about a manger and realize a manger was a feeding trough for cattle, we think, oh, okay, so now it's Jesus was born in an American barn. And that's just not what Middle Eastern cattle mangers scenes looks like.

[Kent Covington]

McGarry says Jesus was more likely born in the bottom floor of a house and the trough was probably made of stone. But he adds, that doesn't mean we have to throw away our straw manger scenes or images of wise men on the backs of giraffes and elephants rather than camels.

[Myrna Brown]

If you lose it over putting cats and moose and elephants and giraffes around the Nativity, then you've kind of lost the plot, right? Jesus is the plot. Jesus is the big idea. He is the one who we're celebrating.

[Mary Reichert]

Okay, so the forms are back at the church.

[Kent Covington]

The last Nativity scene is registered. 203 in all, ready to behold. Look at these ones. When the exhibit opens the next day, moms and dads like Eric and Audra Naquin remind their little ones to look but not touch. Who did you bring? Who's here?

[Eric Naquin]

Our sons, Alex and Judson. And so I thought it would be cool to come. And it's really amazing. Like, I like all the different nativities from everywhere around the world. Like, it's just really cool.

[Kent Covington]

Seth Stantons and his teenagers are taking time to learn about the origins of each nativity on display. What is fascinating to you about what.

[Myrna Brown]

You see here, all the different ways that they tell the same story and then all the stories that go with them.

[Kent Covington]

And Sharon Johnson, who grew up in Zimbabwe, says she's grateful her three girls get to experience the greatest story ever told from the culture she grew up in.

[Eric Naquin]

But it's beautiful just to see how.

[Kent Covington]

The other nations, all the nations, we.

[Mary Reichert]

All look to Jesus. Okay, I want to look over here.

[Brittany Patterson]

One last time and then we can go because.

[Kent Covington]

Reporting for World, I'm Mona Brown in Daphne, Alabama.

[Eric Naquin]

Mama, it's a mouse family. I think this is my second favorite nativity.

[Kent Covington]

Today is Thursday, December 19th. Good morning, this is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Up next, world commentator Cal Thomas says the waning Biden administration acts as though a foreign invader is about to take over.

[Cal Thomas]

In the past few weeks, the cynicism meter has ticked up several notches because of the decisions made by the outgoing president and others in his administration. First came the pardons of Hunter Biden and then roughly 1500 others, including a former Pennsylvania judge who used his private jail system to incarcerate juveniles, pocketing the profits. Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro ripped the pardon, saying Biden got it absolutely wrong in what has been called a kids for cash scandal. Among the other questionable pardons and clemencies was one Biden issued for Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, Illinois. Crundwell was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for stealing almost $54 million over two decades from the town of 15,000 people. It is said to have been the largest municipal fraud in American history. Crundwell, now 71, admitted to embezzling from the city and using the stolen funds to support a lavish lifestyle. According to station WTTW, officials recovered only $40 million of the stolen city money from court settlements, the work of auditors and proceeds from the liquidation of Cronwell's assets. Biden has been engaging in a fire sale of steel barriers ordered during the previous Trump administration to build a wall and secure the southern border. These were materials paid for with taxpayer money. It's part of what appears to be a cynical plan to frustrate the incoming Trump team and make their border control job more difficult. I don't recall a transition like this in our history. Then came the drones. The administration claims they're not from US Adversaries and pose no threat to public safety. They have also claimed to know nothing about them. If they know nothing, how can they assert they're not from foreign entities and will not harm people? The drones have been seen for weeks over New Jersey and New York and have lately been spotted over California and Nevada. A woman called into a D.C. talk show and said she and her daughter had seen 30 drones flying over southern Maryland. Ex Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan has posted pictures of what he says are drones flying over his home in the D.C. suburbs. The Biden administration says Hogan saw the Orion Constellation, not a drone. With no credible information coming from the Biden administration, conspiracy theorists are in full swing along with accusations of a cover up. While Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he will cooperate with the incoming Trump administration in removing migrants in the country illegally, even from his so called sanctuary city, other Democrat mayors and governors are promising to resist deporting even those who have committed crimes going further to Trump proof their cities and states. Incoming border czar Tom Homan has promised to send teams of agents into resisting cities and states and remove migrants. An October Fox News poll indicates they have the support of an overwhelming majority of Americans. According to the poll of registered voters, support for deportation has increased dramatically since 2015, anywhere from 15 to 20 percentage points. Even among liberals, it doesn't appear to matter to the Biden administration, which has about four weeks to go. They're behaving as if Vice President Harris, not Trump, won the election and voters can be ignored. The second Trump administration will have a lot of cleaning up to do if their promised policies work. Public approval will likely remain high as they and a GOP congressional majority seek to reverse the damage caused by the current administration. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Kent Covington]

Tomorrow Culture Friday with John Stonestreet and more Family films will dominate theaters this weekend. Colin Gabbarino will review a few of the latest, plus wordplay with George Grant and more. Music of Advent. All that and more tomorrow. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, make every effort to see. Supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self control and self control with steadfastness and steadfastness with godliness and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. Part of verse five through seven of two Peter, chapter one. Go now in grace and peace.