← The World and Everything In It
The World and Everything In It
1.31.25 Wichita mourns devastating loss, Culture Friday on transgender treatment, and highlighting music from 2024
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- [00:06]
Myrna Brown
Good morning. Families are reeling after the crash of the American Airlines flight from Wichita to Washington. Many gathered in Wichita for a prayer vigil. We were there.
- [00:16]
Nick Eicher
Also today, John Stonestreet is back for Culture Friday. And World's music critic is back, Arsenio Orteza. And later, a fond farewell to one of the guys who stays up late to get the program to you early, Johnny Franklin, a World Radio founder.
- [00:32]
Johnny Franklin
Now I'm kind of a Bilbo Baggins, but when Nick said look at it as an adventure, something just struck me.
- [00:46]
Myrna Brown
It's Friday, January 31st. This is the World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.
- [00:54]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.
- [00:58]
Myrna Brown
Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.
- [01:02]
Kent Covington
Investigators in the nation's capital are still working to assemble the puzzle pieces in the wake of a deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport. Officials say it appears that the U.S. army helicopter flew into the path of the American Airlines jet as it was in the process of landing. But how or why that occurred is not yet clear. National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman.
- [01:25]
Arsenio Orteza
We don't know what we know just yet. We do not know enough facts to be able to rule in or out human factor, mechan mechanical factors that is part of the NTSB investigative process.
- [01:36]
Kent Covington
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the crew of the helicopter as reasonably experienced.
- [01:44]
Arsenio Orteza
Routine annual retraining of night flights on.
- [01:48]
Kent Covington
A standard corridor for a continuity of government mission.
- [01:52]
Arsenio Orteza
The military does dangerous things.
- [01:53]
John Stonestreet
It does routine things on the regular basis.
- [01:56]
Kent Covington
Tragically, last night a mistake was made. He suggested the helicopter was not flying at the proper elevation to avoid the flight path of the incoming plane. The NCSB has vowed to release a preliminary report within 30 days. And Hegseth said the Pentagon is also conducting a thorough investigation. The American Airlines jet was carrying 64 people. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter. All are presumed dead. In the wake of the crash, President Trump announced new leadership at the Federal Aviation Administration.
- [02:28]
John Stonestreet
I'm also immediately appointing an acting Commissioner.
- [02:32]
Nick Eicher
To the FAA, Christopher Rochelieu, a 22.
- [02:36]
John Stonestreet
Year veteran of the agency, highly respected.
- [02:39]
Kent Covington
And the collision will raise questions about what must be done to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Hassan Shahidi is president of the Flight Safety Foundation. He said we generally have very competent pilots and air traffic controllers across the country, but we also need to understand.
- [02:56]
John Stonestreet
What else is needed in terms of technology, in terms of modernization of the.
- [03:02]
Johnny Franklin
Air traffic control system, in terms of.
- [03:05]
John Stonestreet
Additional personnel and training support that's needed.
- [03:08]
Kent Covington
Other experts say with regard to Washington, changes will be needed to alleviate congestion in the skies over Reagan National Airport. Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump announced that he will impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting tomorrow. And the president said there are multiple reasons for that.
- [03:29]
John Stonestreet
Number one is the people that have poured into our country so horribly and so much.
- [03:34]
Nick Eicher
Number two are the drugs fentanyl and everything else that have come into the country.
- [03:37]
Kent Covington
And the third reason he cited was trade deficits with the neighboring countries. The president said oil imports will not be affected by the tariffs. The US Senate on Thursday continued questioning President Trump's Cabinet picks, including Cash Patel, nominee for FBI director. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee pressed Patel about past remarks, referring to January 6 Capitol rioters as political prisoners. And ranking member on the committee, Dick Durbin said in Patel, president Trump has found a loyalist.
- [04:09]
Arsenio Orteza
Mr. Patel's loyalty includes touting conspiracy theories.
- [04:13]
Myrna Brown
And threatened efforts at President Trump's enemies.
- [04:17]
Kent Covington
But Patel pushed back, saying his goal is to remove political weaponization from the FBI.
- [04:22]
Arsenio Orteza
I have no interest, no desire and will not, if confirmed, go backwards. There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as the FBI director.
- [04:34]
Kent Covington
And in another contentious hearing, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee grilled Trump's pick for director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Critics of the former Democratic congresswoman and military combat veteran have accused her of voicing sympathies or perhaps even loyalties to America's adversaries. Some members of the committee brought up her past remarks about Russia and others, and Republican Congresswoman Susan Collins asked, have.
- [04:59]
Arsenio Orteza
You ever knowingly met with any members, leaders or affiliates of Hezbollah?
- [05:09]
Nick Eicher
No, and it is an absurd accusation.
- [05:13]
Kent Covington
As many as a half dozen Senate Republicans may have concerns about confirming Gabbard In Israel, tears of joy as 20 year old Agam Berger was reunited with her family after being held hostage by Hamas for more than 15 months. Berger was one of eight hostages released Thursday as part of a cease fire deal between Israel and the terror group. But that deal briefly appeared to be in jeopardy yesterday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took issue with crowds of thousands of Palestinians who swarmed the hostages. During the release. Netanyahu briefly threatened to cancel the release of more than 100 Palestinian prisoners that Israel agreed to set free as part of the deal. But in the end, prisoners were delivered to the west bank city of Ramallah in Red Cross buses. I'm Kent Covington and Straight ahead, weeping with the those who weep. A community responds to the Washington, D.C. plane crash. Plus Culture Friday with John Stonestre this is the World and Everything In It.
- [06:38]
Lindy Langdon
Foreign.
- [06:42]
Myrna Brown
It's Friday, 31st January. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything In It. Good morning, I'm Myrna Brown.
- [06:51]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. A military helicopter crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 over Washington Wednesday night. A fireball was visible and the doomed aircraft dropped into the Potomac river along with 60 passengers. Some of them were returning from a figure skating competition in Wichita last week.
- [07:14]
Myrna Brown
Yesterday afternoon, faith leaders and community members gathered for a news conference and prayer vigil. News editor Lindy Langdon lives in Wichita and she has the story.
- [07:30]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Just a week ago, people from around the world watched the U.S. figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas. Hosting this event was a big deal for our city here in flyover country. Here's Wichita resident Jeanette Grantstein.
- [07:44]
Myrna Brown
I've been a long time ice skating fan and was so excited to hear that they were going to be in Wichita. Knew I had to be there, so I attended three of the sessions.
- [07:54]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Now the world is watching Wichita for a different reason.
- [07:57]
Myrna Brown
Some of them would go to the Olympics and then last night to hear that they were on the plane. Some of them were on the plane. It just brought it home how fragile life is and how we have to.
- [08:09]
Nick Eicher
Take every day, just live every day to its fullest.
- [08:12]
Pamela Hughes Mason
This might be a mid sized city, but Wichita feels like a small town. People make small talk with strangers at the gas pump and they spend Friday nights at high school football games. National news events are interesting, but they seem far away. Michelle Vann has lived in Wichita for 34 years.
- [08:29]
Myrna Brown
It's one thing for it to be out there and for it to be people that, you know, yeah, they came from Wichita, but they weren't really Wichitans. You know, those people that were from Boston, you know, the skaters. But then when you start to realize, oh, I know this one, I know this one, it becomes a different thing.
- [08:47]
Kent Covington
We need you Lord, we need you Lord, right now.
- [08:54]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Within hours of hearing about the crash, Mayor Lilly Wu announced a prayer service at City hall for Thursday at noon. Before the service leaders with the Greater Wichita Ministerial League laid hands on Mayor Wu and prayed for her. I talked with one of those leaders, Pamela Hughes Mason, after the prayer service. Can you tell me a little bit about what you were praying for her?
- [09:14]
Myrna Brown
Just for strength, for wisdom, for guidance and also speaking to her heart because this is a very challenging space at this time. We are all grieving as a community, just letting her know that we are praying for her and praying with her.
- [09:31]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Hundreds of people packed a meeting room at City hall for the service on Thursday. I counted at least 20. News cameras focused on the city's pastors as they prayed for the 60 passengers, four crew members and three soldiers who died in the crash. Ben Staley of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church was one of the pastors who spoke at the service.
- [09:49]
Arsenio Orteza
Do you know the world is watching? Wichita, Kansas. Let us be a light of hope, showing the love of Christ in ways that draw us to one another.
- [10:03]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Staley offered this prayer today.
- [10:05]
Arsenio Orteza
Lord, we seek you. We pray that you would remind us of the assurance that you never leave us nor forsake us. Never is never. And you were with those in those flights flying into Washington, D.C. you were with them there. And you were with them in the cold waters of the Potomac. And your angels watching over them. Never is never. You never leave us nor forsake us.
- [10:37]
Pamela Hughes Mason
I've lived in Wichita for more than a decade while working for World, and I've flown the same American Airlines route to and from Washington. I am always glad to return home to Kansas, where life is just gentler. I'm proud of my city for putting its faith on display in a time of great sorrow. And I hope that our prayers will encourage others to turn to God.
- [10:58]
Myrna Brown
Amen.
- [11:00]
Nick Eicher
Done.
- [11:02]
Arsenio Orteza
Amen.
- [11:04]
Pamela Hughes Mason
Reporting for world, I'm Lindy Langdon in Wichita, Kansas.
- [11:12]
Myrna Brown
Coming up next on THE World and everything in it, our weekly conversation with John Stonestreet on Culture Friday. Good morning, John.
- [11:20]
Lindy Langdon
Good morning.
- [11:21]
Nick Eicher
Well, John, I'd like to begin with a consequential executive order the president issued this week. This one aimed at protecting people under age 19 from from chemical or surgical transgender procedures. Now, the order frames all of this up as chemical and surgical mutilation, and it gives direction to several federal agencies. Let me rattle off just a few of these. Under the order, the government is to withdraw from the guidelines by the World Professional association for Transgender Health. This is the organization known as wpath. It also mandates a review of medical literature on treatment gender dysphoria. HHS has the responsibility to defund institutions that carry out these procedures, to adjust Medicare and Medicaid policies, and to withdraw previous HHS guidance on this so called gender affirming care. Now, in addition to HHS, the Pentagon has a role, too. DoD is ordered to exclude these procedures from the military health care program known as tricare. The Justice Department is given a To do list as well. Now, this is a very thorough, very detailed executive order, John. So considering the idea of law as moral teacher and as protecting people from harm, do you see this as getting that job done, or do you think that it is more of a conversation shaper? And I set it up that way with an either or question because I know how much you like them.
- [13:01]
Lindy Langdon
Yeah. The answer is yes. It was a stunning order. My favorite so far. I guess you could say it. But there's a number of things that need to be said. The first that needs to be said is at some level, there needs to be recognition of a number of people who started talking about this and warning people about this at such incredible personal costs. And top of that list has got to be Abigail Schreier. Mainly because it wasn't really her faith that motivated her, in a sense, to do this. She was following the evidence. She was willing to say it out loud and risk her personal career. There were others. There were people, you know, who just took stands on things like pronouns in college classrooms. And there were people like Ryan Anderson who put his sizable intellect to paper before anyone else did. And really seeing how big of an issue that this was going to be. And you have to note this because they were doing this at a time when it wasn't clear who was going to be, quote, unquote, on the right or the wrong side of history and where that phrase still held sway. And that might be. The second thing that I want to talk about is just that myth, that emotional, manipulative talking point about being on the right or wrong side of history that needs to go into the dustbin of history immediately, particularly for Christians. Christians shouldn't pay one bit of attention for a split second about what somebody, particularly from a godless secular perspective, says is on the right or the wrong side of history or that the science is settled or that anything like that. The idea that we got to a point, including many Christians and including many Christian parents and way too many Christian pastors, where we were literally thinking, well, maybe we got this one wrong. Maybe there's something here. Maybe this is like race or all the other ways this was emotionally manipulated into the system, it's over. And there's a lot of people that need to be thanked, and there's a lot of people that should be ashamed.
- [14:59]
Nick Eicher
Interesting, John. I would nominate for that latter category of people that should be ashamed. I would nominate the media for that. What do you think?
- [15:10]
Lindy Langdon
Yeah, the executive order and the headlines that cover this executive order carry the whole story. NBC News Trump bans gender affirming care. And I just wanted to let NBC News say that it is not 20, 20, 22 anymore. People don't use those phrases anymore around the world. If you want to keep up with what's happening in Europe and all these other enlightened countries that we want to be like so quickly, they bailed on this a lot sooner than we did. And the title of the executive order, essentially, of protecting children against harm and mutilation, I mean, think about the difference and what this one thing is being called. From one side of the aisle, it's called care. The other side of the aisle, it's called mutilation. And that brings up kind of life and death by executive order. And there's a whole lot more that needs to be done between now and the next administration. We talked about this a few weeks ago about the executive orders, specifically the one that said that the government was going to recognize people as only being male and female. And the challenging part of that is, can you imagine every four years going back and forth about whether what we're talking about here is mutilation or health care? You know, this is the sort of dizziness that reveals how vast and wide a worldview gap can be and how consequential it can be when it is applied to things like government policy and federal law and executive mandates. And that leads to the next thing, which is not only is there work for Congress to do absolutely, in backing this up, but there's also work for everyday people to do. In other words, we got to figure out at some degree, because certainly the state wasn't responsible for this, but the absolute explosion, especially of middle school and adolescent pre adolescent females, they didn't get there overnight. There has been a cultural devolution that has led to the greatest identity crisis of a particular demographic that we have seen certainly in our lifetimes. But I can't figure out for the life of me anything that comes close and the consequences reach the extent to divide the world that dramatically between calling the same exact thing, on one hand, mutilation, and the same exact thing, on the other hand, care. So we have to do the upstream work, particularly families and churches, to help young people deal with whatever is creating this identity crisis.
- [18:00]
Myrna Brown
Young people are not only dealing with an identity crisis, John. Apparently they don't know their history either. On Monday of this week was the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. But I read a story pointing out that an alarming number of young people in this country think the Holocaust is a myth. How does the culture perpetuate a false and dangerous narrative like this.
- [18:26]
Lindy Langdon
Well, listen, secularism, broadly speaking, and I'm using that in kind of a popular level term, is particularly corrupting when it comes to cultural memory, because history then becomes a tale only told by the winners. There's nothing true that we can access. And you also have to understand, too, that secularism quickly turned into progressivism, which is an ignorance or a dismissal of the past anyway. So that is a really alarming reality that you pointed out. The increasing number of young people that deny that the Holocaust happened, which is one of the most historically verifiable events ever. I mean, you kind of think about the things that we don't question from the past, before photography, before we had mass communication around the world, and yet young people doubt it. But this is the same group of young people that don't know history at all. My guess is there's at least some sort of related factor to another story that broke this week, which is the nation's report card when it comes to education, yes, it's always worse than we thought it was. One of the most alarming outcomes was that the vast majority of young people can't understand a word on a page. In other words, as one professor told me this week, my students were surprised that I expected them to understand what they read. Now, you add then together, the complete revamping of the educational system, away from facts, away from meaning, and then apply that to history, then everything is how you feel. And of course, how Americans feel, by and large, is duped. We're skeptical, we're cynical. I don't know if you saw this, but guess what? The CIA finally admitted that the lab leak theory of the COVID virus is the most likely one. But everybody was called a conspiracy theorist for ever bringing this up. How do you know what up and down is? If all you have to go on in this culture is just being a consumer of mass media in all of its various forms. That's young people. So look, if they're this confused about something as historically verifiable and is historically meaningful, they got it honest. They got it honest from a broken, hollow educational system and a vision of both knowledge and of truth, including historical truth that just permeates everything.
- [21:02]
Myrna Brown
John Stonestreet is president of the Colson center and host of the Brake Point podcast. Thanks, John.
- [21:09]
Lindy Langdon
Thanks to both of you.
- [21:22]
Kent Covington
Additional Support comes from OneLife, a Christian.
- [21:26]
Lindy Langdon
Gap year program that allows students to.
- [21:28]
Kent Covington
Grow in their faith, travel, and earn college credit. More@onelifepath.org and from Abwe, offering the free ebook Seize the Eight Ways Pastors Can Leverage Today's Freedom for Tomorrow's Mission.
- [21:47]
Lindy Langdon
Abwe.org SeizetheMoment.
- [22:07]
Nick Eicher
Today is Friday, January 31st. Thank you for turning to world radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Nick Iker.
- [22:15]
Myrna Brown
And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on the World and everything in it, some of the best music from 2024. The music business is fragmenting and subdividing at the same time that making and disseminating music is getting easier. Because of that, more acts than ever are releasing music to the world, but finding them is getting harder. So we'll tell you about some albums that deserve special attention, whether for the depth of their lyrics, the quality of their performances, or both.
- [22:50]
Nick Eicher
And Myrna today we are welcoming back to our program World's longtime music critic, who's been around here as long as I have. So that's a long time. He goes all the way back to the early days of world radio, back when we were weeknd only, and he'd written for World long before that. So here now is Arsenio Orteza.
- [23:18]
John Stonestreet
Consider, for instance, the Other side. It's the latest album by the legendary producer and singer songwriter T Bone Burnett. Burnett's fans were expecting a different recording altogether. They were anticipating the final installment of his foreboding and forbiddingly avant garde Invisible Light trilogy. Instead, with the Other side, they got a dozen country folk songs that found Burnett cleansing his musical and philosophical palettes. Burnett had gone back to basics before, 38 years ago, in fact, with the album Tebow and Burnett. But this time the basics that he went back to had mainly to do with the melodies and instrumentation.
- [24:03]
Arsenio Orteza
I don't want to compete with you.
- [24:07]
John Stonestreet
His lyrics, clearly articulated though they are, will keep metaphor unpackers busy for weeks. But the lyrics of I'm going to get over this Someday are straightforward and should be magnetized to the refrigerators of everyone struggling with letting bygones go by. Perhaps the most emotionally direct album of 2024 was Father and Sons by the country star Luke Combs.
- [24:41]
Arsenio Orteza
A hand me down F150 might not be the tank you emptied burning gasoline.
- [24:49]
John Stonestreet
Combs is one of several co writers on most of the songs, so it's hard to say where the abundance of insight about being a loving father or a grateful son comes from. But there is an abundance. And if you've ever tried to be a loving father or a grateful son, the album's relentless emotional bullseyes will at some point have you dabbing your eyes.
- [25:16]
Nick Eicher
Now it might work out, but you don't turn out anything like me.
- [25:25]
Arsenio Orteza
I love whoever you turn out to be.
- [25:32]
John Stonestreet
On the explicitly Christian front, Charlie Peacock celebrated the 40th anniversary of his Exit Records debut with Every Kind of oh, a wise, bold and challenging album that ranks with his best. The nearly omnipresent steel guitars provide the atmosphere, but it's Peacock's lyrics and hooks that make the musicianship more than mere ornamentation.
- [25:56]
Arsenio Orteza
It was Kent who made the picture. I was thin and thinly disguised, Washed in the blood of Jesus, saved but hardly wise.
- [26:07]
John Stonestreet
Contemporary Christian music radio probably won't play the Only Remedy because it contains a crudity, but Americana radio might, and actually it should. The song could pass for Paul Simon at his peak. Perhaps the sweetest album with no particular socio cultural messaging was Here in the Pitch, the fourth long player by the singer songwriter Jessica Pratt. Pratt used to confine herself to acoustic guitar only, instrumentation and melodies that harkened back to the days when coffee houses were the locus of intimate female musical expression. But today, with Here in the Pitch, Pratt has gone in a different direction. She uses percussion, melotrons and a keyboard, a bossa nova rhythm and a Burt Bacharach chord change here or there. But she doesn't sound like a sellout. Rather, she sounds as if she's harkening back to 60s girl pop with an ear toward doing it better than anyone thought possible at the time.
- [27:35]
Nick Eicher
And every time it takes me away.
- [27:43]
John Stonestreet
Perhaps the year's most pleasant surprise was sea songs by the operatic baritone Bryn Terfel. We don't need opera singers doing pop tunes, but when the pop is as old as this album's folk songs and shanties, that's a different matter, particularly with fiddle, bagpipes, accordion and whistle augmenting the acoustic guitar and double bass.
- [28:06]
Lindy Langdon
On a white stocking day, we'll be drinking rum.
- [28:13]
John Stonestreet
As you might expect from a collection that includes Drunken Sailor and the Wellerman, a mood of hearty joy predominates.
- [28:22]
Lindy Langdon
Goodbye, My Darling.
- [28:26]
John Stonestreet
But on more than one track, there's elegiac heartbreak aplenty.
- [28:43]
Lindy Langdon
Goodbye My.
- [28:49]
John Stonestreet
And finally, in keeping with the voting shifts that delivered the White House to Donald Trump for the second time, there's ensoulment by the British pop group the the. Matt Johnson, who has led the band for decades, probably doesn't want the following revelation shouted from the rooftops. But his latest songs make clear that he has been red pilled, preferring truth over the status quo.
- [29:15]
Nick Eicher
Truth dance on the gallows, lies sit on the throne.
- [29:20]
Lindy Langdon
Some sing in the shadow, Shadows communicates by code the unthinkable is now thinkable.
- [29:27]
Nick Eicher
The poison, it's drinkable.
- [29:29]
Lindy Langdon
So get with the program, get in.
- [29:31]
John Stonestreet
Sync, you better self, center for wrong, think. And that's just the first song. In the next one, he laments that the London he knew is gone, citing free speech issues among others. But he doesn't let the US off the hook either. The song Kissing the Ring of POTUS implies that the US has become little more than a hypocritical, power wielding caricature of its better self. Johnson speaks more than he sings amid sounds and melodies that in underplaying their hand, increase their grip. I'm just trying in a way to sort of capture the zeitgeist, he told American Songwriter. And he has. I'm Arsenio Ortezz.
- [30:48]
Nick Eicher
Today is Friday, January 31st. Good morning. This is the World and everything in it from listeners supported World Radio. I'm Nick Iger.
- [30:56]
Myrna Brown
And I'm Myrna Brown. Before we continue, just a quick reminder. Starting February 11th, we're hosting a handful of virtual focus groups by zoom. Slots are filling up fast, but it's not too late to participate. We'd love to talk with you about our program and the other products World produces. Each session will last 45 minutes to an hour. And whether you're a longtime everyday listener or a new listener who only checks in with us occasionally, we'd love for you to participate. To sign up, visit wng.org and that again is wng.org focusgroups.
- [31:43]
Nick Eicher
Well, finally saying goodbye. Johnny Franklin has been a crucial part of our team since 2012. You haven't heard much of him on the air, but nearly everything that makes it on the air is in part due to his steady hand and gifted ear. Here now is World's Paul Butler.
- [32:02]
Johnny Franklin
All right, stretch that out a bit.
- [32:05]
Arsenio Orteza
Most nights, our technical producer, Johnny Franklin starts putting the daily program together shortly after dinner.
- [32:11]
Johnny Franklin
How's that?
- [32:13]
Arsenio Orteza
With very little fanfare, last night marked the end of an era. After nearly 13 years of staying up late, Johnny Franklin can now go to bed at a decent hour. He's officially retiring.
- [32:25]
Johnny Franklin
Yeah, there's a lot of things that my wife and I want to do, but I really do see it as just a transition. I'm no longer going to be working full time at a particular job. I'll continue to work part time anywhere I have my computer and Internet.
- [32:43]
Arsenio Orteza
So what's the first thing Johnny's going to do in his retirement? Well, turns out that after taking a week off, it's right back to working for us part time so that others can take a little time off. Perhaps retirement isn't quite the right word.
- [32:57]
Johnny Franklin
This whole idea of retiring to me is almost kind of like a foreign, a foreign idea. The Bible speaks of retirement once and that was, I think the priest of the temple at a certain age had to retire from being priest of the temple. Other than that, nowhere does God say, stop being productive at a certain age and go to Florida and sit on the beach for the rest of your life.
- [33:24]
Arsenio Orteza
In college, Johnny started as an engineering student, but then a friend suggested he might be better suited for something else. So he switched his major to communications and never looked back. His first audio job out of college was with Campus Crusade for Christ. He and his wife Sherry went to Zaire, known then as the Congo, where Johnny recorded and edited training materials.
- [33:49]
Johnny Franklin
That I think is where the real love of language really kicked in. I had the scripts and I could follow along.
- [33:57]
Arsenio Orteza
It was during this time that Johnny began to develop the skills that would be so helpful in working with our scrappy reporters scattered around the world.
- [34:04]
Johnny Franklin
I had a small lavalier mic taped to about a three foot stick and use it as a wand and whoever was speaking, I would put the mic over them so I could record them.
- [34:17]
Arsenio Orteza
Johnny left Campus Crusade after a few years and started at Focus on the Family. He says it wasn't glamorous work and.
- [34:24]
Johnny Franklin
My main Job was finding 10 to 15 second excerpts of programs that could be plugged into the promo.
- [34:34]
Arsenio Orteza
But then Johnny joined Larry Burkett in what would eventually become known as Crown Financial Ministries as an audio tech well.
- [34:40]
Johnny Franklin
For the next half.
- [34:41]
Arsenio Orteza
Well known financial, Johnny worked at Crown for 25 years. During that time he'd occasionally help us edit our weekly program when it first began.
- [34:50]
Kent Covington
And our technical producer this week, Johnny Franklin.
- [34:53]
Nick Eicher
I'm Joseph Slife. And I'm Nick Eicher inviting you to join us.
- [34:57]
Arsenio Orteza
Then one day, Nick Eicher approached Johnny with the opportunity to join world full time. When we launched the daily program, I was reluctant.
- [35:06]
Johnny Franklin
I spoke to Nick and Nick said, Johnny, look at this as an adventure. Now I'm kind of a Bilbo Baggins person, you know, just, just leave me in my, my little hobbit house. But when Nick said, you know, look at it as an adventure, something just struck me that, you know, I need to, you know, stick my neck out. Why not trust the Lord, step out and, you know, let's give it a try and see what happens. A section from.
- [35:39]
Myrna Brown
Today is Monday, November 11th. Good morning, this is the world, everything in it.
- [35:44]
Arsenio Orteza
From listeners. Johnny found his niche.
- [35:46]
Johnny Franklin
One of the things in my personality is I love taking things that are rough but have real potential and fixing the problems and ending up with something that really is of benefit. And so I get to do that. I need something from the end.
- [36:07]
Arsenio Orteza
When Johnny is doing that part of his job. Well, you don't even really notice it. He says it's kind of like the sound guy at church. No one even knows you're there until there's a mistake. But there's another part of Johnny's job that many listeners have noticed.
- [36:20]
Johnny Franklin
Okay. That music ends kind of quickly, so.
- [36:23]
Arsenio Orteza
And we frequently get feedback like this.
- [36:25]
Myrna Brown
And double hats off to Carl Pizza and Johnny Franklin.
- [36:28]
Arsenio Orteza
I just wanted to give a shout.
- [36:29]
John Stonestreet
Out to Johnny Franklin for the awesome sound engineering.
- [36:33]
Lindy Langdon
And to Johnny Franklin and Carl Peets. Thanks for being so sneaky.
- [36:38]
Johnny Franklin
And the other thing I really enjoy is finding the right music. Something that adds to the story, something that possibly clues the listener in about what they're about to hear. Let's try this.
- [36:54]
Arsenio Orteza
Johnny says bumper music is like the frame around a piece of amazing artwork.
- [36:59]
Johnny Franklin
Yeah. A frame is supposed to draw your attention to the painting, not to the frame. And if I have done my job right, it causes people to listen to the story and say, wow, what a story.
- [37:15]
Arsenio Orteza
During a recent podcast meeting with our staff, we announced Johnny's retirement to everyone. Host Mary Reichert said out loud the thing that many of us were thinking. And just so everybody is aware, Johnny.
- [37:26]
Kent Covington
Has all kinds of material by which.
- [37:28]
Myrna Brown
He could blackmail each and every one of us.
- [37:32]
Arsenio Orteza
How do you think he's retiring so comfortably, Mary?
- [37:35]
Nick Eicher
That's right.
- [37:36]
Johnny Franklin
That's right. Getting monthly income from four or five people, you know.
- [37:41]
Arsenio Orteza
But seriously, Kent Covington perhaps summed up Johnny's character best.
- [37:45]
Kent Covington
He's the last person in the world who you ever, you would ever hear say anything negative about anyone. Just as Christlike and kind hearted and genuine and grounded a person as you'll ever meet. And a very good producer. Very steady, very. Just faithful. It's a great word for him.
- [38:04]
Arsenio Orteza
Johnny Franklin's faithfulness, his steadfastness, his love for the Savior, his affection for our team, and his high view of Christian service makes his work special.
- [38:16]
Johnny Franklin
Yeah. Something that I've seen in my life is God has really placed me in places that I almost had nothing to do with, in really, really meaningful opportunities where I could use what I do to really benefit God's people. And just grateful to God for bringing these opportunities to me and allowing me to work with some great people and doing things that I trust have made a big difference in the lives of a lot of God's people.
- [38:53]
Arsenio Orteza
Well, Joni, on behalf of all of us at World, we're grateful and we believe that you have made a difference. I'm Paul Butler.
- [39:07]
Nick Eicher
Well, I certainly don't measure up as a Gandalf by any stretch of the imagination, but I could not be happier to have had Johnny along for this terrific adventure. And it will continue to be so, I believe, because I'm expecting a new post retirement adventure for Johnny in a teaching training role as we develop our next generation here at World. Johnny has so, so much to give, so much wisdom, so much skill, and we need our young staff to be able to tap into that. So, Johnny, I hope you are indeed quite ready for another adventure. You are not the same hobbit who left the Shire. God bless you, brother. We have not seen the last of each other. Well, and before we go, another goodbye, our executive editor for World Digital, Mickey McLean. He is going into retirement to care for his wife. Mickey's also been a great blessing to me personally and to my family. He's made a big difference here at World. You would not have heard his voice, but you benefited from his work. Good manager and just all around good guy. The Lord's blessings to you too, sir. Well, it is time now to say thanks to the rest of the team who helped out this week. Jenny Ruff, David Bonson, Caleb Weldy, Leah Savis, Travis Kercher, Hunter Baker, Carolina Lumeta, Onise Adua, Brad Littlejohn, Mary Reichert, Mary Muncie, Lindsay Mast, Cal Thomas, John Stonestreet and Arsenio Orteza. And a new voice this week, Patrick Henry college journalism student Clay Ramirez. Thanks also to our breaking news team, Kent Covington, Lindy Langdon, Lauren Canterbury, Josh Schumacher and Christina Grub. And one more time, a big thanks to the guys who stay up late to get the program to you early. The inestimable Johnny Franklin, Carl Peetz and Ben Jeiker.
- [41:27]
Myrna Brown
Harrison Waters is Washington producer, Senior producer Kristin Flabin is features editor, Paul Butler, executive producer and Les Sillers editor in chief. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. Jesus said, what comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man come evil thoughts. Sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness all these evil things come from within and they defile a person. Verses 20 through 23 of Mark, chapter 7 Now remember, it's important to worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ in church on the Lord's day, gathering together as the Scripture says to do. And Lord willing, we'll meet you right back here on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.
- [42:40]
Arsenio Orteza
Sa.