The World and Everything In It – January 9, 2026

Episode Theme:
Exploring what it means to "die well" from a Christian worldview (Culture Friday); a critical review of Angel Studios’ new film I Was a Stranger on war and migration; a profile of German jazz worship musician Lothar Kosse and his instrumental album Shekinah.

Main Segments

1. Culture Friday: The Art of Dying Well

Guests: John Stonestreet (Colson Center President, Breakpoint Host)
Hosts: Myrna Brown, Lindsay Mast

Overview

This week’s “Culture Friday” focuses on the public journeys of two well-known figures facing terminal cancer—Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, and former Senator Ben Sasse—and what their reactions reveal about contrasting worldviews around death. The discussion moves into how our culture approaches death, how Christians can offer a distinctive perspective, and a critique of the “warmth of collectivism” in public policy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Scott Adams on Faith and Death

  • Adams, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, has publicly mused about "converting" to Christianity at the last moment, framing salvation as a rational “risk-reward” calculation.

    • Quote:

      "Any skepticism I have about reality would certainly be instantly answered if I wake up in heaven... if I have a good life. I don't necessarily have to, you know, state something in advance... I am now convinced the risk-reward is completely smart. If it turns out that there's nothing there, I've lost nothing. But I've respected your wishes... If it turns out there is something there and the Christian model is the closest... I win... argument made, argument accepted."
      — Scott Adams (07:34)

  • Stonestreet’s Critique

    • Calls out the idea of “fire insurance” salvation, argues for a larger narrative:

      “It’s going to have a lot less to do with this kind of bet that Adams thinks he’s making.”
      — John Stonestreet (10:33)

    • Emphasizes the overarching story of God's grace and the work of Christ, warning against viewing salvation as mere “fire insurance.”

    • Reminds that God is gracious beyond our calculations:

      "He does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities."
      — Myrna Brown (10:33)

• Ben Sasse’s Contrasting Worldview

  • Faces terminal illness with public statements marked by hope and acceptance:

    • Quote:

      "A well-lived life demands more reality, stiffer stuff. That's why, while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope."
      — Attributed to Ben Sasse (11:03)

  • Stonestreet on Worldview Differences

    • Not about levels of intellectual seriousness—both Adams and Sasse are thinkers—but about materialist vs. Christian (spiritual) perspectives:

      “Materialism reduces life down to these days that we have. So you can see in Adams’ calculation an attempt to get around it. In Sasse, you see... someone who has taken to heart that death has lost its sting, that the grave doesn’t have victory anymore.”
      — John Stonestreet (12:06)

    • Calls attention to Christianity’s historic gift: teaching “the art of dying” with hope.

• Culture & Death: Our Society’s Avoidance

  • Modern culture’s failure to engage with mortality honestly.

    “The dominant... understanding of life as one of just perpetual distraction until you die...”
    — John Stonestreet (14:06)

  • Uses real-world Canadian statistic: more likely to die from MAID (assisted death) than US gun violence.
  • Suggests a Christian’s peace in death is a profound societal witness.

• The “Warmth of Collectivism” in Politics

  • Analysis of NYC’s mayor’s inaugural remarks calling for replacing “rugged individualism” with “the warmth of collectivism” (16:34).
    • Quote:

      “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
      — NYC Mayor (16:34)

  • Stonestreet unpacks the ideological tension:

    "Christianity rejects rugged individualism... because we believe humans are made in the image of God, and that God... is a relationship, a trinity." "The lie of collectivism... is to insinuate care, but what it becomes is state-enforced, forced charity, which makes it not charity at all."
    — John Stonestreet (17:47)

2. Film Review: I Was a Stranger (Angel Studios)

Reviewer: Joseph Holmes
Segment Start: (22:46)

Overview

Angel Studios’ I Was a Stranger attempts to humanize the Syrian refugee experience but gets weighed down by simplistic storytelling and overt political messaging, which may alienate its core Christian audience.

Key Points

• Film Premise & Approach

  • Depicts multiple characters—doctor, smuggler, soldier, poet, Greek coast guard—seeking escape from Syrian conflict.
  • Incorporates faith naturally; characters pray and talk about God “as naturally as grieving.”
  • Praised for sympathetic characters, avoidance of clunky exposition, and effective cinematography (“long takes in shaky cam, which adds tension and a feeling of raw realism” (24:20)).

• Shortcomings

  • Becomes emotionally repetitive; each character’s arc follows a similar, predictable path—lessening the cumulative impact.

    “Meet a sympathetic character. Watch horrible things happen to them. See most get out of danger, but at a horrific cost.” — Joseph Holmes (24:59)

  • Critical of the film’s political turn—portrays anti-immigration characters as “cartoonishly privileged and heartless.”

    “By the end, the film abandons much of its empathetic subtlety for politically coded finger-wagging at the audience.”
    — Joseph Holmes (25:34)

  • Concludes that the core audience, aware of immigration complexity, will not be persuaded by the film’s simplistic framing.

• Notable Quotes

  “Movies that help us better understand our Christian call to love the stranger are good. However, I Was a Stranger’s storytelling choices might make it difficult to see clearly the thorny problem of immigration from a war-torn region.”
  — Joseph Holmes (26:58)

3. Music Feature: Lothar Kosse’s Album Shekinah

Reviewer: Arsenio Orteza
Guest: Lothar Kosse
Segment Start: (27:11)

Overview

A profile of German guitarist and worship musician Lothar Kosse, highlighting his instrumental jazz-fusion album Shekinah. The segment also traces the roots of Christian instrumental music, Kosse’s artistic journey, and his philosophical approach.

Key Points

• Kosse’s Musical Background

  • Released over a dozen albums since 1988, both instrumental fusion jazz and worship.
  • Collaborates with acclaimed session musicians: Vinny Colaiuta (drums), Abraham Laboriel Sr. (bass).

• Unique Contribution

  • Christian fusion jazz exists but remains niche since it lacks CCM radio’s lyrical focus.
  • Kosse’s music “meant less to be sung along with than listened to closely.”

• Creative Process & Influences

  • Kosse learned English from a Kenyan friend; influenced by German heritage and jazz icons (Jeff Beck, Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather).
  • Drew inspiration for Shekinah from his goal of making melodies speak on guitar:

    “When I started to plan this album, I had a big sign over my brain. It was melody. Stick with a melody... The master of it for me was always Jeff Beck. He was a master of melody.”
    — Lothar Kosse (32:05)

• Spiritual Intent

  • Album title Shekinah refers to God’s glory.

    “The spirit of the session was actually worship from the beginning. It's about Shekinah. It's about the glory. And that was the meaning of the whole album. I actually don’t care about being famous... but I like it more if they are blessed.”
    — Lothar Kosse (33:08)

• German Musical Heritage

  • Integrates “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” nodding to German hymnody:

    “Paul Gerhardt’s lyrics are still state of the art in Christian music... So I took ‘O Sacred Head, Now Wounded’ because I want to point to my German heritage and say, look, I’m coming from this country. We have not invented jazz and blues, but we have some music that is also very meaningful and very deep.”
    — Lothar Kosse (31:05)

Most Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s going to have a lot less to do with this kind of bet that Adams thinks he’s making.”
  — John Stonestreet on salvation as “fire insurance” (10:33)

• “A well-lived life demands more reality, stiffer stuff... while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope.”
  — Attributed to Ben Sasse (11:03)

• “The warmth of collectivism, what a bunch of Hallmark kind of sappy nonsense... It’s forced charity, which makes it not charity at all.”
  — John Stonestreet, critiquing collectivist rhetoric (17:47)

• “Movies that help us better understand our Christian call to love the stranger are good. However, I Was a Stranger’s storytelling choices might make it difficult to see clearly the thorny problem of immigration from a war-torn region.”
  — Joseph Holmes (26:58)

• “The spirit of the session was actually worship from the beginning. It’s about Shekinah. It’s about the glory.”
  — Lothar Kosse (33:08)

Important Timestamps

• 07:34 — Scott Adams on “converting” as “risk-reward”
• 10:33-12:06 — Stonestreet’s analysis of Adams vs. Sasse worldviews
• 13:45 — Christians’ unique contribution: “the art of dying well”
• 16:34 — Clip: NYC mayor pledges “warmth of collectivism”
• 17:47 — Stonestreet’s critique of collectivism rhetoric
• 22:46 — Review of I Was a Stranger by Joseph Holmes
• 27:11 — Introduction to Lothar Kosse’s Shekinah
• 31:05 — Kosse on integrating German hymn melody
• 33:08 — Kosse on worship as the heart of Shekinah

Summary

This episode of The World and Everything in It tackles profound themes: how Christians can die well in a culture that avoids death, the limits of “risk-reward” approaches to faith, the challenge of capturing moral complexity in faith-driven film, and the beauty of instrumental worship music charting its own quiet course. At every turn, the speakers keep a reflective, honest, and gently challenging tone—inviting listeners to live thoughtfully and faithfully, even in life’s most difficult moments.