← The World and Everything In It
The World and Everything In It
9.17.25 The unprecedented honors for Charlie Kirk, political discord in Nepal, and a revival within exhibition baseball
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- [00:06]
Lindsay Mast
Good morning. Vice President J.D. vance says America has to pull together. We'll ask what that looks like. In a time of violent rhetoric and.
- [00:14]
Vice President J.D. Vance
Action, real unity can be found only after climbing the mountain of truth. And there are difficult truths we must confront in our country.
- [00:25]
Nick Eicher
Washington, Wednesday. Coming up, Hunter Baker is standing by. Also today, world tour and later, a baseball. A football team known for outrageous stunts is seeking authenticity beyond the show. We don't want to seem insincere when we are sharing our faith.
- [00:47]
Lindsay Mast
It's Wednesday, September 17th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.
- [00:54]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.
- [00:58]
Lindsay Mast
Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.
- [01:03]
Kent Covington
The roar of jet engines as Air Force One rolled down the tarmac at London Stansett Airport just minutes before a helicopter took President Trump and first Lady Melania to their first stop, the residents of the US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stevens.
- [01:17]
Hunter Baker
We had a good flight and tomorrow is going to be a very big day. This ambassador, Mr. President, it's going to.
- [01:23]
Nick Eicher
Be an extraordinary day.
- [01:24]
Hunter Baker
Thank you all very much.
- [01:26]
Kent Covington
With this visit, Trump becomes the first U.S. president to receive a second state visit to the U.K. the president will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others. Trump says UK Officials want to continue trade talks in hopes of reducing US Tariffs on British goods. Trump will also meet with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. President Trump also said he has just added a new board member to the Federal Reserve with investors anticipating an interest rate announcement today.
- [01:54]
Hunter Baker
I just signed his document and all of the papers and Steve Myron is now on.
- [02:01]
Kent Covington
Stephen Mirren is a top White House economist. The Senate confirmed him on Monday, largely down party lines ahead of this week's Fed meeting. And today could be the day that the central bank cuts interest rates for the first time since December. Investors expect the Fed to reduce its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to about 4.1%. Inflation has not spiked as many feared as a result of new tariffs, though it also remains stubbornly high. But employment has also slowed, which may push the Fed to announce a new cut. The Federal Reserve also has some good economic news to mull over. World's Benjamin Iker has more shoppers increased their spending at a better than expected pace in August from July, helped by back to school shopping. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month. That comes after consumers also boosted spending by at least roughly half that amount in June and July of this year. Excluding car sales, consumer spending jumped 7, 10 in August. Non store retailer online shopping increased more than 10% and sales at food and drinking places were up 6.5%. For world I'm Benjamin Eicher, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk faced a judge Tuesday in a Utah courtroom.
- [03:17]
Hunter Baker
Mr. Robinson, at this time you will remain in custody without bail, the judge heard.
- [03:23]
Kent Covington
They're addressing 22 year old Tyler Robinson. He faces seven criminal counts in state court in connection with the fatal shooting of Kirk last week. Prosecutors submitted the charges against Robinson, including a count of aggravated murder, and Utah prosecutor Jeff Gray announced, I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty.
- [03:45]
Nick Eicher
I do not take this decision lightly.
- [03:48]
Kent Covington
And it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney. The aggravated murder charge could be punishable by death or life in prison. Higher penalties could be in order because Robinson allegedly targeted Kirk for his political beliefs and the shooting was carried out in the presence of children. The Washington Post reports that Robinson appeared to make a confession in an online group chat shortly before turning himself in. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem last night to call for an end to the war in Gaza, World's Travis Kircher reports now from Israel. The protesters gathered in central Jerusalem's prestigious Rehabia neighborhood on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's street. They called for the renewal of peace talks, the return of hostages taken by Hamas and an end to the war. Yinon Wagoda identified himself as an Orthodox Jew and said his faith moved him to attend for the sake of the people in Gaza.
- [04:49]
Nick Eicher
For thousands of years we have suffered.
- [04:52]
Hunter Baker
In the hands of others and I tremble at the thought that now we have some power and others are suffering under our hands.
- [05:00]
Kent Covington
But Netanyahu says Hamas is the source of the suffering and there can be no peace until the terror group is defeated. And the anti war demonstration was interrupted after the Hamas allied Houthi rebels fired another rocket at Israel. One woman told us the air raid sirens have become part of Israeli life.
- [05:20]
Nick Eicher
So usually if you are outside, you.
- [05:22]
Kent Covington
Need to sit down with your hands on your head. I don't know why, but this is the instruction. Netanyahu says President Trump invited him for a return visit to the White House in two weeks. Trump recently dispatched Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Israel in a show of ongoing support for the Jewish state. Reporting for World I'm Travis Kercher in Jerusalem. Hollywood icon Robert Redford has died at the age of 89. He rose to fame in the 1960s and was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s and 80s, appearing in films like all the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But in a 2003 interview, he said he could never pick a favorite.
- [06:02]
Hunter Baker
I loved all the President's Men because.
- [06:03]
Kent Covington
Everyone said it couldn't be made.
- [06:05]
Hunter Baker
Everyone said it's impossible. No one's going to see it. No one cares.
- [06:07]
Nick Eicher
It's about Watergate.
- [06:08]
Kent Covington
Butch Cassidy was just one of the.
- [06:11]
Nick Eicher
Finest examples of really good, solid movie making and entertainment.
- [06:15]
Kent Covington
He debuted as a director in 1980 with Ordinary People, taking home Oscars for best picture and best director. His directing career spanned more than 30 years, including critically acclaimed films like Quiz show and A River Runs Through It. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, Washington, Wednesday with Hunter Baker. Plus exhibition baseball and evangelism. This is the world and everything in it.
- [06:59]
Lindsay Mast
It's Wednesday, the 17th of September. This is World radio, and we're so glad you've joined us today.
- [07:04]
Hunter Baker
Today.
- [07:05]
Lindsay Mast
Good morning. I'm Lindsay Mast.
- [07:07]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Iker. First up on the World and everything in It, Washington, Wednesday. It's difficult to believe it's been only a week since the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a national figure cut down in broad daylight. And now he joins one of the shortest lists in American history, political leaders struck down by political violence, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, John F. Kennedy, presidents Robert F. Kennedy, presidential candidate, leaders of national movements, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. And now Charlie Kirk. By that measure, just 8. It's been more than half a century since America last endured the assassination of a national figure until a week ago.
- [08:00]
Lindsay Mast
In an unprecedented gesture, the body of Charlie Kirk was flown home aboard Air Force Two with Vice President J.D. vance escorting his family. Never before has the US government used a vice presidential aircraft in such a manner. And on Monday, the vice president sat in as a guest host of the Charlie Kirk Show, a highly popular podcast. He called for Americans to unite against political violence, though, as he put it, true unity must begin with truth.
- [08:28]
Vice President J.D. Vance
I really do believe that we can come together in this country. I believe we must. But unity, real unity, can be found only after climbing the mountain of truth. And there are difficult truths we must confront in our country.
- [08:48]
Lindsay Mast
One of the difficult truths now is the reality of violent rhetoric and its consequences. Almost immediately after Kirk's death, some posted celebrations online. Others, somewhat less distastefully mocked or criticized him. Some of those voices, whether in media, business or education, have since found themselves out of work.
- [09:07]
Nick Eicher
Some say that response is something Charlie Kirk would not have approved of. Adam Goldstein at the foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said that in a free society we cannot be afraid to express our views despite opposition, and he cautioned against canceling those who who offend us. Vice President Vance, though, had this response to an article in the magazine the Nation.
- [09:32]
Vice President J.D. Vance
There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination, and there is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers, who argue that Charlie Kirk, a loving husband and father, deserved a shot to the neck because he spoke words with which they disagree.
- [09:55]
Lindsay Mast
So is this just another side of the Cancel Culture coin? Political scientist and World Opinions contributor Hunter Baker joins us now to talk about it. Hunter, good morning.
- [10:05]
Hunter Baker
Good morning, Hunter.
- [10:07]
Lindsay Mast
Is that what this is?
- [10:09]
Hunter Baker
I am one of these people who was very distressed to see the growth of Cancel Culture. And I thought it was a dangerous thing. And I hated the way that we would just throw people away for making the wrong comment. But I've thought really hard about this, and I think that this is a different kind of a thing that we're talking about. When we talk about free speech in the United States. We're talking about a freedom of exchange of political ideas or about the nature of truth or sort of philosophic thoughts. We're protecting the ability to criticize the government, to try to shape public policy, those sorts of things. When we look at the kinds of things that people were saying about Charlie Kirk, I would argue that they are a celebration of and an incitement to murder. Encouraging people to commit murder is not, in my opinion, a valid form of free speech or political speech. You know, we are asking people essentially to exit the realm of politics and to enter into the realm of war. I think that Charlie Kirk was treated as though he was an enemy combatant in a war rather than one of our fellow citizens. So from my perspective, when people celebrate his death and seem to egg on others to do more of the same, first of all, I legitimately consider it a possibility that there's a sort of demonic possession of people going on with this. But second, leaving that aside, it is utterly disastrous in a civil society. It's utterly disastrous where people are supposed to debate and talk and sort of try to arrive at the truth together.
- [11:55]
Lindsay Mast
Hunter, I have a follow up, and it connects to what Vice President Vance was saying about condemning political violence. He's not alone in that. But one area I've noticed that's been strikingly silent is higher education. This assassination happened on a college campus. Parents are asking, can their kids gather safely? Can they engage in debate? Can they even talk openly? And yet I simply haven't seen many colleges issue a clear statement condemning Kirk's murder. What should we make of that?
- [12:23]
Hunter Baker
Well, I think that during the COVID era and sort of the George Floyd controversy, colleges felt that they were being constantly asked to take a public position, you know, on every issue that arose. Take a public position. And that can be quite challenging. Right. You know, to try to formulate a proper sort of a position for every one of these things that comes up. And the more you do it, the more people will ask you, why aren't you doing it? And so I think that most colleges during that period kind of settled upon this idea that we are not going to issue statements with regard to issues that don't directly involve the college. Now, what I will say, though, is I think that Ari Fleischer, a former Bush communications expert, he said something great, which is that he thought that the Ivy League colleges, and I don't know why this wouldn't go for other colleges as well, should set up annual Charlie Kirk lectures, which are aimed at encouraging the value of free speech. I think colleges need to double down on that. It's something that has. That has gotten worse. When I was in college in the late 80s, we all. We strongly believed in free speech, right and left. And what happened over time is that you would see conservative speakers going to colleges and being hit in the face with a pie or have mayonnaise thrown at their head, you know, or something like that. I can remember one AEI scholar and his faculty sponsor being literally assaulted and injured.
- [14:00]
Nick Eicher
Charles Murray.
- [14:00]
Hunter Baker
It was Charles Murray. That's right. Instead of being allowed to speak and countless others being shouted down, now that we've seen somebody actually killed, this is a moment where it's time to reverse course hard and to really impress people with the value of free speech.
- [14:16]
Nick Eicher
You know, Hunter, with respect, you know, Ari's idea sounds like a good one, but I've got a proposed policy statement. I think that any educator, any college, any institutional head, ought to be able to sign onto. I mean, this was a political assassination, as we said moments ago, one of eight in the history of the country and the first ever to take place on a college campus. So an institution can easily restrict it to that. Go ahead and condemn that.
- [14:49]
Hunter Baker
That's a reasonable distinction. Yeah, that's true. That's true. And you notice that I, as an educator, I had a lot to say about it in print and on my social media. So I've tried to do my part.
- [15:03]
Lindsay Mast
Absolutely. You know, something else notable in Vance's podcast hosting he spoke of the need for unity against political violence. I'd like to play this and get your response.
- [15:13]
Vice President J.D. Vance
This violence, it doesn't come from nowhere. Now, any political movement, violent or not violent, is a collection of forces. It's like a pyramid that stacks on top, one support on top of the other. That pyramid's got a foundation of donors, of activists, of journalists, now of social media influencers, and of course, of politicians. Not every member of that pyramid would commit a murder. In fact, over 99%, I'm sure, would not. But by celebrating that murder, apologizing for it, and emphasizing not Charlie's innocence, but the fact that he said things some didn't like, even to the point of lying about what he actually said, many of these people are creating an environment where things like this are inevitably going to happen.
- [16:02]
Lindsay Mast
So what do you think, Hunter?
- [16:04]
Hunter Baker
Well, there's definitely something going on. I mean, and I've noticed that there's sort of a race to establish an empirical case. Right. Who is more likely to do this? The Vice president sort of made a case that objectively, the left is cultivating this sort of a reaction and egging it on. And I saw a piece in the New York Times earlier today arguing exactly the opposite. So we're going to kind of have this debate over who is really doing this. But I think that when you look at this language of fascism being thrown around, the idea that Donald Trump is a fascist, the idea that people who are allied with him are fascists and therefore similar to Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, then it's obvious that you are encouraging people to see them as enemies who must be destroyed and not people who even deserve to be engaged in terms of a debate. I mean, one of the things that I think that is so tragic about all this is that Charlie Kirk so closely embodied the ideal of debate. I think, as Ezra Klein said, and I really appreciate him saying this, Charlie Kirk was doing exactly what an American is supposed to do. He was encouraging people to engage in open debate. And in fact, you know, if you watch the clips of him at these rallies, he says, if you disagree with me, come to the front of the line. And instead, what he got was a bullet. Instead, what he got was killed. To me, it's just one of the greatest political failures I can imagine.
- [17:41]
Nick Eicher
Yeah. And Hunter, this week, the White House started signaling it intends to act. Senior officials saying they're looking to classify some left wing activity as domestic terrorism. They're exploring racketeering charges under the RICO statutes. They're also examining whether certain nonprofits ought to lose their tax exempt status if they're proved to have supported or encouraged violence. So it's much the same tool set that past administrations have been accused of misusing. If you think of the IRS targeting conservative groups under President Obama or aggressive enforcement under President Biden, aggressive, to say the very least. We heard a lot about this term lawfare back then, but now it's the right in power and the target is the left. So I want to ask Hunter, is this a legitimate crackdown or is it that lawfare that we've been critical of in the past?
- [18:41]
Hunter Baker
Well, on the one hand, I like the idea of giving the left pause about some of these things. I like the idea of letting them think, you know, look, this, we're taking this very seriously. Don't be cavalier about it. On the other hand, anything that you do, you have to be worried about how the other side will use it when they're in power. And I think about the RICO statutes were often used against pro lifers. In fact, Randy Alcorn, the pro lifer to this day, he basically cannot earn any income because he doesn't want it to be garnished and paid to organizations that are pro choice. And that's the RICO statutes were actually used in that way, were struck down by the Supreme Court. But he informed me that Oregon had a state version that still was affecting him. And so we don't want to see people sort of dogged and pursued in this fashion by the government, but sending a message of seriousness that we need to be responsible about this stuff. That's exactly right.
- [19:46]
Lindsay Mast
Well, Hunter, I know you remember three weeks ago when I asked you this question. I'm curious, Hunter, can you point to anyone of similar stature today? Is there anyone having an Esther moment where they were called to a time such as this, Someone who's capable of carrying on that legacy?
- [20:03]
Hunter Baker
It's really a tough question. You know, I have watched significant leader after significant leader leave the scene. I think about people, not only evangelicals, but people such as Richard John Newhouse and William F. Buckley, Charles Colson, James Dobson. And I'm not sure if I see who is really going to replace them. But I can tell you somebody who I think is trying, and that's Charlie Kirk. I increasingly hear people impressed with Charlie Kirk and think that maybe he's really building something. So we'll see.
- [20:32]
Nick Eicher
Well, Hunter, I've gotta be honest with you and say that when you said that, I was kind of surprised, but that's only because I was ignorant. I did not do my journalistic homework. But now I'm doing it. And as I look more deeply into Charlie Kirk, I'm a lot less surprised. He was way, way more substantial than I ever thought. And that's again, an indictment on me as a journalist. I need to own that. But, but what prompted the mention back then, and I do think that it's been proved completely correct, judging from the outpouring that we've seen.
- [21:09]
Hunter Baker
I don't really know what made me mention Charlie Kirk in that moment. Certainly as soon as he was killed, that came right back to me that we had had that interview and that I had mentioned him as one of the potential heirs to James Dobson. And I think that what I would say is my wife has really been, she's a doctor. She's not been very interested in politics for most of her life. And the last year she started to pay attention and I noticed that she was talking about Charlie Kirk and I thought about him as somebody who's just kind of a hard edged political figure. But she seemed to think of him more as a Christian and as somebody with more depth and substance. So I started to look at it and I think that that's what brought him to mind in that moment. And of course, I think that we have realized, looking back at some of the things that he's been saying, that he was much more ardent about witnessing to his faith and encouraging people to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And so I think that I just had a growing awareness of his increased spiritual maturity and it brought him to mind.
- [22:20]
Lindsay Mast
Hunter Baker is a political scientist and provost at North Greenville University. Hunter, thank you.
- [22:25]
Hunter Baker
Thank you.
- [22:46]
Kent Covington
Additional support comes from Praymore, a new app for churches to share prayer requests with members and send reminders to pray. Free trial available@praymore.com World from Eyewitness Powerful audio dramas bringing faith, courage and history to life in unforgettable ways. At the letter I wear witnesspod.com and from planted Gap year, where young adults combine Bible classes, hands on farming and outdoor adventure. More@plantedgapyear.org.
- [23:27]
Nick Eicher
Coming up next on the WORLD and Everything in It World Tour. Last week in Nepal, a social media ban sparked violent protests and days later, parliament lay in ashes. A new prime minister has taken the reins following an online poll. But what is behind the whiplash?
- [23:45]
Lindsay Mast
Washington producer Harrison Waters wrote this story and World's Global Desk chief Jenny Lynn Schmidt brings it to us.
- [23:55]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Young people in Nepal have been unhappy for a while. High inflation, low education and few jobs. Job opportunities have left many Nepalis looking for the exit.
- [24:07]
Hunter Baker
We have around 7,8 million young people in Nepal, and mostly, you know, they want to. They are going abroad to work to educate themselves for anything.
- [24:22]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Mohan Bhatt is a pastor in Nepalganj, near the country's border with India. He says Nepal's political leaders have long been more concerned about their own power than the needs of its citizens. Over the past few years, young people across Southeast Asia have protested their governments, and some have ended up with new ones.
- [24:43]
Hunter Baker
Same thing happened in Bangladesh. Same thing happened like this in Sri Lanka and in Indonesia.
- [24:48]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
You know, the spark came last week when Communist Prime Minister KP Ali and his government began enforcing a social media registration rule. The goal was to force social media platforms to give the Nepali government more power to moderate content. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman says the law would have done more than that.
- [25:11]
Hunter Baker
Most protesters and many observers believe that the government was essentially using this idea of more effective regulation of social media as a pretext to essentially crack down on online speech.
- [25:25]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
A handful of companies, including TikTok, agreed to the new rule. Most did not. And on September 7, the government blocked access to 26 social media platforms, including YouTube, LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
- [25:40]
Hunter Baker
Facebook, for example, is by far the most popular social media platform in Nepal.
- [25:45]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
It was taken down the next day. The streets of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, were filled with smoke and thousands of angry protesters. Police turned water cannons and tear gas on the waves and of protesters and later fired live ammunition, killing 19 and injuring hundreds more. By midnight, the government reversed course and blocking social media, but protests continued the next day. Rioters set fire to the homes of government officials and burned the parliament building. While the military struggled to contain the situation, Prime Minister Ali assessed his options and resigned. With many fires still burning, protest groups met online in the messaging app Discord to discuss next steps. More than 100,000 people joined the live stream over several days. Organizers took a poll and agreed to endorse former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Kharki to lead the interim government. Here's Kugelman again.
- [26:47]
Hunter Baker
As a justice, you know, she was really big on curbing corruption, and that suggests that some of these vested interests in the political class in Nepal could find themselves vulnerable to steps that she might want to take.
- [27:00]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
But by Friday morning, the political leaders and Nepal's president agree to install Khaki as the next prime minister. Shortly after taking office, Prime Minister Khaki promised to schedule new elections in six months. That's a stark contrast to Bangladesh, where the interim government only recently scheduled elections for February. After more than a year in power.
- [27:22]
Hunter Baker
But in Nepal, you've got a much clearer time frame and a much clearer path to a formal transition. So hopefully that will portend stability.
- [27:31]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Even so, stability will require more than new leaders. Pastor Bhat says government offices across Nepal lay in ruins following the protests.
- [27:40]
Hunter Baker
All the local mayor office, local government registration office, passport office and we have lost very much valuable documents.
- [27:49]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Pastor Bhat runs two orphanages in his city. And he says a child welfare officer told him that many important government records were destroyed.
- [27:58]
Hunter Baker
We cannot save even one document is fully burned out.
- [28:02]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Every office is one document not destroyed. Was Nepal's constitution and it prevents Nepal's nearly 30 million citizens from directly electing their leaders. Bhatt says that's an obstacle to many of the youth protesters goals.
- [28:16]
Hunter Baker
That means we have to change the constitution. Otherwise it's not possible. The same people will come again, same political party.
- [28:25]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
As Prime Minister Kharki appoints members of her cabinet to lead Nepal, Bhatt says the Christians that make up only a tiny minority in Nepal are putting their trust in a higher authority.
- [28:38]
Hunter Baker
Pray for the stability of this new system. And also God may give the right heart to the people. Those who will be in this anthem, government and Nepal needs God. Moreover, anything.
- [28:55]
Jenny Lynn Schmidt
That's this week's world tour. I'm Jenny Lindschmidt.
- [29:13]
Nick Eicher
In Germany, ding dong ditch is known as a klingelstreich. In other words, a doorbell prank. But this culprit turned out to be pretty slippery. Even though his getaway came at a literal snail's pace. No evidence showed up on such security cam. So residents called the policei to investigate. And guess what they found. Okay, basically what he's saying is that they discovered a slug that was crawling up the facade and tripping the automatic bell sensor. Oozing its way across the panel, it set off doorbells again and again. Wieder und wieder. So no charges filed. Though sooner or later, this prank is going to learn that one dash of salt will end his slimy career.
- [30:00]
Lindsay Mast
I'll feel his aim, buddy.
- [30:01]
Nick Eicher
It's the world and everything in it.
- [30:17]
Lindsay Mast
Today is Wednesday, September 17th. Thank you for turning to world radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Lindsay Mast.
- [30:24]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on the world and everything in it, Faith and fame. Now, you might know the Savannah Bananas for their outrageous stunts. We covered that side of the story last week. But this week we are considering what happens when baseball's biggest entertainers start asking if all the fun and fame are enough. For some bananas Teammates. The answer took them down unexpected path.
- [30:50]
Lindsay Mast
What began as quiet conversations among teammates soon turned into something much bigger. Something they couldn't keep to themselves.
- [31:01]
Nick Eicher
Go bananas.
- [31:05]
Lindsay Mast
It's a common sight outside historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia. A mass of people waiting for an encounter with the wildly popular Savannah vintage. The team's league plays a version of baseball they call banana ball. It's built for excitement.
- [31:20]
Nick Eicher
That ball is annihilated. Robert Anthony Cruz, walk off home run.
- [31:26]
Lindsay Mast
The players are both professional athletes and entertainers.
- [31:30]
Nick Eicher
You are watching banana ball live on espn. The greatest show in sports takes over Fenway park for a second straight year.
- [31:38]
Lindsay Mast
As a result, the league has sold out major league stadiums two summers in a row. Owner Jesse Cole is famous in marketing circles for how he leveraged various stunts to attract attention. Heard here on acq2 podcast and I.
- [31:52]
Nick Eicher
Just said let's get crazy. And yeah, we started doing grandma beauty pageants. A dig to China night where we actually buried a certificate to China in the infield dirt. And after the game we had everyone dig to China.
- [32:03]
Hunter Baker
Like an actual trip to China.
- [32:05]
Vice President J.D. Vance
Yeah, but it was just a one.
- [32:06]
Nick Eicher
Way flight to China. We offered George Bush after his term was over, an internship with us. We were going to give a host family a stipend. So we just started doing everything to create attention.
- [32:15]
Lindsay Mast
And it worked. The league attracts millions of fans. So many it's hard to even get a ticket to a game. But the Christian players in the league, like catcher Bill Leroy, were finding that the fame was empty.
- [32:27]
Nick Eicher
Like, if that's what we're like constantly looking for, is the next high, is the next the next fun thing to do or the next, like if that's all we're chasing in life, like we're doomed. That stuff gets old no matter what you do.
- [32:37]
Lindsay Mast
He wasn't alone. Other players in the league also wanted something deeper.
- [32:41]
Nick Eicher
Three years ago, I was, you know, looking for things in the wrong places. Whether it was going out and drinking every night and, you know, partying like a rock star.
- [32:50]
Lindsay Mast
And outfielder Dr. Meadows.
- [32:52]
Nick Eicher
That wasn't how I wanted to live. This is not me. The.
- [32:56]
Hunter Baker
The Lord has worked in my life.
- [32:59]
Nick Eicher
More than I could have imagined. And I.
- [33:01]
Lindsay Mast
So the players looked for a way to pursue their faith together. That turned into a Bible study. They started with a handful of players, but within months, 40 of the league's roughly 100 players started coming. As the studies grew, they began considering something new. What if they opened it up to even more people, including fans? Bananas outfielder Robert Anthony Cruz.
- [33:23]
Hunter Baker
We started praying, okay, Like, God, if you want us to, let us know.
- [33:25]
Nick Eicher
If you want us to take this outside of what we already have.
- [33:29]
Lindsay Mast
But going public raised new questions. Would worship nights look like just another banana ball marketing spectacle?
- [33:35]
Nick Eicher
We don't want it to be performative in, like, we don't want it to seem insincere when we are sharing our faith.
- [33:44]
Lindsay Mast
And they do worry about what might be motivating the fans coming to these events. Maybe they're just coming for an autograph.
- [33:50]
Kent Covington
And it makes us want to shut stuff down.
- [33:52]
Lindsay Mast
Player Noah Bridges says the only way around that is to hope that maybe the fans would hear something that would change them.
- [33:57]
Nick Eicher
So if they're coming here with a different heart posture, we pray that God, you take care of it. We're just here for one reason. That's just to exemplify you. You take care of the rest.
- [34:06]
Lindsay Mast
Catcher Bill Leroy agrees. He says they can only worry about their own motivations, despite what it may look like from the outside.
- [34:13]
Nick Eicher
We started this because we needed the gospel, I guess, like, it's. And we're sharing this 100%. Like, we don't want any money. We don't want your money. We want something that's just like, it's so good to us at our core that we want other people to have the same thing.
- [34:28]
Lindsay Mast
And he says that's helped clarify his mission and insists it's no stunt.
- [34:33]
Nick Eicher
My job here is not to play ball. My job is to spread the gospel. Like, with the gift of all of this. All of this that I'm doing is a gift from God. So.
- [34:40]
Lindsay Mast
Reporting for World. I'm Lindsay Mast in Savannah, Georgia. Today is Wednesday, September 17th. Good morning. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported world Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.
- [35:13]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Eicher. Finally today, world commentator Janie B. Chaney says there is a beast within each of us that is ready to pounce.
- [35:29]
Janie B. Chaney
Anger may be the most powerful human emotion. For that reason, and mercifully, it's hard to maintain. Few of us have the energy to stay boiling mad for long. But given the number of angry people online, I wonder if they're taking some kind of Viagra for the bile duct. If I had to choose the distinguishing public vice of our age, it would not be lust, but rage. Righteous indignation has its place in time. God himself righteously feels and expresses wrath, but graciously holds back for the sake of Christ and his church. On the other hand, human anger is the first sin specifically called out as sin. It led to the first murder. Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen? God asked Cain in Genesis chapter four. If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well. Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. God seems to be offering a choice. The technology is striking. Sin is crouching at the door, not standing upright and knocking like an honest man, not picking the lock or peeking through the keyhole. The image is that of a wild beast ready to spring. Its desire is for you. It wants to eat you alive, Cain. Swallow you whole. You're on the brink of something you can't even imagine yet. You don't know what you're capable of. But unless you throttle that beast right now, you soon will. Cain did not throttle the beast and soon found out what he was capable of when his brother's mangled body lay ominously still in its own blood. Sin got through the door. But where was it to begin with? I used to imagine it outside sin, trying to get in, to devour us, but knowing what we do about ourselves and human history. The metaphor works better the other way. Sin is panting to get out. It doesn't whisper in our ear like a cartoon devil. It hammers in our heart, coils in our stomach, churns in our gut. Let me out. You can watch it happening when your toddler throws his first tantrum. I'm not talking about Charlie Kirk's murderer, whose gut level motivation may have been rage or it could have been the soul sucking emptiness of nihilism. I'm talking about us and how we respond. John Pot Horitz, editor of Commentary magazine, wrote an interesting post about how all of us have murderous thoughts, but generally restrained them until the advent of social media. It goes back to Adam, who chose to let sin in. Since then, all his descendants struggled to keep it contained. It's justified to feel anger at unjustifiable acts of violence. But in your anger do not sin. Here's the situation as God laid it out for Cain. Will you allow this inner beast to overpower you? Or will you control it? There's no choice about where sin resides. We know it's in our hearts. But will we be its master or its meat? I'm Janie Buchaney.
- [39:16]
Lindsay Mast
Tomorrow, The Drug Enforcement Administration is now taking up a plan that started in the previous administration reclassifying marijuana and weighing the pros and cons of appetite suppressing drugs. That and more tomorrow. I'm Lindsay Mast.
- [39:30]
Nick Eicher
And I'm Nick Icker. 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 who Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. Verses 8 and 9 of Proverbs 24. Go now in grace and peace.