I could have titled this piece “Notable Quotes and Controversies of the Last Few Weeks,” but although it would have been accurate, it wouldn’t have been very descriptive about what the quotes or controversies were about. That’s why I decided to go with the above. Additionally, as regular readers will know, I’ve often written about these topics, and they frequently go together.
Our first theme, civility, is treating human beings created in the image of God with gentleness and respect and is intimately tied to listening. In fact, listening may be the most primitive and profound form of respect there is. Our second theme, cancel culture—writing off or erasing another person because of what they say or believe—is the opposite of civility and listening. And our third theme, abortion, is one of the most polarizing, “cancel culturey” issues there is as far as listening and civility. Below, I’d like to share a few quotes by Ken Burns related to civility and the power of story, highlight a controversy involving Chip and Johanna Gaines related to cancel culture, and end with a few thoughts on N.T. Wright’s comments related to abortion.
Civility
According to an AI overview, “Ken Burns’s newest documentary is a six-part, 12-hour series titled The American Revolution, which premieres on PBS on November 16, 2025. The series explores the events and aftermath of the American Revolution, examining how it transformed the world.” Here are a few things he recently said in an interview with the New York Times[1] related to civility, listening, and the power of story:
- “The best arguments in the world won’t change a single person’s viewpoint. The only thing that can do that is a good story. Good stories are a kind of benevolent Trojan horse. You let them in and they add complication, allowing you to understand that sometimes a thing and its opposite are true at the same time.”
- “The binaries that we set up are the biggest trap, whether they come from the left or the right. When you see somebody making a ‘them;’ you have to be careful. That’s antithetical to what the Declaration is saying. I hope that what we do on the Fourth of July is try to put the ‘us’ into the US.”
Cancel Culture
Besides having seen many of Burn’s great documentaries, many of you are familiar with Chip and Johanna Gaines “the power couple known for their home renovation and lifestyle brand, Magnolia, which includes the Magnolia Network, a retail space called Magnolia Market at the Silos, and various other ventures. They gained fame through their HGTV show ‘Fixer Upper,’ which documented their work transforming dilapidated homes in Waco, Texas.”[2]
Although they are no stranger to controversy on the left or the right, David French gives some excellent context and commentary (sorry, there’s a paywall) on their latest cancel culture experience: “The Gaineses are working with HBO Max on a new reality television series, called ‘Back to the Frontier.’ The premise is simple and sounds like fun. Several families agree to give up modern conveniences (including all their tech) to live a late-19th-century life. One of the families is made up of two dads and their twin boys.”[3] As many of you might suspect, the last sentence I’ve italicized set many conservative Christian’s hair on fire to the point of canceling their association with the Gaine’s. Here is Chip Gaines’ public response on X and it’s a good one:
“Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge Ist, understand later/never. It’s a sad sunday when ‘non believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.”
Abortion
And here are N.T. Wright’s recent comments on abortion that set off a similar firestorm as the Gaines’ new reality TV show. I encourage you to take 10 minutes and listen to his perspective. You might not agree with his full answer (I don’t), but it’s a great example of a thoughtful and compassionate response. Having spent a bit of time in the pro-life space professionally, I want to close with some counsel I received from my friend Josh Brahm, President of Equal Rights Institute, on the question, “Is there any time abortion is ethically right, such as saving the life of a mother, rape, or incest?”[4] As I prepared for an online panel on abortion at Regent University, I found his approach and nuance invaluable:
- Begin with empathy and compassion.
- When a pro-choice person brings up the issue of rape, they’re not terribly concerned at that point if the unborn is human. They want to find out whether we’re human.
- After talking and listening for a while to their perspective, I (Josh) say something like, “We both agree that rape is an act of violence that was done against an innocent person, the woman. I believe we shouldn’t try to fix the problem by doing another act of violence toward another innocent person, the child.”
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/opinion/donald-trump-fourth-of-july.html
[2] Google AI overview.
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/opinion/chip-joanna-gaines-evangelical-christianity.html
[4] https://blog.equalrightsinstitute.com/responding-question-rape-wisdom-compassion/