25 Years After 9/11, and the Danger of Trivializing Violence
Podcasts > The Common Good Podcast
Thursday, September 10, 2026
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brian reflects on that day's lasting impact and shares the inspiring story of Wells Crowther, "the man in the red bandana," who saved up to 18 lives in the South Tower before losing his own. On the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination, Brian laments how quickly the killing of a young husband and father became politicized and memed rather than mourned as an act of senseless violence. He raises alarm over recent comments from a former Anthropic employee warning AI could threaten humanity within a decade, and calls for greater regulatory attention. Brian digs into a Gospel Coalition piece calling American Christians to reclaim the term "evangelical" from its political connotations and reconnect with the global evangelical movement, shares Paul Washer's reflection after a near-fatal heart attack on regretting not loving more rather than not working more, and discusses new Lifeway research showing church attendance growth concentrated in larger churches at the expense of shrinking smaller ones — a shift researchers attribute more to transfer growth than new conversions. He closes with a story about R.C. Sproul's humble response when pressed to say Billy Graham wouldn't be in heaven, modeling grace across theological disagreement.
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