Listener Feedback: December 2024

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, December 27th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Time now for Listener Feedback.

We begin with a quick correction: Back on December 11th in a story about wildfires in Southern California, we misidentified public-safety officer Robert Luna as a chief of police. That’s wrong. He is rather sheriff of LA County.

Next, some were confused by our use on a recent Doubletake of the term “unthaw.” Some say that’s incorrect, redundant at best, contradictory at worst. Because after all, to thaw is to move from frozen solid to frozen no longer. To unthaw in that sense would be to do the opposite, under this view.

At WORLD, though, we follow AP Style … except in the case of the exceptions … and AP’s authoritative dictionary … and therefore ours … is Merriam Webster. Here’s the entry: “Although unthaw as a synonym of thaw is sometimes cited as an illogical error, it has persisted in occasional use for more than four centuries. … First known use, 15-98.” That’s the final word until it’s not.

BROWN: Speaking of Doubletake …

BRETT: Hi, this is Brett calling from Tennessee. I just finished listening to the two-part series “In Glass” on IVF and adoption and I just really appreciate that you guys covered this story. I'm actually early in the pregnancy right now through embryo adoption. So I appreciate both the thoughtful, and critical discussion that was had around it. I think Christians just really need to have a knowledge and a theology about this and it starts by having conversations like this. So I just wanted to say thank you for doing that report and I did share it with a couple of the gals I know who also went through embryo adoptions and listened to the first part and I know they appreciated it.

EICHER: Listener Ian McAllistar from Hinsdale, Massachusetts left us a voicemail about a story this month about a woman who took the first dose of a chemical abortion pill, then had second thoughts, but struggled to find the information she needed to reverse the process.

IAN MCALLISTAR: I just listened to Leah Savas's excellent, compelling piece on abortion pill reversal. Just wanted to thank you for that. Really fascinating, well put together. I had heard a lot of that material before but never put together that way, in such an amazing, kind of all in one story like that. So thank you very much for all the great work you do. Keep up the good work and we’ll keep listening.

Our technical production guys are an absolutely crucial part of the team working late, working holidays and they don’t say much, but the work they do makes quite a statement.

I love it when listeners recognize the skill they bring …

MATTHEW TUCK: Matthew Tuck … Los Gatos, California. Special praise for the music editors who chose Live and Learn as the outro music for Colin Garbarino’s review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Fans of the video game franchise will recognize that as coming from Shadow’s first appearance—Shadow being an important character in that film. I wanted to praise you for your attention to detail. Thanks so much.

BROWN: After last week’s shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, we featured excerpts of a prayer service held at City Church. Here’s listener Scott Roberts of Branson, Missouri.

SCOTT ROBERTS: It was so precious to be able to listen to those people, and it was as if I was there, being able to mourn with those who mourn. Thank you for all you do.

EICHER: Next, Matthew Wagoner from North Carolina left us a voicemail after learning Bob Case was coming back with his occasional series on the Great American Songbook:

MATTHEW WAGONER: You guys have been part of the family, and each morning, when I listen, I just feel like I'm hanging out with my family. Thank you so much for your ministry. Even though it's 19 degrees this morning, my heart is so warm because I heard that you guys are going to be bringing Bob Case back occasionally. Bob reminds me of my deceased Uncle David, just such a warm, jolly fellow, and I am really looking forward to hearing his voice again and hearing from the American Songbook. Thank you guys so much for all you do. I love you. We're praying for you, and we so enjoy supporting your ministry. Love you guys, bye, bye.

That’s kind, and I’m glad to hear it said like that. The work we do of course is motivated by love for Christ and for His people, and so that love does flow both ways. Thank you all so very much.

BROWN: And one last voicemail this morning, this one came in from another grateful listener, Carlan Wendler, a medical missionary who listens in Burundi. He sent us this voicemail along with a poem that he wrote.

CARLAN WENDLER: Thank you guys for all that you do at The World and Everything in It. You educate, inform, inspire, and actually give a little modicum of peace in a world that is always torn apart by so many conflicts and challenges. I thank you guys… I wanted to read you this poem for Thanksgiving. I'd actually love it if George Grant would read it, but I think … maybe that's not possible … it's called: How will a stone praise you? From Luke 19:40…

I’ll jump in here to say our producer Paul Butler sent his poem over to George who not only enjoyed it, but did record it.

So that’s how we’ll end the year of listener feedback with George Grant reading “How will a stone praise you?”

GEORGE GRANT: How Will A Stone Praise You? by Carlan Wendler

Some birds can whistle, warble, call;
While kid and lamb bleat in their stall.
Colt and mare snort, whiny and neigh.
Calf and cow lo amidst their hay.
Frogs will croak while chirp the crickets,
And squeak the mice of field (and) thicket.
The bees they bustle, buzz and hum;
And lizards slither when they run.
Quacks and honks and cries and roars,
Creation’s praise mounts. It soars.
But how will a stone praise You?
Leaves can rustle, crumple, crack
And brushing branches veer and tack.
Rain can beat and drum and flow
While shushing is the fall of snow.
The waves they batter, lap or bash —
As peals of thunder clap and crash.
The rushing river sounds applause,
And glaciers grind and pop their flaws.
Howls the wind…or whispers near;
All things are heard to Maker’s ear.
But how will a stone praise You?
A thrown stone whizzes, a dropped stone clacks
With ruckus down a valley’s cracks —
Or finds a pond to plunk and splash
And gurgle, gargle, breathe its last.
Great stones groan and grate and grind —
While small stones gravel grovels fine.
Shifts sands will sweep and swish.
And lava grumbles with a hiss.
Yet You have chosen in Your grace
The human voice to give You praise.
And though you gave us great surrounds,
All You ask are grateful sounds.
So breathe again into this clay
And raise a note of joy today.
Replace with flesh this heart of stone
And let it beat a thankful tone.
We thank You for the gift of life —
For coming down amidst our strife.
We thank You for the Cross and Grave
And Path of Pardon that they pave.
We thank You for Your family’s name,
For Union though we’re not the same.
We thank You that the Son of God
Was hidden in an earthy clod.
So how could a stone not praise You?

EICHER: Thanks so much to everyone who wrote and called in this year. We’re grateful for the time you give to listen each day and for your feedback.

We love it when you interact with what you hear on The World and Everything in It …

If something we’ve reported makes you think, makes you act, raises a question you hadn’t thought of before, helps you understand something you didn’t, please join the conversation.

BROWN: You can email us: editor@wng.org. You can include an audio file and attach to your email. You can even phone it in at 202-709-9595.

And that’s Listener Feedback!

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.