TEXAS CHURCH MURDERS | THANKSGIVING HOMELESSNESS NOVEMBER 25, 2017 DANIEL of the YEAR Joni Eareckson Tada From despair to joy MOUTHS OPEN: Free eating in D.C. DOORS OPEN: Museum of the Bible HEARTS OPEN: Helping Rohingya refugees BASIC CLASSIC A Biblical, non-insurance approach to health care Monthly costs starting at: Based on age, household size, and membership level As believers in Christ, we are called to glorify God in all that we do. Samaritan members bear each other’s burdens by sharing the cost of Individuals $100 medical bills while praying for and encouraging one another. Members can choose between two membership options for sharing their medical 2 Person $200 needs: Samaritan Classic, and a new, low-cost option, Samaritan Basic. 3+ People $250 As of October 2017 Find more information at: samaritanministries.org CONTENTS | November 25, 2017 • Volume 32 • Number 22 32 19 38 42 46 FEATURES DISPATCHES 32 6 News / Human Race / More than inspirational Quotables / Quick Takes DANIEL OF THE YEAR Joni Eareckson Tada’s extraordinary half-century as a quadriplegic and a disabilities advocate is far more than a story of human endurance CULTURE 19 Movies & TV / Books / 38 Housing shorts Children’s Books / Q&A / Music The federal and state governments and many nonprofits are pushing a homeless policy that works for some but not for many others NOTEBOOK 55 Lifestyle / Technology / Politics 42 On the town Lessons learned during four days of free eating in Washington VOICES 46 Not exactly Indiana Jones 4 Joel Belz Sloppiness and misdirection led to federal investigators confiscating 16 Janie B. Cheaney thousands of smuggled items from Hobby Lobby’s Bible collection. Now as the Museum of the Bible opens, scholars wonder what 30 Mindy Belz will happen to the confiscated artifacts 61 Mailbag 63 Andrée Seu Peterson 50 Hundreds of thousands to help Christian missionaries offer assistance to Rohingya Muslims amid 64 Marvin Olasky a state-driven humanitarian crisis ON THE COVER: Photo by Gary Fong/Genesis Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity Notes from the CEO “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein.” —PSALM 24:1 n my previous “Notes” column, I told you about the small team that puts together all of our journalistic content, and the even Chief Content Officer Nick Eicher Editor in Chief Marvin Olasky smaller team that takes care of all the other organizational Senior Editor Mindy Belz I logistics around here. Here’s a little more: Editor Timothy Lamer National Editor Jamie Dean Only 23 of our employees consider our Asheville office to be Managing Editor Daniel James Devine Art Director David K. Freeland their primary place of business. Most days, the actual “population” of the office is Associate Art Director Robert L. Patete Reporters Emily Belz • Sophia Lee up around 30, which includes several who work in other cities but visit the office East Asia Bureau June Cheng • Angela Lu Fulton Story Coach Susan Olasky regularly. Then, about once a month we experience a convergence of staff who get Senior Writers Janie B. Cheaney Andrée Seu Peterson • John Piper together in the office for regularly scheduled meetings. Our offices are crowded Edward E. Plowman • Lynn Vincent Correspondents Sandy Barwick • Megan Basham and lively at those times. Julie Borg • Anthony Bradley • Bob Brown Michael Cochrane • John Dawson The combination of remote offices and extensive travel allow us to cover much Juliana Chan Erikson • Katie Gaultney Kim Henderson • Charles Horton • Mary Jackson more territory with our own reporters than a small budget like ours would nor- Jill Nelson • Henry Olsen • Arsenio Orteza Jenny Schmitt • Jae Wasson • Emily Whitten mally allow. Having staff stretched out across the country and across the world is Mailbag Editor Les Sillars Executive Assistant June McGraw not without issues, but we consider that the benefits far exceed the troubles. Editorial Assistants Kristin Chapman Amy Derrick • Mary Ruth Murdoch One big benefit: the ability to put “boots on the ground” for the reporting we Graphic Designer Rachel Beatty Illustrator Krieg Barrie do, rather than relying on a person at a desk with a good internet connection. Digital Production Assistant Arla J. Eicher Another big benefit: the ability to stretch a dollar as far as it will go. A remote workforce doesn’t carry the same overhead baggage as a huge home-office staff, Website wng.org Executive Editor Mickey McLean and travel costs are minimized (though still high), using reporters already near the Managing Editor Leigh Jones Assistant Editors Kiley Crossland major stories. Lynde Langdon • Dan Perkins Reporters Onize Ohikere • Evan Wilt These benefits allow our small workforce to cover the world, every day, to Correspondents La Shawn Barber • Gaye Clark Laura Finch • Samantha Gobba • Anna K. Poole bring WORLD members the Biblically objective reporting and analysis you expect Bonnie Pritchett • Julia A. Seymour Editorial Assistant Whitney Williams from us. Website wng.org/radio Executive Producer/Cohost Nick Eicher Managing Editor J.C. Derrick Cohost Mary Reichard Senior Correspondent Cal Thomas Correspondents Paul Butler • Kent Covington Kevin Martin Jim Henry • Sarah Schweinsberg [email protected] Producers Johnny Franklin • Carl Peetz (technical) Kristen Eicher (field) Listening In Warren Cole Smith • Rich Roszel Chief Executive Officer Kevin Martin Founder Joel Belz CONTACT US: 800.951.6397 / WNG.ORG Development Pierson Gerritsen Follow us on Twitter: @WORLD_mag Debra Meissner • Andrew Belz Marketing Jonathan Woods Follow us on Facebook: @WORLD.Magazine Advertising Partnerships Michael Schuerman Matt Blahnik Member Services Amanda Beddingfield TO BECOME A WORLD MEMBER, GIVE A GIFT MEMBERSHIP, CHANGE Summer Dodd • Alison Foley • Nancy Herrera ADDRESS, OR ACCESS OTHER MEMBER ACCOUNT INFORMATION: KIDS’ AND TEENS’ PUBLICATIONS Email [email protected] Website wng.org/children Online wng.org/account (current members) or members.wng.org (to become a member) Publisher Howard Brinkman Editor Rich Bishop Phone 800.951.6397 (within the United States) or 828.232.5260 (outside the U.S.) Monday-Friday (except holidays), 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET world journalism institute Website worldji.com Write WORLD, PO Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998 Dean Marvin Olasky Associate Dean Edward Lee Pitts FOR BACK ISSUES, REPRINTS, OR PERMISSIONS: BOARD of directors Back issues 800.951.6397 John Weiss (chairman) William Newton (vice chairman) Reprints and permissions 828.232.5415 or [email protected] Mariam Bell • Kevin Cusack • Peter Lillback Howard Miller • R. 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Holiday DR World 11.17.indd 1 9/21/17 2:58 PM Holiday DR World 11.17.indd 1 9/21/17 2:58 PM VOICES Joel Belz UNION UNIVERSITY PREPARES STUDENTS surprisingly lengthy—do a quick but thoughtful ranking within each category. If you could give to only one college this year, which would it be? Put a #1 next to whichever you think is doing the best relief for the poor. Which is most to think. effective in campus evangelism? Add another #1 for each and every category. Is a sense of priorities emerging as you Playing favorites approach your own year-end giving season? If your mailbox is flooded over to create. A LITTLE RESEARCH WILL HELP the next few weeks with appeals from YEAR-END GIVING Christian and quasi-Christian organi- zations seeking your support, won’t it We all have our favorites. Whether we’re be useful to have done a little “compar- R talking about restaurants, college football ison shopping” along the way—sorting to grow. teams, preachers, vacation resort sites, math out the truly deserving from the also- teachers, novels, hospitals, or classical music rans? My suggestion: Pick the #1 composers, it’s just human nature—when organization in each category, give as someone mentions a particular category—for generously as you possibly can to that the rest of us to respond by naming our top #1, and leave the rest to someone else. choices, preferences, or loyalties. And yes, I’m well aware of the Sometimes it’s a chance, and perhaps even extent to which such advice puts silly, commitment. My zeal for the Atlanta WORLD News Group out on a limb. I I grew exponentially in my faith Braves is rooted, truth be told, in the superficial realize that I’m asking you to rank us “at Union. Union grounded me very fact that we both moved south in the mid-1960s. as your #1 provider of world news and In the 50 years since then, I’ve attended no news analysis—and then to support us well in my faith and apologetics more than a dozen Braves’ games. I’m hardly accordingly. what you’d call a really fanatic fan. That doesn’t mean, incidentally, and knowing why I believe what For other careful souls, though, such allegiance that we think we should be your only I believe. It gave me a very strong is justified only after some diligent homework.