Episode 100
#100. Art Gives Us a Sense of God's Heart
Henry O. Arnold III releases a new book, "The Mercy Seat," the first volume of "The Urban Chronicles" series.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- Importance of talking about conflict & dichotomy
- Jesus came to give us His heart so that we can reflect His heart to the world
- Willingness to sacrifice
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Henry's career as an actor and author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. His most recent film is "The Hiding Place." He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled "The Song of Prophets and Kings."
Mr. Arnold received his B.A. from Pepperdine University and his Master of Fine Arts degree at U.N.C. Chapel Hill.
When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world.
He and his lovely wife, Kay, have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.
TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:
02:02 - Introducing Henry O Arnold III
02:35 - raised in Christian home
02:41 - parent are professional actors
02:58 - people of all walks of life welcomed into their home
03:53 - appeared in a play with his father
04:24 - met wife, Kay
05:01 - influence of a father on his son
05:17 - What led Henry to write The Mercy Seat
05:41 - Kay suggested writing something contemporary as opposed to historical fiction
06:04 - read article about a pastor who worked with urban societies, specifically the homeless
06:48 - Henry had been working with organizations minstering to the homeless
07:49 - Brief description and narrative arc of The Mercy Seat
09:32 - Inspiration for the characters
10:51 - Matching characters with the action in the story
11:15 - Making characters authentic and believable
11:59 - Imagine the characters playing out the scenes
12:46 - Imagination & daydreaming
13:08 - Importance of talking about major themes of the book - conflict & dichotomy
13:28 - People to see themselves in the characters and environments
14:39 - Empathize with the character because of his truthfulness
15:13 - Expands the heart muscle of how we see people
15:26 - Art helps us see that we have a common bond
15:38 - Art gives Christians a sense of God's heart towards all people
15:52 - Jesus came to give us His heart so that we can reflect His heart to the world
16:10 - Hebrew idea of being God-centric is to be a blessing on this earth
16:41 - Christian idea of being God-centric is eternal life
16:49 - Jesus came and changed us and we see these elements in our society
17:29 - When we are kind to the others, we lend to the Lord - we show God's kindness to one another
18:17 - God desires justice, not sacrifice
18:50 - Our righteousness comes from God and we should be able to reflect that in acts of justice
19:51 - Researching for The Mercy Seat deepened relationships with God, Kay, immediate family, and other people
20:23 - Willingness to sacrifice
22:03 - Jesus used stories to bring people back to God
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