278. When Christian Heroes Die, How Can We Debate and Honor Their Work?

Here in the U.S., we just had Labor Day, meant to mark the actions of hard-working Americans. And right now many Christian families honor the work of Christian heroes who are now at rest, such as pastor John MacArthur and Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. Many fantastical stories wouldn’t be here without faithful Christians. When they pass on, and people discuss and debate their legacies, how can we best honor their labors? Episode sponsors Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden Mission update Lorehaven new reviews: The Heart of the King and Beneath False Stars Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Quotes and notes “John MacArthur, Fiery Preacher and Culture Warrior, Dies at 86,” Ruth Graham at The New York Times, July 15, 2025 “James Dobson Was My Horror, and Yours,” Sarah Jones at New York Magazine, Aug. 27, 2025 (only six days after Dobson’s Aug. 21 death) Naiveté is not a trait to be cultivated in our children. Prudishness is foolish immaturity. It leaves our children gullible and vulnerable. The naïve are the easiest targets for the seductive wiles of temptation. Throughout the book of Proverbs, the naïve (“simple” in many translations) are held up as negative examples. It is a grave mistake to think of our children as little angels who need to be handled delicately so they don’t get corrupted. Rather, they are corrupt little sinners who need to be led to righteousness. “Treating the Symptoms, Not the Sin,” John MacArthur sermon dated May 8, 2015 It began as an experiment. In 1986 Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wanted to produce a high-quality drama series for the radio. He hoped that it would appeal to Christians looking for alternatives to Saturday morning cartoons or simply families in search of wholesome entertainment. Steve Harris and Phil Lollar, the show’s creators, brainstormed what the series could be. They decided that it should be set in a small town (called Odyssey) somewhere in the Midwest and hearken to the golden age of radio without sounding dated. In 1987, a 13-week test series was aired on the Focus on the Family broadcast. It was called Family Portraits and chronicled the lives and times of Odyssey residents — including John Whittaker and a special “soda shop and discovery emporium” called Whit’s End. Audience response was so favorable that Focus went one step further and created the weekly radio program that would eventually be called Adventures in Odyssey. “The History of Adventures in Odyssey,” WhitsEnd.org, undated article now archived 1. We love ‘small’ and ‘big’ Christian heroes Big heroes take big risks to meet big needs during big moments. They’re truly multi-talented, often skilled with speaking and writing. Best of all, despite their flaws, they truly love our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Our Lord uses few “big” heroes to benefit many churches and believers. Example: big heroes of the Bible, reflected in many fantastical heroes. Even better, He uses leagues of “small” heroes to build up communities. Example: side characters of Scripture (unnamed?), and fantastical NPCs. 2. Yet we may also debate heroes’ legacies. This is less expected after quietly faithful or lesser-known Christians die. During grief, funerals, and mourning, negative responses are less public. That’s less so with big Christian heroes who often get criticized outright. Critics say that MacArthur and Dobson both had blind spots at best. But some go further, accusing them of enabling bad sins against them. Some blame popular Christians for not preventing abuse or hypocrisy. Effectively, “If you had not been here, I would have never suffered this.” 3. How can we best discuss heroes’ legacies? Like Harry Potter with Prof. Dumbledore, we grow by discerning nuance. Stephen suggests honest loyalty with Christian heroes, similar to Harry. We admit blind spots and flaws; we do not expect leaders to be God. We wisely recognize that God alone is good, and He uses flawed men. The same is true of flawed yet faithful Christian individuals who pass on. Obituaries could acknowledge controversies about popular Christians. Yet wiser obits leave wider discussions for later, theme-based content. Com station Top question for listeners Who was the last “big” or “small” hero whose death you grieved? Next on Fantastical Truth Heroes are born (in God’s view!) yet also built (in man’s view!). To become a hero following your God-given destiny, you’d best stay out of jail. Yet some Christian heroes do get caught in bad habits that keep them pacing in their tiny cells rather than practicing wise discipline as they go on adventures. How do Christian creators, in particular, fall into the traps of “cage stages”?