Look Closer Podcast

In our final episode of Season Two, we reflect on our conversations from this season and talk about the amazing guests who shared their stories with us. Then, we close by sharing an original piece called "Cracks: A World Shaped By COVID-19" that reflects on the injustices of our society and muses on how America will be different once the worst of the pandemic passes (06:15). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our penultimate episode of Season Two, we talk with Abby Benson and Clare O'Brien, RNs serving in different North Carolina hospitals, about the Coronavirus pandemic and its impact on their work as nurses. At the beginning, we ask Clare and Abby to share a bit about themselves and discuss how their experiences working in hospitals have been similar or different to the accounts of healthcare workers documented in the media (02:00). Then, we ask the two of them to share with our listeners what it would feel like to walk in their shoes during a shift for a day (09:05). At the break, we discuss how social distancing can help save lives by "flattening the curve" of the virus and limiting the number of people requiring hospitalization at the same time (15:20). Later, we invite Clare and Abby to share things that have surprised them and giving them hope during this unique season working in healthcare (19:40) before finally inviting them to share how their faith has been affected by the impact of the virus (32:05). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Hill & Alex "Big" Blake to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on sports. In the beginning, we discuss how no live sports on TV has affected each of us (01:50) and the unique challenges facing sports like UFC and WWE as they plan upcoming events without fans (06:05). Then, we talk about whether golf would be better or worse without fans and debate whether The Masters in November will still be engaging to watch (07:30). At the break, we share a story from our neighborhood about a local teacher serving meals to her students' families and invite listeners to partner with her (16:00). After we return, we share the oddities of watching championship replays on TV (17:40) and laugh about the absurdity of seeing NBA players playing NBA 2K and H.O.R.S.E. on TV (19:00). Finally, we talk about the potential upside of players being quarantined and forced to practice alone (24:00) and wonder aloud about potential timelines and/or restrictions on live sports coming back into our lives (25:55). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we sit down with Suz Arant, a childhood friend of Elizabeth’s, to talk about her recent engagement to her fiancé, Nate, and the impact of COVID-19 on their wedding planning process. At the beginning, Suz shares how the virus has affected her day-to-day life as an elementary school teacher in the Memphis area (03:30). Then, we ask Suz to share the story of how she and Nate met as well as the details of the proposal (06:10) and invite her to share her top wedding priorities from the pre-Coronavirus planning season (13:10). During the break, we share an opportunity for our listeners to partner with the company JOANN as they work to create 100 million masks for medical professionals assisting those affected by COVID-19 (16:05). When we return, we invite Suz to share how she is doing with the changes brought about by this season and the impact that the virus has had on their wedding plans (17:30). Finally, Suz shares some things she is grieving during this time and where she finds her hope going forward (32:20). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we talk with Sanchez Fair, father, artist, small business owner and pastor, about the impact of the virus on his family and business, as well as the effects of the pandemic on communities of color around the country. At the beginning, Sanchez shares about his wife and two boys and how the changes brought about by this season have affected their family dynamics (01:55). Then, we ask Sanchez about the effect that the virus has had on his work (06:50) and look deeper into the disruption of his business, Stable Hand (10:50). At the break, we share how our listeners can support Stable Hand and its employees during this nontraditional season (16:25). When we return, we discuss the impact that closing everything except essential businesses has had on poorer communities of color as well as the unique challenge of properly defining what is “essential” when giving guidelines to broad groups of people (18:05). Later, we talk about the history and circumstances that have made people of color more vulnerable to the health risks and economic fallout caused by the virus (28:00). Finally, Sanchez shares his vision for how he hopes the Church will respond to this international pandemic and offers hope for people whose lives have been upended by COVID-19 (36:30). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we talk with Ashley Cramer, Associate Pastor at Center City Church in Charlotte, about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both our faith community and faith communities around the world. First, Ashley shares about her background as a missionary in various countries (02:20) and how her work as a pastor has changed since the coronavirus restrictions took place (05:20). Next, we ask Ashley to share how Center City (little "C" church!) is responding to the pandemic and trying to meet the needs of the community (11:10). At the break we share about #CLTStrong, a GoFundMe started to purchase meals from local restaurants and provide them to hospital staff on the front lines treating COVID-19 patients (15:35). Later, we ask Ashley to share some spiritual advice to people who are affected by the impact of this virus (17:10) and discuss how the Big "C" Church is responding during this season and wonder together what changes the virus might bring about in the world a year from now (23:25). To support #CLTStrong visit bit.ly/lookclosercltstrong Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we talk with Natalie and Riley Davis, Cru missionaries in Prague, about the effect of the Coronavirus outbreak and its impact on modern evangelism. At the beginning, Riley and Natalie share about their purpose in Prague and what life was like before COVID-19 restrictions took effect there a few weeks ago (01:55). Then, both share their perspectives on being Americans living in Europe amidst a global pandemic and the unique position of observing the outbreak's effects in the United States from far way (05:55), and at the break we share how our listeners can partner with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide meals for families in need in the Charlotte area (19:30). Next, Natalie and Riley share what it's been like working for an international missions organization during this season, as well as whether or not they considered returning to the U.S. when the outbreak worsened a few weeks ago (21:05). Finally, we discuss how the restrictions on life brought about by this pandemic could lead to significant changes in how evangelism is done in the future (25:15) and ask Riley and Natalie to share how their faith in Jesus has been tested by the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (31:35). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we invite Conor and Sara Kay Mooney on to talk about how the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting their family and careers. At the beginning, we invite them to share a little bit about themselves (01:40) and check in to see how their daily routines with having two young children have shifted with the stay-at-home mandate going into effect this week (04:25). Then, Conor shares about his experience working for a retirement community and the effect that the pandemic is having on the residents that he serves (12:00). After that, we take a quick break to discuss how listeners can support Charlotte service workers during this season through #tipCLT (16:35). After the break, we invite Conor and Sara Kay to share how COVID-19 has affected their children and how they are interpreting the life change (18:40) and talk about how the virus has disrupted and challenged students and those who work in education (28:25). Finally, we close by inviting the Mooneys to share how this pandemic has impacted their faith and has challenged them to look to the Lord during this season (34:40). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we dive into the history of the Coronavirus and how this outbreak compares to past pandemics in American history. We start by sharing current statistics and news surrounding the state of the Coronavirus pandemic (01:25). Then, we look at the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic to try to gain insight on what we might expect from over the next few months (03:30) and discuss vaccines and the particular challenge of creating a medical solution to address COVID-19 (13:00). Next, we discuss ways you can help young Charlotteans affected by the pandemic (16:40) and compare/contrast the H1N1 2009 Pandemic with COVID-19. Finally, we share why the virus has been so hard to track, test and contain since the first cases started appearing in December 2019 (22:00) and end with hope by sharing a poem by Dr. Anthony Abbott (28:30). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our first episode of Season Two (our 20th overall episode), we discuss the return of our podcast and the impact that COVID-19 is having on our community and around the world. We invite our listeners to join us in sharing how the virus is affecting them and talk about our vision for using this podcast to help those in need. Please message us on Instagram or Twitter if you or someone you know is facing hardship due to the impact of the spread of the virus, and we will do our best to share it with our podcast community. Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our Season 1 finale, we run through some highlights and reflections from each of our first 18 episodes over the past five months. Thank you all so much for listening—we have really appreciated all of the support and encouragement from our listeners every step of the way. We are grateful for all of you, and we hope you will stay tuned for Season 2! Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our eighteenth episode, we try a special format in the style of the sports television show "PTI", discussing six unique topics while limiting each segment to three minutes or less. First, we discuss singer Lauren Daigle's transition into mainstream pop music this past year after initially establishing herself as a Christian artist (01:40) and talk about new transportation projects coming to Charlotte—like the forthcoming Lynx Silver Line and the expansion of the CityLYNX Gold Line (04:45). Then, we move to the tragic events surrounding the recent mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques and discuss the role that Facebook Live and social media played in the fallout of the attack (08:00). Later, we talk about the college admissions bribery scandal (11:20) and the origins of the St. Patrick's Day holiday (14:25). Finally, we lay out our March Madness predictions (17:35) and share an update related to the future of Look Closer Podcast (21:00). Thank you for listening! Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we sit down to discuss the past, present and future of educational equity in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) system. At the beginning, we share our own unique experiences growing up attending CMS schools Kindergarten through 12th grade (03:40). After the break, we dive into some of the history of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system and its various attempts at desegregation and integration (18:45). Along the way, we explore the distribution of wealth and social capital in Charlotte by means of “the wedge” and “the crescent” (24:50) and discuss last year’s “Breaking the Link” study connecting poverty and race to graduation rates and students’ college and career readiness (25:50). We also discuss some of the challenges faced by students in high-poverty schools (31:45) and the difference between pursuing “equity” and “equality” when it comes to seeking justice in education (34:25). Finally, we wonder what an equitable school system looks like and go back-and-forth on ways members of the Charlotte community can help achieve that goal (38:05). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our sixteen episode, we talk with Alex “Big” Blake, Carolina alum & avid sports fan, about the big story from the UNC/Duke game last week and take a deep dive into the oft-mentioned “To Pay or Not Pay College Athletes” discussion. At the beginning, we talk about Zion’s injury and the influx of news coverage surrounding the NCAA, Nike and Duke this week (01:35) and think about what it might be like to be in Zion’s shoes right now (09:25). After the break, we quickly break down the two sides of the paying players debate and the unique dynamics of the term “student athlete” (12:35). Then, we talk about where all the money in college sports currently goes and discuss the trend of high-profile schools investing back into their programs through facilities and perks for their athletes (15:40). Later, we imagine what it might look like to design a new framework for college sports where athletes, schools, coaches and fans feel the system is equitable and fair (19:45) before finally discussing the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule (29:00) and wondering if highly paid college coaches working with unpaid student athletes believe the current system is just and fair (34:35). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this special episode, guest host (and Look Closer Podcast producer!) Elizabeth Raby sits down with her friend Juanita Perdomo, Colombian American and aspiring physician assistant, to discuss her experience seeing life through the lens of multiple cultures. At the beginning, we ask Juanita to share a bit of her life story and explain how she answers the question, "Where are you from" (03:55). Then, Juanita describes the significance of family in her life (07:40) and reflects on her parents' journey toward becoming American citizens (11:00). After the break, we ask Juanita to tell us about some of the reasons her parents came to the U.S. and wonder what life could have been like for her family had they chosen to stay in Colombia (17:55). Finally, Juanita shares some of the unique elements of being multi-cultural in today's America (24:20) and talks about how she wants to use her life experience to help serve other Latin Americans through her work in the healthcare field (30:46). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our fourteenth episode, we sit down with Patrick Griffin, longtime Wilmington resident and esports aficionado, to talk about the evolution of video games, the arrival of esports and the Fortnite craze that is taking the world by storm. At the beginning, we discuss the unique challenge of connecting with students in Christian ministry & the role that video games play in building meaningful connections with them (03:30). Then, we dive deeper into our first experiences with gaming and break down the similarities and differences between traditional video games and this current era of esports (06:00). After the break, we reflect on how Fortnite completely upended the video game industry and paved the way for a new wave of free, downloadable, highly engaging game content accessible on a variety of platforms (19:40). Next, we talk about the rise of esports streaming and the creation of new esports celebrities through the rapid growth of streaming platforms like Twitch (22:05) and wonder whether the esports revolution is helping or harming society through its intentionally addictive gameplay (30:05). Finally, we question the role that our faith plays in our consumption of and attitude toward esports and video games (39:35). Thanks for listening! Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we talk with Javar Christian, current grad school student and all-around great guy, to discuss the pursuit of success in America and the benefits of postgraduate education. At the beginning, Javar shares a bit of his story and where his perspective on the world came from (02:15), as well as the path he took that led to his desire to begin pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree earlier this year (04:50). Then, Javar shares a bit about his journey of finding a church after his move to the greater Philadelphia area and the comfort he found in his community there (08:45). After the break, we talk about the power of growing up in different contexts and the effect that our networks have on our pursuit of “success” (16:20) and dive deeper into the pitfalls of the pursuit of perfection and wonder how social media has amplified our perception of others’ success or status in life (21:00). Finally, we look into some reasons why people invest tremendous amounts of time, energy and money into the pursuit of graduate-level education (28:10) and talk with Javar about his perspective on America today and where he thinks our country is going in the future (37:30). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we sit down with Kathryn Raby, ASID certified interior designer and mother of our very own producer, to discuss how she approaches her work, some evolving perspectives toward design over the course of her 40-year-career, and reflections on how her perspective of successful design has changed over time. At the beginning, we ask Kathryn why she chose her career and discuss how the various jobs she’s had in her field ultimately led her to start her own interior design business (01:40). Then, we dive deeper into the impact that home and design shows on networks like HGTV have had on her industry (05:50) and examine how Americans’ relationships with their homes have changed over the last 80 years (08:00). After the break, we ask Kathryn to share some ways she has leveraged her creative mind and artistic talents to add value to various projects in her community (14:40) and talk about the significant role that collaboration plays in a successful design project (19:00). Finally, Kathryn shares one of her craziest stories about a project gone wrong early in her career that taught her some necessary lessons and helped get her to where she is today (30:55). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our eleventh episode, we sit down with Alec Dragelin, aspiring Chiropractor and Chris-Traeger-from-Parks-&-Rec Personality Double, to discuss the current state of health and fitness in America. At the beginning, we ask Alec to share about the path he took to enter the medical field (02:10) and hear his opinion on whether America’s overall health has improved or worsened in recent years (05:40). Then, we discuss how the arrival of the knowledge economy has led to more people working sedentary jobs and how that has increased our collective interest in pursuing physical activity outside of work (08:45). After the break, we discuss the rapid increase in the popularity of boutique fitness clubs like Orangetheory and pure barre (19:15) and discuss the strong sense of community that members at these clubs share (21:10). Next, we wonder if the fitness club movement is adequately serving minority and lower-income communities given its strategy of targeting more affluent areas (24:25) before asking what role the personal fitness movement plays in our faith as believers in Christ (30:50). Lastly, we talk about how social media has stoked the fire of interest in fitness (35:05) and the way devices like Fitbits and Apple Watches have worked to “gamify” the pursuit of increased levels of personal fitness (39:20). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our 10th episode, we talk through some of our questions and predictions related to what we’ll see happen in America in 2019. First, we ask the question of whether this year’s American Idol reboot on ABC will have as much impact on pop culture as the FOX show did, especially in the mid-2000s (02:40). Then, we ponder which big, new home renovation trend will take the place of open concepts, exposed brick and other HGTV show staples (09:00) before wondering whether cashless apps like Venmo will replace cash purchases in stores (14:25). After the break, we question whether the dockless scooter trend will continue throughout 2019 (17:45) and discuss the recent growth of ride-sharing platforms similar to Uber and Lyft that are designed for parents arranging rides for their children to and from extracurricular activities (21:25). Later, we consider whether Facebook and Snapchat will still be relevant this year (24:00) and discuss the potential of tunneling under cities to reduce bumper-to-bumper traffic at the surface (29:55). And lastly, we talk about which health trends and fads are likely to continue in 2019 (32:40). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our special Christmas Eve episode, we sit across the table from Dionté Grey, father of two and aspiring pick-up basketball star, to talk about relationships, dating and marriage and how our different stages of life have shaped our perspectives on the subject. At the beginning, we share how we developed our views of marriage during our early childhood experiences (04:10) and how we’ve approached our relationships with our significant others (10:20). After the break, we take a closer look at both the positive ways the Church has discussed marriage, singleness and dating, as well as some of its missteps when talking about the subject (18:20). Then, we briefly discuss the history of dating and courtship in 19th, 20th and 21st century America (24:30) before asking whether the rise of technology has helped or hurt modern dating relationships (29:35). Lastly, we wonder what we want our future children to observe in our own marriage relationships (32:30). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT EDITION! In Episode 8, we share some exciting news about our lives before sitting down with Rolanda “Ro” Sue, Guyanese-American and all-around amazing human, to talk about her experience growing up interacting with several unique cultures. At the beginning, Ro shares about her childhood in Guyana and the story of how her family came to the United States when she was a young girl (03:10) before discussing some of the culture shock that resulted when she started attending a predominantly white middle school in Charlotte (08:30). After the break, we talk with Ro about her unique position as both an immigrant from the Caribbean and a person of color in America (14:40). Then, Ro shares about a fearful encounter with a police officer that revealed her clashing identities as both a black woman in America and a Guyanese immigrant (26:45). Finally, we conclude by asking Ro to share a few of the holiday traditions practiced by her family and how her culture sees Christmas differently than the dominant American culture (31:15). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our seventh episode, we call Andrew Hill to discuss our perspectives on Amazon and the culture of instant gratification common among members of our generation. At the beginning, we discuss our first experiences with online shopping (03:20), the crazy-fast rise of Amazon (09:00) and the hype surrounding the "HQ2" city selection process (11:40). After the break, we dig deeper into some of the good & not-so-good behind companies like Amazon having such a major impact on our lifestyles (18:30) and wonder aloud whether millennials are developing unhealthy obsessions with instant gratification (25:15). Finally, we ponder where Amazon's Alexa devices are going in the future and think through the ultimate impact of the company's long-term impact on our lives (32:10). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our sixth episode, we sit down with Riley Davis, Cru staff member at UT Knoxville and aspiring basketball beat writer, to talk sports, the up-and-down history of college ministry and the future of faith on college campuses. At first, we discuss Riley's Amateur Hour Hoops sports blog (02:01), and how he and his wife, Natalie, met and joined Cru staff before finding themselves at UT Knoxville to start the first Greek-student-focused ministry there (04:00). After the break, we start by discussing the "blind spots" of traditional campus ministries (14:00). Then, we talk about the Church's reactive approach toward social issues like racial discrimination and the immigration debate (18:45) before finally wondering aloud how both the Church and campus ministries can shift their focus and become better at caring for other groups of people in a way that affirms their God-given value and worth (24:00). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our fifth episode, we call Jay Putnam, Nashville resident and creative connoisseur, to talk about his experience in the Arts and the Late-Night TV world. We also look closer (!) at the direction that media, TV, and movies are going with the disruptive arrival of major players like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. First, we ask Jay about the origin of his love for scriptwriting (02:15), the unique challenge of writing comedy for improv (07:46) and the nonstop cycle of working on a late-night talk show (11:35). After the break, we discuss how writing comedy for TV has changed since the arrival of the 24-hour news cycle and the rise of social media (18:20) and how algorithms that track audience preferences on Netflix are changing the way new TV content is produced (21:15) before finally talking about the exciting, hopeful, yet uncertain future that the disruption of media is creating around the world (30:00). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In Episode 4, we talk with Katherine Darden, a sophomore at Clemson University, about her experience being in college and navigating the culture of performance, achievement and constant comparison. Toward the beginning, we discuss the "good college + good grades = good job and a good life" narrative (04:10), how the purpose of higher education has shifted over the last 100 years (07:00) and how our unique Enneagram types shape our perspectives and motivations related to the college experience (12:10). After the break, we talk about what it's like to follow Jesus and trust Him while being in an environment centered around seeking high levels of achievement (19:00) and discuss what the future will look like when younger generations begin applying to college. Finally, we wonder aloud whether or not it's possible for someone to be a high achiever and simultaneously trust the Lord with his or her life, career and ultimate fulfillment (29:20). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In this episode, we sit down with Rob Flemister to talk about the state of the American Church—from the difficult past of where we've been to where we hope the Church will go in 30 years. During the conversation, we talk about our own faith backgrounds and how they have shaped our perspectives in both similar and different ways (02:45), the positive and negative characteristics of the Church today (07:50) and some of the missteps made by prominent evangelicals during the Civil Rights Movement (12:40). After the break, we discuss the label "Christian" and the disconnect between our Sunday services and our everyday lives (16:55). Then, we talk about what it looks like to follow Jesus and live like Him in our current cultural context (20:00) before finally dreaming a bit about what we hope the Church will look like in 2048 (26:00). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our second episode, we talk with Chris McGrath about the young history of social media—from AIM to Myspace to Facebook to Instagram—and how it affects us in both positive and negative ways. Toward the beginning of the conversation, we discuss our embarrassing IM screen names (04:30), profile songs and Top Friends on Myspace (09:00) and the addictiveness of receiving "likes" on Instagram (14:15). Later on, we talk about how the "fear of missing out" is exacerbated by Snapchat and contributes to feelings of loneliness in our lives (20:20), how followers of Jesus can leverage social media for good (26:00) and the positive uses of communication made possible by the Internet (33:00) before finally debating whether the beneficial elements of social media outweigh the potential downsides (35:55). Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod

In our very first episode, we sit down to talk about the heart behind Look Closer Podcast and what listeners can expect from future episodes. Along the way, we discuss the origins of the idea for the podcast (02:45), the art of conversation as practiced by late night talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon (07:45), take our first "Commercial Break" with a special "sponsor" (13:30) and discuss a host of ideas for future topics to talk about on upcoming episodes (17:00). We hope you enjoy! Share your feedback on Instagram or Twitter! @lookcloserpod