Host seven men and the secret of their greatness. The author eric metaxas. Who are these seven men and what do they have in common . I have to tell you these are seven great men it does not mean there are others but if anything it is subjective. The reason i wrote the book is the crisis of manhood in a culture that we have shied away from the idea to say this is a great man. Or this is greatness. I feel it has not been too good for us. I think this generation and teeeight needs heroes provide have the privilege to write a book about one author talking about a true hero who to say i am not a big leader i will write does 20 page version and started there. It has to do with self sacrifice it is about using your strength. We can leave it there for now but i thought about the story with which i was familiar i know that many people dont know the stories may be those who watch chariots of fire who came out 30 years ago. One of the seven men are in their, one author, george washington, i have to talk about him. And Jackie Robinson very few people know the whole story. What an amazing story. What the central peace to that and i am not a catholic but some i had the privilege to know personally. That is so long answer. Would you prefer the short he answer . Host who was wilbur . Guest he left the battle of the slave trade. If anybody knows anything they may know that much. But i did not know and tell the wrote my biography that i was fast would you like to write a biography . I never had the desire i would skip that but i thought carefully and i prayed because this was a great man. I wrote that story and in the course of that i discovered what i did not know and what most people do not know which is what he did for the slave trade was the tip of the iceberg. Extraordinary to think that one man could affect history as much as he did. He was humble the you cannot help to be inspired what happened if i turned my life over. But 1759 britain was a broken plays. But every social evil that you can imagine. I was astounded it was news to me and i am not a historian whose study says for decades. I know what most people know which is almost nothing but he had a dramatic experience , very dramatic and it turned everything over to god. I have been given wealth wealth, connections, a tremendous talent and skills how do i put these to the service of others . The card all examples of is to envy the slave trade but a host of other things but eight but a bold example of one person. Host what is the definition of greatness . It. Guest i referred to the aid via of self sacrifice with the new testament version but being greek and i have known that but does not mean romantic love but self giving that i will sacrifice myself. Each of the men in this book either in one dramatic way or another with a lifetime of obedience sacrifice of themselves. There are two things that stick out. I barely remember this. Most people made fun of him that is like dick cheney like a jehovahs witness. Please. He will not change. Who was a nasty political operative had a historical version and the most dramatic example initially propels his lawyer with a great plea bargain to avoid jail time i will not take it. I refuse i have given my life to god i refuse to live. His lawyer went ballistic he thought your out of your mind you of a family and three kids you cannot go to jail. He said no. But i will not disobey what is the right thing to you do. Heave refuses the plea bargain and goes to jail his life was threatened it was not a country club that was awful. He gets out of jail. He says ella give up a career like martha stewart. The he says i will spend the rest of my life not forgetting jail to bring hope to prisoners he had prison fellowship i have the privilege of doing that to help prisoners families to bring restitution on and on to do what he thought was the right thing to do to give up a lucrative career with the big shot lawyer that is somebody that i knew personally. That i could sacrifice. He was not perfect. But he was somebody whose life changed dramatically. You cannot help that even when he died as some pundits did not believe after all those years he really had changed. But he had. That is the secret to hear that these people were the real deal even though they were not perfect. But they were the real deal. Host how did you get hooked up with prison fellowship . I dont believe bin coincidence. I also had a conversion kind of dramatic conversion i have written about it and on my website eric metaxas. Com but my story is right there and there is a video. Somebody recommended the book of chuck colson i had a memory i started to read his book loving god. I thought who is the . The has the profound faith conversion clearly intellectually honest and extremely bryce so i read his book and i get the opportunity i graduate from yale so i drove back to new haven to hear him speak i handed to and a Childrens Book telling him what i thought of him and within days i got a letter back from my hero and he said keeping in touch. But one year later there were writers and editors for news daily radio commentary. You can still go to that of world issues from the biblical world view. I was writing for breakpoint when jack passed away they asked if i would takeover. I have been doing that for a year and half. Host what is the short version of your conversion . Guest i was raised of a Greek Orthodox christian. Believed in god but did not know the details or y or really even is this something that is intellectually sound. I was not convinced it was. I thought if you are greek you go to the greek church and did not ask questions. Go to school and make a good living. At yale with faith was challenged with academia was extremely secular so by the time i graduated i was lost and had no idea what i believed because i did not know do i believe what i claim . Money be openminded i dont think there are any answers any rational person could have. I wanted to be a writer but that is tough it was not a good time in my life and moved back in with my parents which i dont recommend then i took the job as a proofreader. Very unpleasant that i met a guy who was a very kind of soul who began having conversations with me. I was scared to be the bornagain christian but one night literally one year later i had as a dream it is on my website eric metaxas. Com a dramatic dream i did not ask for it. It just happened, its was life changing. What can i tell you. It has given me a deep peace that i did not think was possible to have. Forgive me for making that longer than it ought to be. Host we are at the conservative Political Action conference talking with the author of seven men. Are the of men politically conservative . Guest not really. Plus one calls conservative today is different from 500 or 200 years ago. I am less conservativism but if that is speaking truth and i am interested when i spoke at the National Prayer breakfast two years ago i talked about my values of loving your political enemies to be gracious with those i feel that is what i try to do. To the with intellectual honesty but he put his faith and trees before party not only is an easy thing to do be he thought it was the right thing to do. He spoke out and i would say if you look at the life of Jackie Robinson he was a profound christian very few know his ability to break the racial barrier came from his faith freres on his knees that he could not do something Branch Rickey was a serious question. Of course, Jack Robinson was not william f. Buckley conservative but definitely a republican but who cares . To me, his faith was beautiful. Host speaking at the National Prayer breakfast you have the book here . Two years ago i had the honor to be chosen to speak in front of the president , first lady, Vice President and Congress Every big shot at the National Prayer breakfast the honor of my life. I did not taken lightly. I knew as soon as i was invited it was not about me that god has something he wants to share with everyone there if they agree or disagree politically. I would not use the occasion to embarrass the president but to reach out to him with some thoughts or ideas that is what i intended to do. It is online at eric metaxas. Com it was a crazy morning. The background story is a crazy story. Talking to joe biden and having conversations with people then something very happened very funny then finally singing Amazing Grace of the belli did not know i would do that but i thought i have to right this. Is a long essay. It is pretty funny actually. It was hilarious and not plant. Host you are not necessarily just an author. Also a tv host every sunday morning across the country most markets on sunday mornings a halfhour show mostly with faith issues the details are there. I do a lot of things. We are making a movie would agree life. People are so inspired by his story who lives this life it is touching people it is happening to be out next year. Host parents may know you . I had the joy to work as a writer