S1E82 - David Mark on Genesis 45:5-7 – “Lessons Learned from The Reunion of Joseph and His Brothers”

Senior editor at the Washington Examiner, David Mark, joins our host for today’s episode. Among many other roles, David has also been a senior editor at Politico and at CNN Digital Politics, is the author of two books, and appears regularly as a political analyst on television, radio and other forums. The passage he has selected to discuss today is Genesis 45:5-7, which recounts one of the most famous stories in the Bible. The conversation begins with David sharing his summary of the passage, the many lessons it contains, and his focus today on two of those lessons. He and Mark then explore the notion of divine reframing, the impact upon Joseph of the near fratricide he experienced, and the genius of Pope John XXIII. Calling upon his vast knowledge of Washington politics, David reveals his perspective on the sense of brotherhood he finds there, how social media has impacted it, the current level of partisanship evident, and the difference in the way politicians respond to the media as opposed to their constituents. The episode draws to a close with David’s suggestions for structuring the Presidential Debates effectively, and the lessons about humankind that he has learned. While the lessons of this remarkable passage are timeless, the expert analysis and extrapolation of them here today could not be timelier, given the current, and future, state of politics and the world. Episode Highlights: · David’s summary of the passage and the lessons it provides · Growing from previous mistakes · Finding the positive in negative situations · An act of divine reframing · How near fratricide impacted Joseph · The genius of Pope John XXIII · The status of a sense of brotherhood in Washington DC politics over the years, and the impact of social media upon it · Seeing government as a mutual endeavor rather than a game · A comparison between a politician’s response to the media and to a constituent · How to structure the Presidential Debate so that Americans win · The lessons about humankind that David has learned Quo