Henry O. Arnold III releases a new book, "The Mercy Seat," the first volume of "The Urban Chronicles" series. Henry O Arnold III's websiteWHAT YOU'LL LEARN:Importance of talking about conflict & dichotomyJesus came to give us His heart so that we can reflect His heart to the worldWillingness to sacrificeABOUT 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 III02:35 - raised in Christian home02:41 - parent are professional actors02:58 - people of all walks of life welcomed into their home03:53 - appeared in a play with his father04:24 - met wife, Kay05:01 - influence of a father on his son05:17 - What led Henry to write The Mercy Seat05:41 - Kay suggested writing something contemporary as opposed to historical fiction06:04 - read article about a pastor who worked with urban societies, specifically the homeless06:48 - Henry had been working with organizations minstering to the homeless07:49 - Brief description and narrative arc of The Mercy Seat09:32 - Inspiration for the characters10:51 - Matching characters with the action in the story11:15 - Making characters authentic and believable11:59 - Imagine the characters playing out the scenes12:46 - Imagination & daydreaming13:08 - Importance of talking about major themes of the book - conflict & dichotomy13:28 - People to see themselves in the characters and environments14:39 - Empathize with the character because of his truthfulness15:13 - Expands the heart muscle of how we see people15:26 - Art helps us see that we have a common bond15:38 - Art gives Christians a sense of God's heart towards all people15:52 - Jesus came to give us His heart so that we can reflect His heart to the world16:10 - Hebrew idea of being God-centric is to be a blessing on this earth16:41 - Christian idea of being God-centric is eternal life16:49 - Jesus came and changed us and we see these elements in our society17:29 - When we are kind to the others, we lend to the Lord - we show God's kindness to one another18:17 - God desires justice, not sacrifice18:50 - Our righteousness comes from God and we should be able to reflect that in acts of justice19:51 - Researching for The Mercy Seat deepened relationships with God, Kay, immediate family, and other people20:23 - Willingness to sacrifice22:03 - Jesus used stories to bring people back to GodDID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com