Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt

A hopeful and practical model for what it means to be a Christian and a culture-maker in a world of hurt and wondrous possibility, from multi–Grammy winner Charlie Peacock and his wife and author, Andi Ashworth.

Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed by the pain and suffering all around you? Have you ever asked, What can I do to mend the world, my family, or my own life? And if I could, why bother? Does my own small part even matter? If so, here comes hope from two guides who are further down the road. Charlie and Andi have written a collection of letters to Christians and spiritual seekers who think deeply and care acutely about the state of the world and their personal spheres of influence.

In Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much, beloved and trusted mentors, Charlie and Andi offer you:

• Thought-provoking explorations into the many facets of Christian culture care and making, from the kitchen to Carnegie Hall.
• Practical guidance for how to care for and improve the quality of human life, locally and globally, no matter your vocation.
• A theology of imagination and creativity that provides a framework for all of life.
• A model for expressing love in marriage, friendship, citizenship, and every kind of work—even in the midst of cynicism, fear, exhaustion, and oppression.

It might be said of Christians that our lives are either moving in the direction of the redemption Jesus has on offer, or away from it. Each of these letters is a gentle nudge in the direction of God's powerfully ordinary purpose for each of us, no matter what the future holds, to participate fully in the beautiful, redemptive work of Christ.

Andi Ashworth is the author of Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring. She is Co-Founder of The Art House in Nashville where she served for over two decades through hospitality and mentoring, hosting a wide range of guests and organizations including Bono, Blood: Water Mission, International Justice Mission, The Gathering, and the ONE Campaign. Andi holds an MA in Theological Studies from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. As Editor-In-Chief of the Art House America Blog she stewarded hundreds of essays from a variety of authors such as Tish Harrison Warren, Steven Garber, Sandra McCracken, Russ Ramsey, and Luci Shaw. Andi is most recently published in Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children and A Book for Hearts & Minds: What You Should Read and Why. She has been married to Charlie Peacock for nearly fifty years and they have two grown, married children and four grandchildren.

Charlie Peacock is a Grammy Award–winning, Billboard Chart–topping music producer, composer, and recording artist. He is a co-founder of the Art House, Wedgwood Circle, and founder/director Emeritus of the Commercial Music Program at Lipscomb University. Charlie has produced music for film and television, including A Walk to Remember, Chris Cornell's "Misery Chain" from the soundtrack of 12 Years a Slave, and "Hush," the title theme to the AMC drama Turn: Washington’s Spies. Named by Billboard’s Encyclopedia of Record Producers as one of the 500 most important producers in music history, Charlie is also a three-time recipient of the Gospel Music Award for Producer of the Year. His books include New Way to Be Human, At the Crossroads, and a contribution to It Was Good: Making Music to the Glory of God. Charlie is the Sr. Music Editor for Christianity Today and host of the Christianity Today Podcast, Music and Meaning. He has been married to Andi Ashworth for nearly fifty years and they have two grown, married children and four grandchildren.