For months WBBM-TV and I have been trying to arrange a date for an interview for Eye on Chicago, Antonio Mora’s Sunday morning show. Antonio, one of the most professional persons I’ve ever worked with, has an interest in all things Christian, and he wanted to do an interview about the emerging movement. So, yesterday I went down to the studio and was surprised…
We were scheduled originally to talk about the emerging movement, but Liz Johnson, Antonio’s producer, had said Antonio was interested in The Real Mary. The make-up artist, who treated me to an air-brushing of what must have been a rather unusual assignment (my konk), had a few laughs about having to make my head “matte” (not shiny). She mentioned that Antonio had said something to her about Mary. (Good, I thought.) We had a very pleasant conversation.

We went into the major studio … and here an interruption. Steve Baskerville, the TV weatherman, was in the studio and I met him and then said, “I’m sorry to ask you this, Steve, but my son Lukas and daughter-in-law Annika are driving tomorrow from Western NY. What will the weather be like tomorrow evening?” He said, “I’m thinking about that trip myself, because my son is flying in from Buffalo Friday morning. But, I’d tell your son to leave as soon as possible because from Thursday evening on the weather will get progressively worse.” Talk about getting the latest information from the source! Thanks Steve. So, later I called Lukas to give him the latest.
Antonio came into the studio, we exchanged pleasantries, and got right to it … about 15 minutes of conversation about Mary, The Nativity Story, and then a little about emerging at the end. I was delighted to know the publisher had sent Antonio a book; even more delighted that he had read it; and he liked it! He was happy to hear that Protestants had an interest in Mary, and thought my little Trojan Horse analogy was clever. He even commented that the book was very easy to read for a professor for an author. (I winked to myself at Kris and Lil.)
Added at 1pm CT: I just heard from the publisher that my quotes did not make the final quote of People. Sorry to my daughter, Laura.