After Volume One
What else David McCullough said at the Library of Congress
The participation by Liberatus stakeholders in the mission to inspire American unity over the last nine years made it possible to publish 19 writers, include 60 people in content creation, create and ship 215 copies of Volume One to people in 21 states so far, and contribute $666 in funding to three partner organizations to fuel their work to care for people who have been displaced or marginalized.
We've created so far because we believed in the mission and in each other enough to move it forward.
Liberatus has never received major funding—so, what comes next after Volume One?
What else David McCullough said
Something else I remember David McCullough saying during one of his talks at the Library of Congress was about storytelling and understanding meaning.
"If I say the king died and the queen died, we have a set of facts," he said.
"But if I say the king died and the queen died of a broken heart, now we have a story."
The contribution we made with Volume One
Speaking from experience, politics at a professional level is often about statistics and policies disconnected from human lives, or it's about creating distinctions between people and ideas regardless of the whole truth.
Liberatus began as a response to the dissatisfaction I and my colleagues felt because of that reality.
From a Christian perspective, I wanted to create something that focused on what restoration means for political engagement.
Everyone's contributions to Volume One were monumental because we now have a full creative cycle complete—not only to create something that looks cool, but also to connect the human story to politics, to see the whole truth as much as possible, and to restore how we organize and therefore, how we govern.
Volume One and the border deal
If I tell you that the border deal is dead, we have another routine Washington headline.
But if I tell you that Marcos fled Nicaragua after protesting against the Ortega regime, connected over WhatsApp with a current congressional staffer, traveled to the US-Mexico border to request asylum, showed up at a port of entry where Yonathan Moya and Border Perspective also operate in a humanitarian capacity, and that the Moyas also understand the need for security because they've had run-ins with cartels, including one Christmas Day in Mexico, now we have an unfolding, interconnected story.
Liberatus does not advocate for or against legislation, but I'm confident that between the stories in Volume One and the research we included for further reading and study, we have made a critical contribution to how we organize and how we govern for the sake of restoration—or for the sake of becoming leaders for American unity. I am confident that the provisions of the border deal would have greater meaning to anyone who has read Volume One and the included articles and research.
Understanding the story arc
The story arc for Liberatus is this: we make our country more just and free when we collaborate, and build trust, and build endurance—and when we do that, we become leaders who make the next generation stronger.
Over the last nine years, it has been critical to move forward based on firsthand experience, and to pursue and articulate a new value system outside of the constraints of routine politics.
What I hope to do now is to continue refining our creative cycle, build a stronger and aligned team as part of strengthening more leaders, and elevate the craft of grassroots engagement and storytelling. I hope to create a biannual publication with a sustainable audience base, and I hope to rebuild life after a TBI; your leadership as a monthly recurring donor will move all of that forward.
Politics is a story about who we are, how we relate to each other, and where we are going. Our culture needs a new foundation where we collaborate, build trust, and build endurance. From that foundation, we can continue offering inspiration for American unity to make the next generation stronger.
Nothing changes if nothing changes
We have to start where we are—it's not first about forcing things "out there" to change. When we start where we are and act based on our deeply held values, we can create something purposeful. When we do, alongside more partnerships, I'm confident the implications will be broad, touching how we debate, candidate quality, our ability to resolve problems, and the well-being of our everyday lives as Americans.
Thank you for reading, and how to participate again
Thank you for your participation in the mission! As we move towards the goal of raising $2,000 in monthly commitments to keep creating after Volume One, take time to journal or pray in nature about what you hope to create, and what we can create together. If you would like to fuel the mission to inspire American unity with a monthly donation, you can sign up as a Liberatus Advocate here. When you do, you'll be on the list for private monthly video updates, we can print your name in Volume Two, and you'll receive the invite to the annual ultramarathon and trailfest, where you can run, walk, or hang out enjoying nature.
Build endurance,
Caleb
Weekly Action Point:
Take a look at the vision overview as we look to produce a biannual publication. Take time to pray in nature about your vocation or calling. Then, you can set up a monthly recurring donation as a Liberatus Advocate at the tab below. You can also write Volume Two with us by responding to a one-question interview. We will compile responses to the question about the future you imagine into a new vision asset to guide the stories that we tell, the research that we include, and the partner organizations that we fund.
Mission: Inspire American Unity
Create a culture of American unity for the next generation by producing content, experiences, and leaders that inspire it today.
Journal Entry #136
ISSUE 020: WHICH WAY FORWARD? — PART 3