The Great Lakes Symposium

Free Live Stream Event & In-person at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts,

July 24th, 2025 from 7-9 pm, 800 Bay Harbor Dr, Bay Harbor, MI 49770

Truth, Love, and Humor: Faith Without Fear

It's risky to speak the truth. Today, stating reality can be called unloving, intolerant, or even “hate speech.” Some jokes are allowed... others are off-limits, especially the ones that challenge the popular ideas of the new cultural orthodoxy. More and more, truth is pushed aside, as if it’s optional as long as it serves the right agenda.

For years, the Babylon Bee has used humor—sometimes at a great cost—to speak truth, both to the church and to the wider culture.

In 2022, USA Today named Admiral Rachel Levine, a biological man who identifies as a woman, as their “Woman of the Year.” In response, the Babylon Bee named Levine “Man of the Year.” Almost immediately, their Twitter account was suspended. They refused to delete the post because, as Bee CEO, Seth Dillon said: “Truth is not hate speech.”

Christians are called to say what’s true. Our first loyalty is not to what’s safe or popular, but to what is real. We are called to fear God more than we fear others. Fearing God first is the only way we will speak truthfully, with love, grace, and sometimes even humor.

At the 7th annual Great Lakes Symposium, Seth Dillon from The Babylon Bee and Jim Daly of Focus on the Family will talk about why speaking the truth in love is so important—even when it’s hard. They’ll share how courage and creativity can help expose lies and spur the people of God to act with conviction right where they are.