As a professional editor, I know well how a small edit can make a big change to the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph. I’m also a history buff who delights in looking at the marked-up versions of significant memos, historic documents, or famous speeches (like FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech) and seeing how last-minute revisions changed the message overall—and might’ve changed history. Words matter—even a few seemingly small words, unceremoniously changed.

This is clear as you watch TGC’s new documentary short video, “The One Edit That Changed History.” It features Andrew Wilson walking around Washington, DC, speaking about the significance of the year 1776 and how a minor revision Benjamin Franklin made to the Declaration of Independence might be a clue to understanding “the origin story for the post-Christian West.” Franklin’s choice to replace “sacred and undeniable” with “self-evident” marked a shift toward post-Christian ideals and the development of the modern world, Wilson argues. And it’s just one of the moments in that history-altering year where the beginnings of this shift can be seen.

If you have six minutes, watch the short film. And if Wilson’s insights about truth’s subtle turn from being “sacred” (God-originated) to “self-evident” (human-originated) pique your interest, consider coming to TGC23 in Indianapolis this September. Wilson (who is also a keynote speaker) will lead a microevent on “1776: The Origin Story of the Post-Christian West,” sponsored by Crossway. Knowing Wilson and his wide-ranging intellectual and theological interests, I expect his teaching at TGC23 will be utterly fascinating. Hope to see you there!