Everyday Peacemaking

Election Day and Beyond: Embracing Belovedness

In the uncertainty of an imminent election, Osheta and Jer offer a hopeful alternative to getting swept up in the anxious swirl of this divisive political moment. They invite us to receive the gift of our own belovedness and then extend this recognition to others. They offer this practice as a vision toward fostering the beloved community from within these politically charged times. Through personal reflections, theological insights, and practical strategies, they emphasize the importance of embracing our intrinsic worth as beloved individuals. Episode highlights include insights on beginning our day as the beloved, input on self-regulation in the midst of triggering moments, and an invitation to be anchored as pro-human peacemakers.

02:18 Belovedness as un-american
04:27 Jesus’ belovedness
13:15 Owning your belovedness
18:02 Microdosing belovedness
23:31 Belovedness on election day
25:51 Jesus’ strategy
27:38 The belovedness of our enemy
30:28 Belovedness beyond the ballot
31:38 Pastoral wisdom for election day

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Compassion Fatigue & Discernment: What’s Mine to Do?

Autumn is here, and with it come plenty of starts and a constant barrage of asks to give, volunteer, and show up for meaningful causes. In this episode, Osheta and Jer explore the reality of compassion fatigue and how to discern ‘what’s mine to do.’ With personal anecdotes, they discuss the pulls on our empathy, managing the feeling of being stretched like Gumby, and the importance of grounding oneself spiritually to make wise decisions. From reflective daily practices to the Ignatian Examen, this conversation provides practical insights on maintaining peace and showing up authentically during this busy season.

02:10 Osheta’s compassion fatigue
05:29 Jer feels like Gumby
08:55 Osheta burns out
10:33 Doing the deeper work
14:38 Three things to look for
18:10 Mentorship
19:56 Socialized as a woman
21:35 Practice: Three questions
23:11 What’s mine to do?
25:33 Osheta does the examen
30:32 Closing

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Failing Forward: Peacemaking in a World Afraid of Making Mistakes

In this episode, hosts Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart delve into the realities of failure and mistakes as crucial elements of our growth as peacemakers. They explore the anxiety around mistakes, the societal pressure to avoid them, and the importance of embracing mistakes as pathways to improvement rather than perfection. The discussion includes insights from poet Zedeka Poindexter and emphasizes the need for courage, humility, teachability, and generosity in both making and receiving mistakes. This liberating conversation invites listeners to reframe their approach to failure as a way to engage more deeply in the journey of peacemaking.

01:45 Spark from Zedeka’s Poetry
03:35 Navigating Divides and Fear of Mistakes
07:39 Learning Through Trial and Error
10:52 Insights from Ted Lasso
13:13 Infrastructure of self-reflection
13:49 Creating space for mistakes
18:47 Courage, Humility, and Teachability
24:43 How to receive an apology
27:08 Concluding Thoughts and Encouragement

 

 

• Zedeka Poindexter www.zedekapoindexter.com
• Hear her Peach Cobbler piece - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwYFMtUD70w
• Brenda Salter McNeil’s new book, Empowered to Repair: https://www.saltermcneil.com/empowered-to-repair
  Photo by Pawel Janiak on Unsplash
• Learn more about the Leadership Cohort at globalimmerse.org/cohort
• Sign up for the cohort interest list or RSVP for an info session at globalimmerse.org/cohort
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• Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com

Embracing Loneliness and Finding Your People

 

 

In this episode, Osheta and Jer reflect candidly on the common experience of loneliness, recognizing that it’s always a part of the path of peacemaking. Reflecting on their recent Deep South immersion with the 2024 Leadership Cohort, they share their journey from isolation to discovering a sense of companionship and learning how to be lonely together.

Through theological reflections and personal stories, they explore the significance of befriending loneliness, prioritizing companionship over community, and finding comfort in prayer practices. They encourage us all to acknowledge our own loneliness without anxiety, while seeking a way forward together with others on this journey.

 

01:44 shared experience of loneliness
04:38 befriending loneliness
11:08 finding your prayer practice
13:50 being lonely together
19:09 companionship more than community
22:02 gentle invitations

 

• Learn more about the Leadership Cohort at globalimmerse.org/cohort
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• Photo by hanya kumuh on Unsplash
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An Attempted Assassination and America’s Lethal Fixation on Violence

This episode was a spontaneous conversation between hosts Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart reflecting on the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump. They discuss their immediate reactions, the importance of maintaining a peaceable presence, and how to navigate violent political climates as peacemakers.

The conversation emphasizes the need for creating safe spaces, fostering sacrificial relationships, and building communities committed to repair. Diving deep into personal anecdotes, theological reflections, and practical advice, this episode offers a specific call to action to move beyond social media posts and instead, to gather around tables and lead through these tumultuous times.

 

00:41 Reacting to the Assassination Attempt
04:52 Personal Reflections and Boundaries
09:06 The Role of Peacemakers in Turbulent Times
16:50 Political violence
19:41 Embracing Fear and Love
20:07 Starfish vs. Spider Leadership
21:12 The Illusion of Eliminating Ideologies
24:17 Building Communities of Peacemakers

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Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com

Raising Peacemakers: Parenting in a Divided World

In this episode, Osheta and Jer delve into the intersection of parenting and peacemaking. They grapple with the temptation of fixing vs. being, naming the lure of project-oriented parenting and peacemaking. The high stakes of Christian parenting in particular are addressed, opening up a discussion about when we might need to reparent ourselves rather than focusing solely on the needs of our children. Unique practices in each of their households are shared, culminating in an invitation to parents to find their own authentic style of peacemaking as the greatest gift they can give their children.

The conversation offers valuable insights for parents and peacemakers alike, exploring how to nurture children in a way that allows them to grow into the everyday peacemakers our divided world so badly needs.

 

02:42 Fixing vs being
06:03 How do you want to be remembered by your kids?
07:31 The problem with project-oriented peacemaking
14:19 The stakes of Christian parenting
18:18 Lowering the stakes
20:35 Reparenting ourselves vs. Parenting our kids
22:43 Household practices
23:55 Impatience with our own formation
25:50 Bringing kids into a story
28:06 Shielding kids from mistakes and failure
30:19 Integrity in our own style of peacemaking
33:17 closing

 

 

 

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Our Fabricated Fables and the Humanizing Truth

Jer kicks off the episode with a story about a recent encounter with his own stereotypes at a Guns to Gardens event in Bend, Oregon. This experience led him to question the fables he’s fabricated about “those people.” They wrestle with stereotypes as organized lies that shape the way we see others, and explore how to balance this awareness with genuine caution or wisdom in potentially unsafe situations. The conversation delves into broader themes of confronting stereotypes, the importance of proximity, and the interior transformation needed to see others as beloved. Listen for insights on disarming both physical weapons and the stereotypes that arm our imaginations.

02:38 Guns to Garden event context
05:15 Becoming a gun decommissioning site
10:07 The chopped up SUV
16:15 The interior work
17:33 How do we discern?
21:31 The Man or the Bear
24:31 Stereotypes
28:53 Practical ideas to get into proximity
34:30 announcements and credits


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Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com

Brace for Impact: Preparing for Triggering Spaces

In this episode, Osheta processes a challenging experience of racism and her struggle to respond as a peacemaker when she was already depleted. The conversation explores the importance of self-care, acknowledging our triggers, and building an ‘infrastructure of support’ to remain grounded amidst everyday conflicts and tension. They emphasize the persistent presence of the Holy Spirit with us, the need for proactive preparation for difficult spaces, listening to our bodies, and how community is foundational to everyday peacemaking.

01:04 Osheta’s Shares an Encounter with Racism
07:46 Discerning when to walk away
10:06 Protecting the “other’s” belovedness
14:45 infrastructure of support
17:03 Preparing for difficult spaces
18:36 listening to our bodies
22:30 Resilience through the Spirit of God in us
27:18 A Gentle Invitation

 

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Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com

The Practice of “Yes, and:” Embracing Resurrection Life Everywhere

In this episode, Osheta and Jer explore hope and its paramount importance in Everyday Peacemaking, inspired by this season of Eastertide. They delve into how hope, seen as both a skill and a practice, is essential in looking for and participating in ‘little resurrections’ amidst life’s challenges and divisions. Through personal stories, they illustrate the power of adopting a ‘Yes, and...’ posture, which acknowledges difficulties while remaining open to the ever-present possibility of resurrection breaking forth in daily life. The conversation culminates with a call to embrace the ‘resurrection impulse’ as Everyday Peacemakers, seeking out and nurturing moments of new life and hope in both the mundane and the monumental.

00:40 Reflecting on Eastertide
08:04 Little resurrections
09:57 Story of counter-protestors
22:04 Community and interior formation
27:03 Moving closer
31:11 Low stakes moments
32:55 Closing Invitation

 

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[Virtual Immersion] Facing Despair, Fear, and Anger Together - Mercy Aiken and Bruce Fisk

Our next Virtual Immersion conversation into the Israel/Gaza war wrestles with what to do as peacemakers when we drift into despair, give in to fear, or move in our anger from righteous indignation to dehumanizing rage. Jer Swigart is joined by Mercy Aiken and Bruce Fisk from the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME), who are navigating these realities while fighting like peacemakers for an end to this suffering.

The discussion is anchored in their personal stories of awakening to the injustices and complexities of the crisis, centered on the transition from being pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian to adopting a pro-human perspective.

The conversation delves into the costs of taking such a stance, highlighting the personal, professional, and emotional tolls and the importance of solidarity and relationship-building in pursuing peace. The dialogue shifts to confronting feelings of despair, the challenges of maintaining hope, and the complexities of managing anger without dehumanizing the other, all towards growing our resilience and deepening our souls for sustained practice.

00:00 Opening Context
06:53 Mercy and Bruce Introductions
09:57 Waking up to a Larger Story
20:29 Pro-human is not neutral
22:39 The high cost of leaving a Pro-Israel Christianity
32:18 Despair, Fear, and Anger
40:58 What to do with despair
46:10 Anger


The Virtual Immersion is a series of conversations to platform and amplify the experiences and insights of our Palestinian and Israeli friends and peacemaking partners. The live conversations first take place on Instagram Live @globalimmerse, and are then made available as podcast episodes. These are vulnerable, challenging conversations with peacemakers embedded within this war's trenches.

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Learn more about NEME's work: neme.network