A Broken Hallelujah

In episode 3 of Season 2, I have the great honour of speaking to Kate Cameron Reid who recently lost her husband to an aggressive form of cancer and is now raising her two children as a single mother. Kate's resilience, love, and hope in the midst of great suffering is truly inspiring. In this wide ranging chat, we cover such topics as the importance of sacred spaces for healing, the role of meditation in the processing of suffering, and the power there is in a faith rooted in the practical and prophetic. We also speak about how she has helped guide her children in the processing of their father's passing, and how they keep alive his love and presence in the aftermath of his death. May Kate's inspiring way of life bring hope and fresh joy to your own. 

In our second episode of season 2 we interview Dave Gotts on his journey of losing both his son and his wife to cancer. Dave speaks candidly about his wrestling with the question of whether God is truly good or not, and how he struggled deeply with a sense of trust in God's intentions and love as he faced the abject pain of watching his family suffer. Dave also connects us to his work with children with disabilities through his organisation International China Concern and how he has learnt so much about the nature of God's heart from those so often rejected by society. Through such a devastating season of life, Dave's insights give us hope, inspiration, and strength. 

In our premiere episode of Season 2, we speak to activist, author and incarnational sojourner Shane Claiborne on a life given over to living with some of the most marginalised and impoverished people in the world. Shane speaks about his time working in Calcutta with Mother Teresa, his passion for non-violence, his work with those on death row, and why he has made it his focus to speak up against gun violence in the US. Shane speaks candidly about his experience of walking with those who are constantly living in suffering and how faith plays a central role in being able to both relate and learn from those on the margins. 

In our 13th episode we speak with Misty Prinsen, a foster mother and family advocate based in Auckland New Zealand. A few years ago Misty discovered she was carrying a severely disabled child and doctors recommended a termination of her pregnancy. The suggestion led her into a complete re-evaluation of her concept of the value of life, children, and her faith. Misty speaks candidly and openly about an important and critical topic, wrestling with the realities of raising a child with special needs and the balance of believing for a miracle while accepting God's will regardless of the outcome. We are so grateful for her honesty and vulnerability, and know after listening you will be challenged to reconsider whether you might be drawing the boundaries of you own family too small.

In this episode I have the great privilege of speaking with Mohammed Salah, an Egyptian who fled the Muslim Brotherhood and sought asylum as a refugee in Hong Kong. Our conversation spans the story of the Arab Spring uprising, his previous life working in the Pharmaceutical industry, the persecution and abuse that came on him during the revolution, his need to flee his country and home, and the challenges of beginning a completely new life in a foreign country. Mohammed shares openly about his Islamic upbringing, the pain of seeing his family persecuted, his commitment to integrity, the heartbreak of leaving behind his home, and yet the new hope he has discovered in his recently found Christian faith. Mohammed's story might be personal to him, but it also represents hundreds of thousands of similar stories of Asylum Seekers around the world at this time, making our conversation relevant for all of us as we consider how best to embrace the broken communities of our cities.

On our 11th episode we speak to Andy Squyres on song writing, faith, honesty, suffering and hope. Andy is a pastor and musician based in Charlotte North Carolina who writes incredibly powerful, open, raw, and honest music for those of faith seeking to find a language to their real and human experiences. Our conversation spans such diverse topics as what is currently missing from the American evangelical church, what suffering is truly like, how the murder of a friend became the basis of his first record, why his lyrics are intentionally raw and thought-provoking, and his thoughts on what the world needs from creatives in this time. You can find out more about Andy and his music on his instagram: @andysquyres

In our 10th Episode I speak to Chelsea Wong about the death of her husband Josh, their two year battle with cancer, how grief is brutally overwhelming, and how faith can be needed most when it seems it hasn't come through. My interview with Josh just two weeks before his untimely passing kicked off this whole podcast in Ep 1, and to be able to revisit that story this time from Chelsea's perspective is a true gift. Chelsea speaks openly and honestly about their journey together, about death and grief, how she has been able to process her painful memories, the connection point between grief and creativity, and how we can all honour Josh's legacy in our lives. I am so grateful to Chelsea for being willing to join this community and share her experience. It will change you.

This week I speak to Erinn Oxford, Executive Director of The Dale Ministries in Toronto Canada, on a life time spent serving those who have found themselves living on the streets. We speak about what it is like to be nomadic, how the concept of 'home' can have little to do with physical spaces, what is difficult about serving such vulnerable people, how brokenness can actually unearth blessedness, and what the church can do to create safer spaces for the marginalised to gather and find family. Throughout our conversation, Erinn offers insight after insight on serving people with highly difficult life experiences and discovering their joy in the midst of such hardship. 

This week I speak to teacher, musician, and priest-in-training Madeleine Miller about the death of her father to Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) and her subsequent journey of grief and heartache. We talk about her upbringing in Hong Kong, her childhood experience of God's healing power, her devastation at learning about her father's diagnosis, and the wrestling she had to do with God through it all. Throughout our conversation Madeleine offers deep and honest reflections on faith, church, lived experience, and the role that beauty plays in the chaos all around us. 

In this episode I speak with Linda Pesavento, a mother, wife, and leader of the She Is Project, on the journey she and her family have been on with their eldest child who is transitioning from a self-identity as male to a self-identity as female. We speak about gender dysphoria, transgender issues, the church, and how all of us in some way struggle with our identity and place in the world. Linda is incredibly open, honest, articulate and hopeful as she generously invites us into her own experience. 

In episode 6 I speak to Daniel and Paulina Brolins who were kidnapped by Islamic Terrorists and held in a dungeon for 165 days. Their story is one of terror, love, fear, pain, hope and freedom. It is a story unlike any I have heard. In our conversation they generously recount their experience for us and speak candidly about their darkest moments, their fear of the unknown, the overwhelming monotony of being held in such captivity, how they held on to their faith, how their relationship with themselves and God shifted, and ultimately what freedom truly feels like. It is a conversation of hope and joy amidst the worst moments of human life, and one in which we all can learn a thing or too for this season our world is in right now.

This week we speak to author and illustrator Jacinta Read on the release of her recent memoir "Patchwork Someone". Jacinta talks candidly about her journey with mental illness, the impact on her relationships, the keys to her recovery, and what she has learnt about God and herself in the process. We also speak about the church and its approach to mental health, and how Christian culture can be both a blessing and a curse in this area. Jacinta brings a clarity, intelligence, vulnerability and self-reflection to this conversation, and I am so grateful for her willingness to share on a topic so critical to this time. Allow her story to help you rediscover your true self.

This week I speak to Ken Wytsma, a pastor, author, thought leader, and founder of The Justice Conference, about his recent battle with chronic pain and Crohn's disease. We speak about pain, drugs, missions, the work of justice, as well as his experience as a pastor and leader within the evangelical church tradition. Ken has profound insight into culture, church, and a theology of suffering that I know is going to both encourage and challenge you. 

In this episode I speak to Rene August, a veteran of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and a justice advocate for diversity and inclusion. We discuss what it was like for her to grow up in a culture of apartheid, the negative influence of white euro-centric theology on her context, the dangerous power of image in Empire, and the importance of reading Scripture through diverse lenses. Rene calls us to a fresh approach to reading God's story and through that reframing our pain and injustice in new light. 

For our second episode I speak to poet Micah Bournes on social justice, art, creativity and faith. We explore what is has been like for him to grow up as a black man in America, the reality of white privilege and white supremacy, defining success at a personal level, and how art might just be the answer to all that is broken. Micah has recently released a brand new book of poetry called "Here Comes This Dreamer", and we feature a number of his poems throughout the podcast. Micah's art is raw, honest, vulnerable and hard hitting - a voice we all need to hear in this time.

In our debut episode I speak to one of my closest friends, Joshua Wong. Joshua is a filmmaker, musician, artist, husband and father who has been in a two year long battle with a rare form of cancer. This interview took place on December 9th while he was in Tijuana Mexico receiving targeted integrative treatment. We speak about faith, cancer, suffering, hope, life, positivity, change and bad advice. Throughout, Joshua offers insights into how God has met him and changed him deeply during his journey. Devastatingly, Joshua died just a few weeks after this recording, on Christmas Day, and so this podcast is dedicated to his memory and the inspirational legacy he leaves behind.