Love Anyway

How is the attack on the US Capitol connected to September 11, 2001 and the wars that followed? The answer may help explain why nearly 1 in 5 of those arrested for their part in the January 6 riot are military veterans—and more importantly, may tell us what we need to know to disrupt the cycle of violence.

The assault on the US Capitol left dozens injured, five dead, and a nation reeling. There have been many calls for healing, but how? How do we meaningfully address what happened? In this podcast, Preemptive Love founder Jeremy Courtney talks responding about the attack, engaging the phenomenon of Trumpism, and how we can provide offramps—with reconciliation and accountability—for those who want to find a way home.

Many worry about the risk of violence after the US election. But most Americans have no idea what it’s like to live through political unrest or what to about it. We asked members of our team who've lived through political violence and war what Americans should know.

Showing up on the frontlines where you live is a phrase we use often at Preemptive Love. And in this special episode, we ask: What does it look like to put our bodies on the line in the US today? In the midst of a wave of protests sweeping all 50 states, and on at least four continents, declaring the truth that Black Lives Matter, we have a chance to make our presence matter. Faitth Brooks, director of programs at Be The Bridge, and Nick Mahlstadt, a father of seven from small-town Iowa, join us for compelling conversations on what it means to show up in anti-racism work.

In this season finale, Erin Wilson, podcast host and senior field editor, sits down with Jessica Courtney, Preemptive Love's vice president of international programs, for an honest look at what they've learned about themselves as they've cared for others.

Ahmaud Arbery’s life is more than a hashtag. The story is all too familiar—men and boys losing their lives for no other reason than that they are Black. In this special episode, we hear from Toni, Preemptive Love’s director of gathering, and her husband Sam Collier about their lived experiences as African Amerian peacemakers living in Georgia, the very state where Ahmaud was murdered. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, the Colliers act as candid guides helping us confront the violence in our own hearts.

We’re looking ahead. Because when all of this is over, we’re going to run hard toward gathering. We need each other. We hear from Vjolca Capri, who gives her first-hand experience of attending a Love Anyway Gathering. As a hijab-wearing Muslim woman, she wasn’t sure what to expect when she attended one. What she experienced surprised her

Remember when we used to eat together? In this episode, we travel everywhere from Atlanta to Iraq for a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to gather around the table with strangers. War begins in our heads and hearts long before it reaches our hands. But that also means the solution can begin with us. And sometimes, healing all that’s tearing us apart starts with a meal.

COVID-19 anywhere is a threat to everyone, everywhere. In this special bonus episode, Preemptive Love team members call in from around the world to share why they are staying home—and exactly who you are helping when you do the same.

Preemptive Love founder Jeremy Courtney has seen the very worst of war. The most powerful thing he's learned after a decade in Iraq? We're not just at war with each other. We're at war with ourselves.