For many Americans, conversations about refugees happen at the level of politics, policy, and headlines. In this episode, Clint Leavitt invites us into a different starting place: the stories of real people. Drawing from his friendship with a Congolese refugee and the research behind his book Cockroaches, God, Death and Mangos, Clint shares how personal relationships transformed his understanding of refugees, Scripture, and the church’s calling to welcome the stranger. Together, we explore how fear shapes our public imagination, what Christians miss when refugees are excluded from our communities, and practical ways ordinary people can love their refugee neighbors.

Clint Leavitt is a pastor at Midtown Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, Arizona, a writer, educator, and advocate for refugees and displaced people. He is the co-author of the book Cockroaches, God, Death and Mangos, which tells the story of a Congolese family displaced by war and resettled in the United States. Through his pastoral ministry, teaching, and writing, Clint helps Christians engage issues of justice, hospitality, and public life with compassion and theological depth.

Get full access to Disarming Leviathan at disarmingleviathan.substack.com/subscribe