Mending Divides

The first conversation as part of our Virtual Immersion into the Israel/Gaza war is with Palestinian pastor, scholar, and peacemaker Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, one of the most profound voices in global Christianity on the crises in Israel/Palestine.

We explore his personal experience of what is unfolding, the importance of language in how we speak truth to power and change to society, the unfortunate history of “truth-less Christianity,” and very practical steps each of us can and must take toward “costly solidarity.” Munther concludes by inviting us to follow the Jesus who broke agreements with reputation, platform, power, and comfort in order to usher in restoration.

May God give us the courage to abandon any construction of Jesus that endorses the use of any violence to accumulate and protect our comfort, our safety, our abundance, our agenda.

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 who are embedded within the trenches of this war.

Munther's Blog: https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/munthers-blog/

Follow Global Immersion on IG: https://www.instagram.com/globalimmerse/

Support our work: https://globalimmerse.org/donate/

In this deeply personal and prophetic conversation, Jer shares his experiences being on the ground as war broke out in Israel and Palestine. Osheta creates a safe space for Jer to reflect on the situation now in Israel and Gaza. Together, they delve into the complexity of the conflict, seeking to move beyond the dismissive phrase “It’s complicated.” By exploring the roots of pain and trauma that have led to ongoing violence, they encourage a deeper understanding of the conflict and speak to the intimate role of U.S. American Evangelicals in it.

Call Your MOCs (Telos Script): bit.ly/telosscriptmoc

Learn more about us at globalimmerse.org

Support our work: globalimmerse.org/donate

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

In our first “From the Field” episode, the leadership team of the Journey of Hope cohort sat down for a conversation as their immersive experience in the Deep South concluded. They reflect on the profound impact of this immersion into the stark realities of institutionalized and structural racism, sharing some truly transformative moments. The conversation extends beyond this specific journey as they explore the broader significance of immersive experiences to the formation of Everyday Peacemakers. They discuss not only the value of carefully curated immersions like the one undertaken by the cohort but also how immersion can become a regular practice within our local contexts.“From the Field” episodes are recorded on location.

These episodes are a periodic part of our relaunched Everyday Peacemaking Podcast format.

Journey of Hope Cohort: https://globalimmerse.org/joh

Learn more about us at globalimmerse.org

Support our work: globalimmerse.org/donate/

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

Jer recounts the journey with his dad through political, theological and ideological disagreement that came to a head in one particularly revealing conversation. Osheta and Jer delve into the lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of adopting a humble posture, prioritizing understanding over being understood, and embodying one’s beliefs instead of resorting to empty rhetoric. Their practical conversation offers a range of ideas and insights applicable to anyone looking for a hopeful way forward in strained relationships where the divides seem only to be widening in the face of difference.

Journey of Hope Cohort: https://globalimmerse.org/joh

Live Conversation with David Gushee: https://bit.ly/gusheeworkshop

Learn more about us at globalimmerse.org

Support our work: globalimmerse.org/donate/

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

Osheta’s in a funk! Despite her best intentions, her attempts to rest in the summer were hijacked, and she’s starting the fall feeling depleted. She processes her frustration with Jer, and in the process, they surface surprising insights about befriending feelings of jealousy and disappointment. They dig deeper into approaches to sabbath rest and grapple with the particular difficulty Osheta faced in trying to disconnect as the primary parenting partner. Ultimately, they circle back to how Everyday Peacemakers can plan for and protect rest as a way of life.

Journey of Hope Cohort: https://globalimmerse.org/joh

Live Conversation with David Gushee: bit.ly/gusheeconversation

Learn more about us at globalimmerse.org

Support our work: globalimmerse.org/donate/

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

The Everyday Peacemaking Podcast, co-hosted by Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart, will relaunch in its new format on the International Day of Peace (September 21), featuring vulnerable conversations about the habits, heartaches, and hopes of Everyday Peacemaking.

Learn more about us at https://globalimmerse.org/

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

On April 3, 2023, we hosted a practical conversation about the steps that individuals and congregations can take to move the needle on gun violence. Shane Claiborne (Red Letter Christians) and Mike Martin (RAWtools) invited churches to become gun decommissioning sites in our cities. Pastor Amy Kasari (Antioch Church, Bend) shared her church’s journey toward that distinction.

On April 11, we continued this conversation. Mike Martin laid out the specific and very tangible steps toward becoming a gun decommissioning site. Pastor Amy offered more specifics and reflections on the formational journey she and her team have guided their congregation through in preparation for this work. And the moderator of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship’s Gun Prevention working group Jan Orr-Harter oriented us and offered an invitation to a five-week Guns to Garden Tools Action Circle.

Resources Mentioned:

• Guns to Gardens Action Circle: https://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/gun-violence/

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, the conversations are once again saturated with tired arguments leading us nowhere.

We’re done waiting for change to begin with Capitol Hill. We’re convinced that measurable change will start with communities of Jesus-followers who transform their guns into garden tools.

On Monday, April 3rd we had a live conversation with Shane Claiborne (Red Letter Christians), Mike Martin (RAWtools), Kelly Knox, and Pastor Amy Kasari (Antioch Church, Bend), hosted by Jer Swigart (Global Immersion). Shane helped us understand our national fixation on guns, its incongruence with Jesus, and what it’s costing us. Mike will invited us—as individuals and congregations—to take tangible actions that will lead to change. Kelly shared his story of choosing to decommission his AR15. And Amy invited us into her church’s journey of becoming a gun decommissioning site in Central Oregon. 

We concluded the live session with a Q&A time and outlined practical next steps both individuals and congregations can take.

• Sermon on Psalm 2 by Global Immersion’s Dr. Jer Swigart that pushes against the notion that God endorses violence and that invites us toward a more hopeful theology: https://youtu.be/X3PCjLv7-Bw

In today's episode, we have the privilege of meeting Jon's dad, Doug Huckins. Jon and his dad share how they have navigated their own conversations (and convictions) around politics, faith, and their commitment to each other. The episode is both personal and accessible. They discuss the impact of their families of origin on their politics, the historical relationship between faith and politics in the United States, and what they learned from working through hard conversations as father and son. They haven't always seen eye to eye on these topics, but their shared willingness to continue to lean in and get curious has sustained the trust needed to move forward in relationship. It's a model of the curiosity and humility needed to do this work.

LINKS:

• Download the free Peace & Politics Practice Guide: https://globalimmerse.org/podcast

Doug Huckins Bio:

From 1969 to 1973, Doug Huckins served in the US Coast Guard as an electrician and scuba diver and in the Army Reserve from 1979-2001, which included a tour of duty in the Gulf War and advancement to Major. Doug also served as a Game Warden until his retirement in 2014, fulfilling a lifelong dream, earning the California governor's Medal of Valor for rescuing three fishermen in the surf whose boat had overturned in February 1996. It was while he was serving in the Coast Guard that Doug became a Jesus follower and later served as a youth pastor and deacon in Morrow Bay and later as an elder at SVCC in Salinas. He has been married to his beautiful wife since 1973, and together they have four children, including Global Immersion’s own Jon Huckins. And in 2008, Doug became a Grampy, which in his mind is the best role ever. 

Music from Epidemic Sound: We Are Giants by Silver Maple:https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/ICEht6ut6b/

Executive Director of Christians for Social Action Nikki Toyama-Szeto talks about taking a holistic view of our lives when it comes to political action and our votes. When we bring our whole selves to the voting booth, it becomes part of our spiritual formation, so we should approach the way we vote as part of our discipleship. 

LINKS:

• Download the free Peace & Politics Practice Guide: https://globalimmerse.org/podcast

Christians for Social Action: https://christiansforsocialaction.org/

Nikki Toyama-Szeto Bio:

Nikki helps Christians have a faith-fueled engagement with the world’s most challenging issues. Before coming to CSA in 2017, she served in leadership positions at International Justice Mission, the Urbana Conference, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. She loves working with communities around the world, whether through scripture, thoughtful reflection on leadership, or stirring the spiritual imagination.

Nikki writes on justice, leadership, gender issues, and racial justice for various magazines, and she serves as a “Leading Voice” for the Missio Alliance. She’s the host of the podcast, “20 Minute Takes. Her work was profiled on NPR’s “On Point,” Outreach Magazine’s Leadership Issue (Sept. 2017, Cover), Religion and Politics (Aug. 2018), Christianity Today’s “Who’s Next?” and Rejuvenate Magazine’s “40 under 40.”

She is a co-editor of the book More than Serving Tea (IVP, 2006), a collection of essays, stories, and poems looking at the intersection of race, gender, and faith for Asian American women. She also co-wrote Partnering with the Global Church (IVP, 2012) with Femi Adeleye and edited the Urbana Onward series. She is a co-author of The God of Justice: IJM Institute’s Global Church Curriculum (IVP, 2015).

She has a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford University and completed her masters in organizational leadership at Eastern University, studying in South Africa. Nikki resides in the DC metro area with her family.

Music from Epidemic Sound: We Are Giants by Silver Maple:https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/ICEht6ut6b/