Protect Your Noggin

Our guest is a recent alumnus from Concordia University and joins the conversation from Nigeria to discuss his insights about the ways in which people try to oppose hate, racism and injustice in the United States. Sometimes, he suggests, we tend to focus on hating injustice but don’t emphasize loving justice. This may have an effect on our emotional, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. Our starting point is an article that Godesulloh contributed to our website. We discuss the concept of spirits, and wonder whether in the West we aren’t often worshipping Molech and Mammon or channeling malevolent spirits, whether we take those to be Orishas, gods, jinn, or merely symbols for sociological phenomena.

Any music you hear on the show that isn’t our standard intro or outro is performed and produced by Bawa.

You can follow him on Instagram here.

We explore coping with trauma and religion through comedy with the help of comedian, writer, actress, and liver-transplant survivor Alyssa Sabo. She shares some of her story and we enjoy reflecting on life in the 90s, purity culture in evangelical America, rollerblading, ghosting church, and the virtues of Costa Rican beaches. Despite being known on Tik Tok as Mike Pence's daughter, we confirmed via an official paternity test that she is not in fact the daughter of the former Vice President.

The Tao’s flow involves reversals. Its methods are flexible. The living things in this world are born from something. That something was born from nothing.

The heavens met the One and were clarified. The earth met the One and became calm. Spirits met the One and became conscious. Valleys met the One and were filled with flowing water. The living things met the One and came alive. Leaders met the One and modeled justice for everyone. All of this all happened through realizing the One.

Jeff and Stacie try out a relationship strategy for use especially in the immediate wake of a conflict-producing event in a romantic relationship, religious community, or workplace. In order to “Taosurf” relationships, they suggest that it can be helpful to separate out a) intentions, b) actions, c) reactions, and d) resolutions. This conversation might help you think through the reasons why you get into relationship conflicts and how to not let them ruin a relationship. They discuss the difficulties of enneagram 7 and 1 relationship pairings and provide a couple examples from their own relationship to illustrate the relationship flow chart and potential first aid responses. This show was recorded off grid, beside the Colorado River, in the Mojave Desert.

Grab your favorite beverage and join us for a long form conversation with our new friends Lori and Cliff Lewis (veteran Christian radio DJ and hair metal guitarist respectively), to discuss their experiences with Contemporary Christian Music, Lutheranism, the idea of vocation, and Solomon’s wisdom. The music behind the opening is Lori singing and then a taste of Femme Fatale transitions us into the main conversation.

When societies focus on etiquette and the husk of ethical relations, we are often dangerously close to having to turn to coercion and force instead of naturally harmonious interactions. This is where “flexing the muscles” comes in. When folks don’t follow the rules, the enforcers of societal stability have to remind everyone of their punitive power that is behind the rituals and protocols of politeness. 

An interview with Corey Farr, creator of the podcast A Christian Reads the Tao Te Ching. We discuss our favorite and least favorite chapters of the Tao Te Ching. We explore karma, providence, orphanages, and religious education. Farr is a seminary graduate, a Christian Anarchist, a writer, a poet and songwriter. He teaches at a residential school for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and can be followed at coreyfarr.com. We were privileged to get a chance to talk with this wise student of Lao Tzu from a Christian vantage point.

Why do many set an “intention” at the start of a contemplative practice or yin yoga session? How does this relate to New Year’s resolutions? Without the normal opportunities for group festivities, Jeff and Stacie spend a quiet evening discussing the advantages and dangers of setting expectations and establishing goals. The discussion gets going after a bit of champagne, so forgive the meandering of this late-night chat.

Book mentioned: Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land

This episode shares an international student perspective on American food, work & religion. We interview Jeff’s compelling student Malik, who is an international student who was stuck with us on an empty campus over the winter break. We invited candid observations from our guest, who obliged our questions but is by nature not one to offer unsolicited criticism. Nonetheless, we believe that the best way to identify and heal unbalanced aspects of our own lives is to get an outsiders’ perspective, which is what this episode brings, even as we welcomed this student to be part of our inner circle of conversation for a time.

For the sake of social distancing, we used long mic chords and talked outside. Unfortunately, that means we picked up occasional aircraft and electric saw sounds at a couple points. There’s a segment where just Jeff and Malik are talking as we had to move the recording spot a couple times and Stacie stepped out to run an errand.