In this episode of Murphy’s Law, host Murphy Robinson sits down with Dr. Ben Sanders for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation on faith, leadership, equity, identity, and the moral responsibility of public service.

Dr. Sanders’ journey—from growing up in Evanston, Illinois, to studying at Hope College and Union Theological Seminary in New York City, to earning his doctorate and teaching theology and social ethics, to now serving in public leadership in Denver—offers a rare intersection of faith, scholarship, and civic responsibility. His story reveals how belief systems, history, and identity shape leadership long before titles, policies, or institutions ever do.

Together, Murphy and Dr. Sanders unpack what it truly means to lead in a divided society. The conversation moves beyond politics and ideology into deeper questions of human dignity, access, responsibility, and belonging. They explore the tension between personal relationships and systemic realities, the evolution of equity in America, and the difference between acknowledgment and ownership in the national conversation on race, justice, and history.

This episode reframes equity not as a slogan or policy alone, but as a long-term cultural transformation — one that requires courage, humility, education, and generational responsibility.

This is Part 1 of the full Conversation Stay Tuned for the next part next Wednesday!

Key Themes & Takeaways

Faith, Power, and Public Life

How belief systems shape leadership, policy, and public responsibility — and the danger of power when disconnected from moral grounding.

Equity Beyond Politics

Why equity isn’t about quotas or labels, but about access, belonging, and systems that allow people to bring their full humanity into work, leadership, and community.

Identity, History, and Healing

A raw conversation on race, culture, and generational trauma — including the distinction between acknowledgment and ownership in America’s historical reckoning.

Access as Transformation

How access to education, opportunity, mentorship, and community changes life trajectories — and why responsibility must follow access.

Leadership in Divided Systems

What it means to lead when institutions are fractured, trust is eroding, and reality itself feels contested.

Who This Episode Is For

Public servants and government leaders

Faith leaders and community organizers

Equity, DEI, and social impact professionals

Educators and scholars

Leaders navigating complex cultural and social tensions

Entrepreneurs and executives building inclusive organizations

Listeners seeking a human—not political—conversation about race, faith, power, and responsibility

Anyone wrestling with identity, belonging, and purpose in leadership

Connect With the Show

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Stay tuned for weekly conversations with leaders across public safety, justice, government, faith, and high-stakes leadership spaces.

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