In a world that often rewards conformity and silence, living your own story can feel risky—even dangerous. We learn early which parts of ourselves are welcome, and which parts are safer to hide or leave unexplored.

This Whisper of the Sacred Rebel is an invitation to live from your own truth—not to perform it, defend it, or prove it, but to inhabit it with honesty and courage.

We reflect on what it means to honor your lived experience, to make choices that align with who you truly are, and to trust that your story is still unfolding.

This is a short reflection meant to be received slowly—perhaps with a breath, a pause, or a moment of stillness. You don’t have to live your story all at once. But you don’t have to live someone else’s either.

What happens when a man fueled by 25 years of combat rage and a deep-seated hatred decides to build a bomb to destroy a local mosque? For Richard "Mac" McKinney, that was the plan—until he walked through the doors of the Islamic Center of Muncie and met the very people he intended to kill.​

In this episode, I sit down with Richard McKinney, the subject of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Stranger at the Gate. Mac shares the raw, unfiltered details of his transition from a U.S. Marine struggling with PTSD and Islamophobia to a man who eventually converted to Islam and became the president of the mosque he once targeted.​

Key Topics We Discuss:​ ​

The "Recon" Mission: The day he walked into the mosque with a hidden agenda, he was met with a life-changing welcome.​

The Transformation: What it felt like to have his prejudices dismantled by simple acts of kindness.​

Life After 'Stranger at the Gate': How he handles his past today and his mission to bridge divides in a polarized world.​

If you’ve ever wondered if genuine change is possible for someone lost to extremism, this interview is a must-watch.

In a world that rewards control and constant effort, surrender is often misunderstood as weakness. This short reflection invites you to consider a different truth: that real strength sometimes begins when we loosen our grip.

In this Whisper of the Sacred Rebel, we explore strength in surrender—learning when to release what we cannot carry alone, and how letting go can open us to trust, freedom, and quiet courage.

Take a breath. You don’t have to hold this all by yourself.

Rabbi Sandy Sasso is one of the first women ordained as a rabbi in American Judaism and the first woman rabbi in Reconstructionist Judaism. But this conversation is not simply about being first—it’s about what it takes to listen deeply, to trust an inner call, and to step forward when no clear path exists.

In this episode of Sacred Rebel Voices, Jerry Zehr sits down with Rabbi Sasso to explore faith, courage, and awareness—how awareness of self, tradition, and the sacred can open new possibilities for leadership, inclusion, and blessing.

Together, they reflect on the cost and gift of breaking barriers, the role of compassion in moments of resistance, and what it means to live a life of faithful presence in a changing world.

This is a conversation for anyone who has felt called beyond what was expected of them—and chose to say yes.

In a world that often feels heavy and exhausting, joy can be a quiet act of resistance.

This short reflection invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with joy as a source of courage, healing, and hope.

In this brief opening, host Jerry Zehr shares the heart behind the podcast and invites listeners to join a journey of courage, compassion, and hope.