Singer-songwriter Jon Guerra joins Mark Labberton to explore devotional songwriting, public faith, and the tension between the kingdom of Jesus and American cultural power. Through music and reflection, Guerra considers how art can hold grief, courage, and hope together in turbulent times.

"Love has a million disguises, but winning is simply not one."

In this episode with Mark Labberton, Guerra reflects on songwriting as prayer, the call to love enemies, and artistic courage in moments of cultural crisis.

Together they discuss devotional music, George Herbert's influence, the Beatitudes and American culture, citizenship and immigration imagery, increasing polarization, suffering and grace, and the vocation of Christian artists.

Episode Highlights

"Love has a million disguises, but winning is simply not one."

"When Jesus says to love your enemies… he is giving us a means of survival."

"This is not sentimentality… the only way to resist becoming what one hates."

"My songwriting… would be a means of coming into contact with the invisible God."

"Beauty puts us in contact with invisible things."

About Jon Guerra

Jon Guerra is a singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas, known for devotional music that blends poetry, theology, and contemporary cultural reflection. His albums include Little Songs (2015), Keeper of Days (2020), Ordinary Ways (2023), and American Gospel. Guerra has also composed music for film, including Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life (2019). The son of immigrants from Cuba and Argentina, his work often explores themes of citizenship, prayer, justice, and the teachings of Jesus. His songwriting draws inspiration from figures like George Herbert and Howard Thurman, and seeks to connect spiritual devotion with public life.

Helpful Links and Resources

Jon Guerra website: https://www.jonguerramusic.com/

American Gospel album: https://jonguerra.bandcamp.com

A Hidden Life film: https://www.searchlightpictures.com/ahiddenlife

Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman: https://www.beacon.org/Jesus-and-the-Disinherited-P1781.aspx

The Porter's Gate: https://www.portersgateworship.com/

Show Notes

• Devotional songwriting
• George Herbert influence on the pursuit of prayerful craft
• "Music for attending to the soul."
• Monday morning prayer music framing devotional practice
• Beauty and invisible realities in artistic experience
• American Gospel song introduction and cultural critique
• Beatitudes inversion in American culture
• "How do I give Christ a say in this conversation?"
• Love Your Enemies composition and album Jesus
• Howard Thurman's influence on enemy-love theology (Jesus and the Disinherited)
• Emotional formation through news, anger, and public life
• Death of ego and kingdom discipleship
• Kierkegaard and faith beyond ideology
• Worship as reordering power
• Kingdom of Jesus song and Pilate encounter
• Allegiance to a greater kingdom beyond nationalism
• Citizenship as foreignness imagery
• Immigrant family background shaping songwriting
• Citizens song written after 2017 inauguration
• "Come to you because I'm confused."
• Five-four musical structure expressing disorientation
• Groaning beauty and Romans 8 resonance
• Artists as "holy fools" naming reality
• Moltmann and theology near the cross
• Simone Weil: gravity and grace reflection
• "Love has a million disguises, but winning is simply not one."

Hashtags

#JonGuerra

#DevotionalMusic

#LoveYourEnemies

#ChristianArt

#AmericanGospel

#PublicFaith

#Jesus

#Gospel

#SpiritualFormation

Production Credits

Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.