The Waffle House Confessions Podcast

A police officer in Madrid once told me (Ben) he knew the Spanish Protestant church as “the ones who help get drug addicts off the streets.” That moment gave me the question I now ask of every passage: what face does God have here?

I wrote a guest post for Tyler Fulcher on how my background, growing up in a small Protestant minority in Spain and then moving to the U.S., shapes the lens I bring to the Bible, and why I read everything through Jesus. Thanks, Tyler, for the space to explore this.

Thanks for enjoying The Waffle House Confessions! This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this September recap episode of The Waffle House Confessions, co-hosts Eli Villa and Ben Bock discuss the two Substack pieces published that month: Eli’s “People Are People, Not Means to an End” and Ben’s “America Is Discipling You.” The episode opens with the upcoming midterm elections and our general feelings in regard to its outcome. Both stress that following Jesus does not require aligning with a political party, and they push back on labels others have assigned them.

After discussions the origins of September’s essay, the discussion opens with HBO’s Chernobyl, which Eli uses to show how a state can scapegoat individuals to hide its own failures. He connects this to the treatment of undocumented immigrants, arguing that they are reduced to political leverage in our modern political discourse rather than seen as people. The essay’s central Biblical text is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Eli argues that her accusers had no interest in her redemption. Jesus, by contrast, sidesteps the trap set for him and asks what the most redemptive outcome is.

The discussion then turns to Ben’s essay. Drawing on reading about spiritual disciplines and the early church, Ben argues that everyone is constantly being formed by outside forces such as schools, workplaces, media, and government. The real question is which forces people choose to let shape them. He recommends Preston Sprinkle’s Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire and introduces the concept of civil religion: a nation’s implicit religious values, expressed through public rituals, symbols, and sacred days. Eli adds examples, including the casualties and costs of the post-9/11 wars, which Ben covered in a post marking the attack’s 25th anniversary.

The episode closes on practical steps. Ben summarizes both essays’ call to engage redemptively rather than argumentatively, in churches, workplaces, and neighborhoods, especially when immigrants are being dehumanized. He recounts telling a non-religious friend that the best way to change the narrative is to meet immigrants and neighbors in person. Eli highlights the resources listed at the end of his essay, including World Relief and Good Neighbor Teams.

Follow Up Questions to Explore:

In the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus refuses to treat her as a tool for someone else’s agenda. Where do you see people being turned into “means to an end” in today’s conversations about immigration, and how might Jesus sidestep that framing?

Ben argues we’re always being discipled by something. What are the strongest forces forming you right now (news, social media, your workplace, national rituals), and which ones are you actually choosing?

Eli says that if we only call out wrongdoing from the "other side," our witness becomes performative rather than prophetic. What would it look like for you to speak redemptively within your own circles, without turning it into a social media fight?

Ben suggests the best way to change the narrative is to befriend immigrants and meet your neighbors. What is one concrete step you could take this month to break out of isolation and get to know someone outside your usual circle?

Thanks for reading The Waffle House Confessions! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome back! After publishing two written pieces after our July hiatus, We jump right back into tougher conversations, but not before recounting how much fun it was to bring our families together in person. Ben offers further insight on why he decided to give a greater narrative voice to the mother of Moses (05:06), how her story informs the reality of living between injustice and God’s order, and how our privilege blinds us to the suffering of others. After navigating connectivity issues (12:15), Eli recounts how political TV ads ambushed his family in the context of the living room and pushes back against the recurring rhythms of Evangelical political discourse (14:14). From a mother's basket in the Nile to a living room ambushed by Super PAC ads, the same question we keep circling back to: whose order are we actually answering to? Watch the full conversation now.

Thanks for listening to The Waffle House Confessions! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Welcome!

We take a break from our deep-dive essays for a looser, summer-format conversation — World Cup chaos, Chicago weather gripes, and a preview of some upcoming pieces. We turn to a game: pick a number, get a label. Over the following half hour, we work through our relationship to six identifiers— some are mild, some with tension — plus a bonus round. It’s an honest and sometimes uncomfortable look at which identities we inherit, which ones we outgrow, and which ones we’re still deciding whether to claim.

Thanks for reading The Waffle House Confessions! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Join us as we talk through Ben's new Substack, "Where are you God?". An honest conversation that explores grief, pain and suffering.

Discover the power of lineage, faith, and legacy—hidden stories that shape who we are and how we influence the world around us.In this candid conversation, Eli Villa and Ben Bock reveal how exploring family history and personal faith can transform your perspective on purpose, identity, and activism. From the quiet strength of oral tradition to the radical idea of caring for the earth as a divine gift, they challenge you to rethink what legacy truly means.You'll learn how intergenerational faith leaders like John McConnell Jr. inspired modern environmentalism, and why documenting your story—especially the struggles and doubts—creates a richer, more resilient faith journey for the next generation. Discover the importance of authenticity over surface-level religion, and how deconstruction isn't an ending but a vital part of spiritual growth.We break down:

The significance of oral tradition in preserving faith across generations and why story-sharing is more powerful than formal documentation.

The legacy of early Pentecostal nonviolence and how it shapes today’s peace activism.

The surprising origins of Earth Day and how caring for creation becomes a form of spiritual resistance.

Practical ways to influence your family, community, and environment—one small act at a time.

How embracing our imperfections and questions strengthens our faith, rather than weakens it, and why your story matters more than you think.

This episode is perfect for anyone longing to deepen their understanding of faith's legacy, or looking for new ways to make a meaningful impact in a complex world. Whether you're wrestling with deconstruction, seeking a vibrant faith, or inspired to care for creation, you'll find fresh perspective and practical encouragement here.Join the conversation that challenges surface-level Christianity and invites you into a journey of honest, active faith rooted in love, memory, and hope. Your story, and the stories of those who came before, hold the key to the legacy you leave behind.