Mending Divides

As we step into 2024, Osheta and Jer invite us beyond New Year’s resolutions into a journey of intentional self-reflection. In a year already marked by “anti” sentiments, they aim to shift their focus towards what they aspire to be “for”. Embracing the belovedness of each person, they discuss loving their enemies and the necessary shifts in their lives to better love their neighbors. They emphasiz...

Peacemaker Ben McBride joins Jer for this soul-stirring conversation about the interior formation of peacemakers in 2024. With the humanity and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. as a springboard, they grapple with the idea that the social transformation we’re dreaming of will not be realized in our lifetime. They wrestle with the stark contrast of peacemaking work fueled by anger versus animated by...

This Advent, while global Christians prepare to commemorate the arrival of the Prince of Peace, our Palestinian kin in Gaza suffer unthinkable violence. Their cries for deliverance, echoing those of two millennia ago, seem to be falling unheard in the United States. To see their pain and hear their cries, US Christians must move beyond information to transformation...from webinar to worship. On De...

In our ongoing Virtual Immersion series, we engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Rabbi David Jaffe from the Kirva Institute. Delving into the complex landscape of the Gaza-Israel conflict, we navigate through the lenses of antisemitism, Islamophobia, trauma, and power dynamics. Rabbi Jaffe brings a distinctive perspective to the forefront, shedding light on Jewish self-determination and...

This Virtual Immersion features a conversation between Greg Khalil ( @eternalvagabond ) of  @thetelosgroup  and  @jerswigart . It includes remarkable analyses of this current moment in Israel & Palestine, what made it both predictable and preventable, and the outcomes that global power brokers are pursuing. They discuss the power of language to shape realities that either move u...

Osheta and Jer wrestle with Advent and how it exemplifies our posture as Everyday Peacemakers. Osheta explores the gift of pondering as Mary did, waiting in expectation for God’s restoration. Jer confesses deep feelings of despair and discouragement as the violence seems to be winning. Together, they rediscover the deeper truth that in our world obsessed with power, the Advent story reminds us tha...

This special Virtual Immersion conversation is with two peacemakers, Robi Damelin (Israeli Jew) and Layla Alsheikh (Palestinian Muslim), bereaved mothers who share their stories of loss, reflect on the current horror in Israel and Palestine, and encourage us forward on the journey from revenge to reconciliation. Robi and Layla are members of the Parents Circle – a joint Israeli-Palestinian organiz...

In our second Virtual Immersion conversation, we delve into the profound realms of Jewish trauma with Jared, a Jerusalem-based Jewish historian and theologian. Through his personal narrative on October 7th, Jared provides insights into the pervasive fear that extends throughout the Jewish community, exacerbated by the ongoing violence in Gaza—a consequence he attributes to the collision of unaddre...

Osheta and Jer delve into the challenges of bridging ideological differences when power differentials are at play. Osheta shares a challenging personal experience that kicks off the conversation, sparked by their interaction in Episode 2 where Jer shared a story about bridging differences with his dad.   They consider how to move beyond mere thought experiments to grasp the impact of our ideo...

The first conversation as part of our Virtual Immersion into the Israel/Gaza war is with Palestinian pastor, scholar, and peacemaker Rev. Dr.  Munther Isaac , one of the most profound voices in global Christianity on the crises in Israel/Palestine.   We explore his personal experience of what is unfolding, the importance of language in how we speak truth to power and change to society, t...

In this deeply personal and prophetic conversation, Jer shares his experiences being on the ground as war broke out in Israel and Palestine. Osheta creates a safe space for Jer to reflect on the situation now in Israel and Gaza. Together, they delve into the complexity of the conflict, seeking to move beyond the dismissive phrase “It’s complicated.” By exploring the roots of pain and trauma that h...

In our first “From the Field” episode, the leadership team of the Journey of Hope cohort sat down for a conversation as their immersive experience in the Deep South concluded. They reflect on the profound impact of this immersion into the stark realities of institutionalized and structural racism, sharing some truly transformative moments. The conversation extends beyond this specific journey as t...

Jer recounts the journey with his dad through political, theological and ideological disagreement that came to a head in one particularly revealing conversation. Osheta and Jer delve into the lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of adopting a humble posture, prioritizing understanding over being understood, and embodying one’s beliefs instead of resorting to empty rhetoric. Their practical...

Osheta’s in a funk! Despite her best intentions, her attempts to rest in the summer were hijacked, and she’s starting the fall feeling depleted. She processes her frustration with Jer, and in the process, they surface surprising insights about befriending feelings of jealousy and disappointment. They dig deeper into approaches to sabbath rest and grapple with the particular difficulty Osheta faced...

The Everyday Peacemaking Podcast, co-hosted by Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart, will relaunch in its new format on the International Day of Peace (September 21), featuring vulnerable conversations about the habits, heartaches, and hopes of Everyday Peacemaking. Learn more about us at https://globalimmerse.org/ Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance  www.thebrilliancemusic.com

On April 3, 2023, we hosted a practical conversation about the steps that individuals and congregations can take to move the needle on gun violence. Shane Claiborne ( Red Letter Christians ) and Mike Martin ( RAWtools ) invited churches to become gun decommissioning sites in our cities. Pastor Amy Kasari ( Antioch Church, Bend ) shared her church’s journey toward that distinction. On April 11, we...

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, the conversations are once again saturated with tired arguments leading us nowhere. We’re done waiting for change to begin with Capitol Hill. We’re convinced that measurable change will start with communities of Jesus-followers who transform their guns into garden tools. On Monday, April 3rd we had a live conversation with Shane Claiborne ( Red Letter Chri...

In today's episode, we have the privilege of meeting Jon's dad, Doug Huckins. Jon and his dad share how they have navigated their own conversations (and convictions) around politics, faith, and their commitment to each other. The episode is both personal and accessible. They discuss the impact of their families of origin on their politics, the historical relationship between faith and politics in...

Executive Director of Christians for Social Action Nikki Toyama-Szeto talks about taking a holistic view of our lives when it comes to political action and our votes. When we bring our whole selves to the voting booth, it becomes part of our spiritual formation, so we should approach the way we vote as part of our discipleship.  LINKS: Download the free Peace & Politics Practice Guide: https://glo...

In this episode, activist Shane Claiborne echoes Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s framework that the Church is not the master or the servant of the State, but the consciousness of the State. This is a framework that gives us the freedom as Jesus-followers to actively and wholeheartedly engage with politics. It is our job that when the State causes harm to our fellow image-bearers, we critique the...

In this episode, author and pastor Dominique Gilliard helps us think beyond our left/right binary by rooting us in the biblical text. For Dominique, the question “where is it written?” is central to how he thinks about civic engagement and is a practice that can help keep us from getting swept up in our culture wars. In continually turning back to the texts, Dominique reminds us that we should be...

Angela is a pastor and journalist compelled to help people connect with their political other. Her experience as a political moderate who lives in an urban setting and pastors in a rural setting, as well as her life story, led her to the research and writing of Red State Christians in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Deeply self-aware of her social location and the communities she is called to...

In this episode, we talk with pastor and activist Carlos Rodríguez about leveraging our votes for the sake of those on the margins, being willing to have conversations and debates with those we deeply disagree with, and not allowing our political beliefs to insulate and isolate us from those who are experiencing the pain of broken policies. With both joy and deep conviction, Carlos invites us not...

Dr. David Gushee is one of the world’s leading Christian social ethicists who tackles the most polarizing issues of our day by asking the question, “As followers of Jesus, how shall we live?” In this episode, he asks that question in relation to politics. David guides us on a journey into the heart and history of democracy and makes the case for Christians to engage in it thoughtfully and proactiv...

As a soldier serving in the US military, Diana Oestreich heard God’s call to disarm her gun while on the battlefield and turn towards peacemaking. As we hear from her in this episode, Diana’s radical conviction of peacemaking offers us a renewed sense of our own calls to be Everyday Peacemakers. She invites us to remember that at the core of how we vote and engage in politics must be an other-cent...