Towards Understanding

Support the podcast and help keep these conversations going: https://donate.thelight.com.au/ Magnus is the founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals International, a global charity providing daily meals to over 3 million of the world’s poorest children in their place of education. His journey began in 1992 when, moved by the Bosnian conflict, he and his brother delivered aid from Scotland to Bos...

Clayton spoke to Robert Rogers. In 2003, Robert experienced a deep tragedy. After 8 years as a father, nearly 12 years as a husband, Robert's life completely changed one night on his family's way home from a wedding in which he and the family got caught out in a wild flash flood. Sadly Robert was the only one to survive, with his wife and 4 children drowned. Through his immediate trust in God, Rob...

Clayton chatted with Hilda John, who has been serving vulnerable communities through DAIA (Development Association for Integrated Activity) since its inception in 2002. With a professional background as a civil engineer in India, she stepped away from a successful technical career to pursue her true calling, serving people in need, bringing a wealth of leadership, professional expertise, and deep...

Clayton chatted to Lauren Novak (an award-winning journalist) specialising in coverage of education, parenting, family violence and child safety. But, it was her personal journey of understanding why motherhood causes havoc with your life that led her to write the book Meltdown: Why motherhood makes us angry and what to do about it . Clayton and Lauren talk through the discoveries, the reserach an...

Clayton chatted to singer, songwriter Bay Turner, whose love for music was first ignited by a gas station mixtape he’d listen to from the passenger seat to and from his dad’s house. Turner’s parents divorced when he was an infant, and when his father moved out to the Texas Hill Country, his weekends were always bookended by a car ride with his dad, which imporved and ignited his...

Neil Walshe is a creative director in advertising and creator of the Losing Sound. Neil chatted to Clayton about his desire to see the addiction to pokies in Australia reduce. Australia has 20% of the worlds pokies while having less than 1% of the worlds population. Neil is now urging the Australian government and gaming authorities to take this crucial step of making a sound when players lose . F...

Kareena Shaw was a registered nurse for 20 years when she first heard Dr Andrew Browning AM speak about the plight of new mothers in Ethiopia living with obstetric fistula. Kareena felt compelled to volunteer, to which Dr Browning replied that he  really  needed midwives. As simple as that, Kareena decided to retrain as a midwife with the sole purpose of volunteering with...

Sheridan Voysey chatted to Clayton about establishing and running the Friendship Lab 's mission is to empower adults with the wisdom and skills to make their friendships thrive and its dream is to see every adult have at least three '2am friends'. This is a chat everyone needs to hear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common Grace speaks and acts for justice in multiple areas across Australian society.  Ahead of Reconciliation week Clayton spoke to Common Grace's Safina Stewart is a proud Wuthathi and Mabuiag Island woman who grew up cross culturally in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Safina is passionate about culture, education, the arts, justice and faith. Safina shares about the opportunit...

Clayton spoke with NZ/Australian entrepreneur David Bussau who gave a $50 loan to a struggling farmer named Ketut 50 years ago, who was facing the unimaginable. His crops had failed, and with no way to repay his land lease, he was forced to hand over his eldest child to the landowner as collateral. That small loan allowed Ketut’s wife to buy a sewing machine and begin a home business. Their...

Timothy Wainwright, based in Sydney, NSW, is a seasoned fire and emergency management professional with over 30 years of experience. As the Executive Director of Operation Fire Support, he leads global initiatives to enhance community safety through innovative fire prevention strategies. Timothy has held significant roles in both government and non-government organizations, receiving numerous awar...

Kari Hoffmann is the mother of Landen Hoffmann, the young boy who survived a 39 foot fall from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in 2019 (he had been thrown off by a stranger). A story that made headlines around the world. In the midst of that unimaginable moment, Kari turned to her faith, crying out to God and asking everyone in the mall to pray. What followed was a series of undeniabl...

Paul Singer was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Soldier On in 2025. As a veteran and having worked closely with the Defence community, Paul is passionate about the values of service, resilience, and community that Soldier On embodies. He is dedicated to supporting veterans and their families lead meaningful and healthy lives. Soldier On's mission is to deliver life-changing support services,...

Daniel Reynaud is Emeritus Professor of History at Avondale University. He was the inaugural Visiting Historian at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney and is recognised as an authority on Anzac social history, including cinema, spirituality and food. Reynaud is the author and co-presenter of eight award-winning documentaries on the Anzacs and religion. He has written across multiple genres including acad...

Dick Tibbits is a licensed professional mental health counsellor, a hospital administrator and a professional sports coach, who is currently a performance coach to some of the world’s elite motorsports racers. Following a devastating job loss, Tibbits suffered the impact of deep resentment – experiencing fatigue, weight gain and the onset of high blood pressure. He investigated whether...

Amy Brown, former head of Investment NSW, explained to Clayton how she found herself at the centre of what can best be described as a political firestorm, involving an intense public inquiry and an avalanche of media coverage and speculation. As a leader who has always been very open about her Christian faith, she told Clayton that she had to work out pretty quickly what that faith really meant in...

Cheng Lei is a Chinese Australian journalist working for Sky News. In 2020 while Australia-China relations hit bottom, she was incarcerated for over three years by the Chinese government on charges of leaking state secrets. Diplomatic efforts led to her release in October, 2023. Lei spoke with Clayton about the torture technics in detention, the reasons for her incarceration and the ability to sur...

Chris Cipollone has a passion for bringing a deep and authentic faith to the everyday experiences of life. Originally training as a teacher, Chris went on to spend over a decade as a church pastor in Sydney, Australia. He is Founding Director of Life To The Full, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help people flourish in faith and life. Clayton chatted to Chris about his book 'Here to Love...

John Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Said Business School. He is particularly interested in the interface of science, philosophy and theology. Lennox has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith...

Nikki Lee is a 33-year-old Aussie living with multiple medical conditions and disabilities (including Alagille Syndrome) – surviving a liver transplant twenty years ago – she is passionate about sharing God’s story through her life. She is the author of Alagille Girl, a memoir about resilience, healing and God’s grace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justine Toh is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity. She has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Macquarie University. Justine is the author of the book  Achievement Addiction, where she aims to answer the question of "why do we constantly strive for our significance - and could you quit the habit if you tried?".  Justine & Clayton discuss the current Western culture of...

This International Women's Day, Clayton chats to a very special guest, Kate, who works for Dignity Freedom Network (DFN). DFN raises awareness and support for women's ministry in South Asia. Kate is always seeking opportunities to ‘be a voice for those who have no voice’ and share how these exploited and impoverished women are finding freedom and hope. Kate says it is a privilege to re...

Josh Reid is National Director of Jesus Club Community - an organisation that helps local churches start their own ministry with adults with intellectual disabilities through their flagship program, Jesus Club. Here how Jesus Club operates, the opportunity for your local community and the impact Jesus Club is having on participants! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clayton invited a very unique guest into the studio to interview this week. The rapper known as 360 has cemented himself as one of Australia’s most iconic and beloved rappers since breaking onto the scene in the early 2010s. More recently he has done a 180 on his life and boldly proclaiming his faith in Jesus. Renowned for his raw honesty, sharp lyricism and emotionally charged storytelling,...

Greg Sheridan is one of Australia's best-known journalists.  How Christians Can Succeed Today is his ninth book. He chatted to Clayton about the book, which is about rediscovering the radical, transcendent and downright weird message of Jesus, being the third title in Greg's bestselling trilogy about Christianity in the modern world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.