Description:In this episode of The Gift of Need Podcast, Jude DiMeglio Trang speaks with pastor, author, and missionary Bob Ekblad about what it means to practice compassion at the margins of society. Drawing from decades of ministry in Central America, France, Africa and the Pacific Northwest, Bob shares how proximity to suffering transforms theology, reshapes identity, and clarifies the radical message of grace. Together, they discuss immigration, incarceration, addiction, Christian nationalism, prosperity gospel theology, and what it truly means to follow Jesus as strangers and aliens in this world.
We talk about:• Bob and Gracie Ekblad’s early years in Honduras during the Cold War era• Discovering grace while serving among the poor and marginalized• How burnout led to a deeper understanding of God’s love• The founding of Tierra Nueva and the People Seminary• Ministry among undocumented farm workers, incarcerated individuals, and those struggling with addiction• What it means to be a “no barrier” church• Why proximity to suffering changes how we read Scripture• Addressing toxic theology and the prosperity gospel• Immigration fear, ICE enforcement, and families living in anxiety• Christian nationalism and the tension between national identity and Kingdom identity• Biblical mandates regarding foreigners, strangers, and the oppressed• Nonviolent resistance and the role of peaceful protest for people of faith• The fentanyl crisis and honoring people on the streets through relationship• Why transformation happens through presence and relationship—not just programs• How stepping toward the marginalized reveals the “gift of need” in our own lives
Follow Bob: BobEkblad.com and PeoplesSeminary.org
Listen to more from Bob on his podcast: Disciple: Word, Spirit, Justice, Mission
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Music Credit: Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music
Engineer: Ray Ingegneri, Third Street Productions, Tucson, AZ
Producer: Jude DiMeglio Trang
