Shows
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastShiloh Hendrix, White Christianity, and The Reward of Racism in AmericaShiloh Hendrix, a white woman from Rochester, Minnesota, was caught on camera in a local park playground using the N-word toward a 5-year-old Black autistic boy who she claimed had taken her diaper bag.In the video, as she is confronted by the man recording the video, Hendrix throws up a defiant middle finger and joyfully doubles down with a flurry of repetitions of the racist epithet, all while holding her own child under her arm.She should have received universal condemnation.Instead, she is being rewarded.Instead of expressing contrition for her...2025-05-0704 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast5 Ways to Give Fascism a Middle FingerFascism is here. At this point, it’s too late to prevent its arrival, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a great deal you and I can do to slow its spread, dilute its power, and derail its mission. Here are a few suggestions on reaffirming your agency and flipping off the fascists. 1) Practice empathy loudly. With a President whose tenure has been marked by such malice and in an Administration so filled with cruelty, compassion and kindness are bold acts of resistance. Step out into your local community, alone...2025-05-0604 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Tariff on Hatred is Here, Trumpers. It's Time for You to PayIt's time to pay up, Trumpers.The deferred invoice for collectively selling your souls is here.It's time to pay for every incendiary campaign boast you cheered,every baseless diatribe you vigorously applauded,every nonsensical middle-of-the-night tweet you boosted,every dehumanizing stereotype and slur you shared,every callous rally insult you passionately amen-ed.It’s time to pay for every denial of Scientific evidence,every terminated qualified conscientious objector,every attack on factual, responsible journalism,every vicious assault on objective reality,every nepotistic Cabinet appointment,every dog-and-pony show distraction,every lazy xenophobic caricature,ev...2025-05-0503 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAmericans, Stop Waiting for America to Look Like What You Think Fascism Will Look LikeAmerica is tragically deceptive right now.You can go out today in your local community, and everything looks perfectly normal: the sun is shining, pickleball courts are packed, people are out on restaurant patios having lunch, and kids are playing in elementary school playgrounds.It doesn’t look like a fascist dictatorship, it doesn’t feel like a failing democracy, which is why we’re in such trouble right now.Too many people here are waiting for some horrific, visible marker that tells them authoritarianism is here: a declaration of Martial Law, tanks rollin...2025-05-0104 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWas This Worth It, Trump Voters?Trump Voters,Pardon me for interrupting America’s Greatness Celebration, but I was thinking about you today.I really have to wonder what story you’re telling yourself after 100 days of this person in power:The Stock Market is in a free fall comparable only to the Great Depression.Your retirement portfolio is surely circling the drain.We’re in a fruitless, completely unnecessary trade war with our allies.Prices on groceries and online products are rising exponentially.Massive layoffs are now beginning all over the country.We are rapidly approaching what appears to be...2025-04-3003 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastCanada is Great—and Trump Has Nothing to Do With itI owe Canada an apology.Like millions of other Americans, over the past few hours, I’ve been guilty of sarcastically giving Donald Trump credit for “keeping Canada great,” in the wake of Mark Carney and the Liberal Party’s unthinkable comeback, after being down by double digits just a couple of months ago.And yes, it is true that Trump’s completely asinine and unnecessary trade wars, his nonsensical talks of annexing Canada, and his never-ending s**t stirring with our upstairs neighbors, have certainly partially fueled the election results—it would be a gross mistak...2025-04-2903 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDo You Miss Who You Were Before All This? I Do.Today, a friend I hadn’t seen in a while sent me a text saying, “I miss you, John!”Immediately, I thought to myself, “Me too!”Like many truthful things, the reply arrived housed in humor but left a terrible lingering aftertaste of regret.I was joking, but I wasn’t kidding.I wonder if that resonates with you: the grief of remembering the person you used to be before this sickening season began; of wondering what in the hell happened to that previous iteration of yourself?When I think about the millions...2025-04-2504 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIf Your Church Won't Speak Out About a Deported Father (and Thousands More Like Him)—It May as Well Cancel EasterAs a former pastor of over two decades, I could seriously throw up right now.The Trump Administration wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father of four, to a brutal prison in El Salvador and it is defiantly refusing to honor a SCOTUS ruling ordering him to be returned to his family. A flesh-and-blood human being made in the image of God (in Christian langauge) is knowingly being denied his human and civil rights by our president, separated from his family, and being traumatized in ways none of us can fathom.And in...2025-04-1504 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastForget Anti-Christian Bias. The Trump Administration Has Anti-Jesus BiasAs Christianity’s Holy Week begins marking the final week of Jesus’ life as presented in the Bible, the State Department under Marco Rubio recently instructed all of its employees to report coworkers for ”anti-Christian bias.” The directive supports an Executive Order signed by Donald Trump in February, proposing to root out Federal employees who oppose Christianity—and it is irony of Biblical proportions.There is no anti-Christian bias in American Government. There is anti-Jesus bias in MAGA Christianity.The truth is, the Jesus of the Gospels wouldn't have stood a chance under this Admin...2025-04-1304 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Just Got Back From Europe. They All Know That America's a Mess and That He's Nuts.My family and I had barely been in our Lisbon Uber for ninety seconds when our gregarious driver Nuno, recognizing our accents asked, “So… are you pro-Trump or anti-Trump?”For a split-second I froze, as two alternate scenarios played out in my head: Were we about to be warmly embraced by a kindred spirit from an ocean away, or find ourselves in the back of a Portuguese fascist sympathizer’s car preparing for an awkward conversation and early exit?Suddenly, I heard my voice clumsily blurt out: “We are… extremely not pro-Trump.” Now, unlike...2025-04-1003 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastCongratulations, MAGAs, You Defeated Our Woke Liberal AgendaYesterday, I commented on social media about the unparalleled Stock Market free-fall we’re experiencing due to Donald Trump’s stupefyingly asinine tariff war. I noted the profound economic trauma it is causing the world and hundreds of millions of Americans, and I received a reply from a young mom from Texas with both Jesus and an American flag in her bio, similar to many I’ve gotten recently:Cry harder! You woke Leftists have lost!Wait… woke lost? Is that possible?After some uncomfortable soul-searching and a quick perusal of the news, I had to...2025-04-0803 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastYours to Hold: A Beautiful, Messy MinuteRight now, you and I are being perpetually bombarded with an onslaught of soul-crushing news, Constitutional crises, and human rights atrocities. It is beyond what we can carry.One of the byproducts of this sustained urgency is that we can find ourselves so pulled in a million directions that we are unable to be lucid and effective.I’ve found one of the most helpful questions in these and other times of adversity to be, “What is mine to hold?”It’s about seeing the threats, acknowledging the suffering, and admitting the scale of the p...2025-04-0701 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Jesus, Do I Really Have to Love My Enemies?"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. - JesusDear Jesus,Today I realized something about me that makes me a bit sick to my stomach, something I’m embarrassed to admit: I may not be all that interested in loving my enemies after all.It sure sounded like a nice idea a few years ago, though. Man, back then I could drop t...2025-03-2703 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Cure for America's Cruelty SicknessI am a collector of stories.I watch people, I listen closely to them, and I eavesdrop on their conversations in person and on social media. I look for patterns and try to understand what's happening to us as a nation.I've tried to put my finger on how I'm feeling lately, how I think so many of us are feeling out there.It isn't outrage. We've been there for a while now if we've been paying attention at all.It isn't anger. That's familiar territory for people whose eyes have been opened...2025-03-2404 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHey Guys, We Need to Stop Being So Mean to Elon.(Extreme Satire Warning)Hey Everyone,Enough’s enough here, OK? This has all gone too far.We all need to be nicer to Elon.Last night, I watched the wealthiest man in the world on Fox News, pouring his heretofore undiscovered heart out while lamenting the loss of a few of his scorched, overpriced metal children. I felt so profoundly sad for him.“I always thought that Democrats were supposed to be the party of empathy.” He said, clearly grieving.“ I’ve never done anything harmful, I’ve only done...2025-03-1903 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastConfessions of a Hateful LeftistYesterday, a Trump supporter told me I was hateful.He was surprised when I agreed with him. For a long time, when confronted on social media or in person by a stranger or a family member with similar allegations, I passionately refuted them. I immediately mounted a fierce defense of my position, offering inarguable evidence proving that they'd mislabeled, misrepresented, or misunderstood me.I don't do that any longer.Now, I simply admit that they are right because they are.I am a hateful human being.2025-03-1804 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTo President Zelenskyy, From an Embarrassed AmericanDear President Zelenskyy,As it is likely that our paths will never cross in person, I could not let this day go by without trying to reach you here.I come to you humbly as an American citizen who is thoroughly and completely embarrassed of our leaders.For the last six years, I like many of those who call this place home have marveled at your courage, your resilience, and your dignity in the face of the unthinkable atrocities committed against you and your people by Vladimir Putin and his accomplices. ...2025-02-2803 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTo Hell With Your Hatred, Mr. TrumpDear Donald Trump,I grew up believing that Hell is a terrible place.It is a place where horrible things belong; where ugly, vile, sickening stuff should go and never escape from.It is a place where the violent and the predatory and the evil things of this world should forever spend their days.Hell is where hateful souls should permanently call home.It is not a place for underfed children or for terrified parents or for sick people or for those already on the margins.Hell...2025-02-1903 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Abusive Relationship of Trump and His Supporters(Trigger warning: domestic violence imagery)It's heartbreaking to see someone you love in a toxic relationship:watching them be continually torn down and berated, treated with complete disregard, publicly humiliated over and over again—and knowing that despite how much damage has been inflicted, they will likely stay with their abuser to their own detriment.There is a unique kind of helplessness when a human being is so blinded by their past hopes about what the other person might become, that they can't see what they actually are presently; when they are so co...2025-02-0304 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTo Hell With Despair. This is the Darkness We Were Made ForI just returned from a few days in Austin, Texas, speaking at a progressive seminary to a diverse audience of ministers, activists, educators, and compassionate human beings.With everything happening lately, I was really hesitant to attend for fear that I would simply have my fears and worries reiterated hundreds of times—and that I would leave there more hopeless and deflated than when I began.And while the former did happen, the latter certainly did not.Yes, people were disheartened and scared, as most of them are on the...2025-02-0104 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHey White MAGA Christians, You Know DEI Was Jesus' Whole Point, Right?So, DEI is the new “woke”: MAGA America’s default boogeyman-du-jour. It’s the latest convenient catch-all for Trump and his party to invoke at every opportunity as the scapegoat for crime, natural disasters, public health emergencies—and apparently, somehow, airplane crashes.And as with every phony threat and manufactured evil spewed into the ether by Republican leaders to manipulate the ignorant and bigoted; his rabid, cultic automatons rush to mindlessly regurgitate and manifest it—allowing them to bypass objective data, complex problems, and especially their own culpability in addressing societal ills.And sadly, among...2025-01-3106 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastPlease, Don't Normalize This MadnessSomething often happens to people exposed to repeated trauma.Gradually, they become conditioned to accept the horrors as commonplace. Time and brutality start to wear down their defenses and sap their emotional resources and they begin learn to live alongside the most malignant sickness as if it were ordinary.Slowly but quite decidedly, they grow numb to the unthinkable cruelty and the sustained violence until it all begins to seem normal. Eventually, even the most compassionate of human beings loses the ability to be outraged or to push back or to even care. Self-preservation begins...2025-01-3004 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMAGA Christianity is Anti-Jesus. Just ask Jesus.Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde’s compassionate sermon at the National Prayer Service in DC perfectly exposed MAGA Christians’ hateful heresy.The immediate flood of vitriol directed at the Bishop by Trump supporters in the wake of her impassioned message directed toward President Trump regarding empathy for the vulnerable isn’t surprising. That’s what happens when these people are faced with the teachings of Jesus: they respond like vampires to daylight.Trump Christians despise the Revered for the same reason they despise all ministers who confront them with the Gospels. I’ve experienced it for a d...2025-01-2206 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Used to Believe in the Bigger Table. Then I Met MAGA Americans. Eight years ago I released my first book called 'A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community.'It was the continuation of my then twenty-year journey as a local church pastor, seeking to craft spiritual communities where all people are truly welcome—especially those most often excluded based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious tradition, nation of origin, or less rigid theology.Recently, someone asked me a question I’ve been asked a few thousand times since the book arrived:"So, John, is your 'bigger table' open to T...2025-01-0806 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Subversive Activism of GratitudeThese are days when gratitude might not come easy for you.It's tempting to scan the horizon each morning and to let our gaze rest and fix solely on the things that burden us; on the sorrow-bringers and the treachery they manufacture, on the terror we are daily surrounded by because of their seemingly boundless capacity to injure and attack.We can easily allow the perpetual, urgent storm they manufacture to obscure the light from view, to fool us into believing that the night has permanently fallen on our best days.But this...2025-01-0703 min
The PoliticsGirl PodcastDon’t Lose Your Spark: A Conversation with John Pavlovitz“In the days when darkness seems to be winning, don’t lose your spark." The future might be filled with bad news, but as guest John Pavlovitz says, it will be less traumatizing if we stay connected to our source - whether that’s our faith, our family, our friends, or our morality. We can’t, as John says, “sacrifice ourselves on the altar of our empathy.” The reasons we’re feeling disheartened are valid. Our feelings are a reminder that we’re good humans, and the world needs good humans. We just need to be sure we care for ourselves as...2024-12-2442 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastYes, World, it's That Bad Here in America. (Actually, it's Worse.)A friend from Australia texted me last week. He’d been watching the election news and said he wanted to check on me.We’re heartbroken to see what’s going on there. he wrote. Is it really as bad as it looks?Another sweet reader from England messaged me this morning with similar concern for me and for our nation, based on what she’s been reading and seeing in the media.Over the past two weeks, I’ve had many kind-hearted people from all over the world make similar inquiries ab...2024-11-1704 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe Were Wrong About AmericaThe results of the presidential election have force-fed many of us the most bitter of pills: we were wrong about America.The fact that the results weren’t even close despite Trump’s campaign formed almost exclusively of xenophobia, misogyny, and white nationalism, is confirmation that a substantial portion of this nation is no longer accessible by reason or data or empathy.Numbed by a cocktail of optimism, ignorance, and wishful thinking, many of us imagined that the previous two elections were somehow momentary aberrations; temporary glitches in the system that would surely be r...2024-11-1105 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMAGAS Lost the Election, Too. They Just Don't Know it Yet.There is joy in MAGAville right now.They’re arrogantly reveling in a euphoric moment they’ve been lustfully coveting for the past four years: their mobster messiah has risen from the dead, his glorious second coming imminent, his anti-woke American kingdom come.And in their emotionally-intoxicated state they’re puffing out their chests on social media, brazenly posturing on street corners, toasting to their oppressed white victory with Solo cups filled with liberal tears. They’re wildly dancing to Kid Rock on the grave of Kamala Harris and Democrats.But their strident victory...2024-11-0904 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Have Seen America: An Election Day MeditationWe're finally here.After all the work and worry and predicting and waiting we've reached this day, one that will change many so things around us.I'm pretty much physically and emotionally exhausted, as I know many of you are, but it's the good kind of tired; the sweet fatigue from working for something beautiful you believe in and want to see continue. It's the feeling of knowing you left it all out on the field, that you did all you knew to do, that you have spent yourself in the name of what you treasure.2024-11-0503 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe are the Enemy WithinDonald Trump is absolutely right about us: we are the enemy within.We are the enemy within homes and family holiday gatherings, filled with people we once loved and respected; older relatives who, when growing up, told us to be good people and to live with honesty and decency, who taught us to stand up to the bullies and to make sure no one was abused for being different. We are there to make them accountable for betraying every lesson they ever taught us then, by now partnering with someone who embodies the very vicious, broken person...2024-10-2803 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe All Deserve Better, America. It's Time We Elect, Better.I love this country.I don't love it blindly, though.I don't love it unconditionally.I don't love it unreservedly.I love it with my eyes fully open.I see well, its every deep disfigurement and garish blemish, every grotesque part of its past and every ugly bit of its present.I see the crucible of colonialism it was formed in, the genocide and white supremacy it has been built upon and sustained by, and the insidious anti-Semitism and perverted Christian theology that has been l...2024-10-1806 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThis is Why I'm VotingThis election, I’m voting.I’m voting for my wife,for my children, for my family,for my friends,for my neighbors.I’m voting for other people’s spouses and partners,for their children,their friends,their neighbors.I’m voting for the LGBTQ community.For people of every color.For people of every faith.For men.For women.For children.I’m voting for civility.For decency.For equality.For unity.For humanity.I’m voting against bigotry.and hatred,and exclusion,and fear,and false stories,and la...2024-10-1603 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMAGA Can Have Their Hate Cult. They Can't Have America.It’s a cult.It’s as simple as that.For a decade now, we’ve all tried to analyze it, to explain it, to make some kind of sense of it.We’ve parsed out every voting issue, every contributing societal factor, every possible justifiable explanation. We’ve microscopically studied the theological, political, and cultural influences.We’ve tried offering a listening ear, looking for common ground, sharing our stories, providing factual information: all the methods that are supposed to help reach human beings across a divide of disagreement...2024-10-0604 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIf All Immigrants Coming Here Were WhiteI can’t help but believe that if all the immigrants coming into America were white, things would be very different here right now.We'd never have heard anything about building a wall during the 2016 Presidential campaign.It wouldn't have become a Republican rally chant, a Conservative hashtag staple, a MAGA t-shirt favorite, a Donald Trump fixation.Republicans wouldn't be forever declaring a "national emergency" at our southern border whenever their polls are failing.There would be no talk of the lawless streams of bad people currently "overrunning" us....2024-09-2904 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Exhaustion of Pretend Patriotism and Phony FaithLife is exhausting these days for many of us and I think I've figured out why.I think it's the pretending we’re witnessing.You see, it's bad enough watching nearly half our nation becoming fully indoctrinated into a sycophantic cult of personality of the very worst kind of person; to see once reasonable people abandon any semblance of benevolence toward diverse humanity, to find themselves so deluded by tribalism that they declared war on vaccines and gay kids and the electoral process—all the while assuming some supposed moral high ground.And as i...2024-09-1904 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTrump Supporters, Don't Blame the Debate Moderators For His ImplosionDesperate Trump Supporters,This is silly.Stop complaining about the debate moderators or ABC.Donald Trump’s debate disaster isn’t their fault.Did they fill his empty head with nonsensical stories about immigrants eating pets that he felt compelled to ramble on about, despite getting immediately fact-checked?Did they prevent him from coming up with a healthcare plan over the past nine years?Did they force him to launch into an asinine rant about the size of his rally crowds?Did they fool him into trafficking in racist tropes and anti...2024-09-1202 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDonald Trump's Mockery of American ValorI keep waiting.I keep waiting for Conservative Americans to awaken from their Star-Spangled stupor, to find the lucidity and sobriety that see him clearly.I keep waiting for them to stop gaslighting themselves and the truly patriotic people of this nation by telling us we haven’t seen what we’ve seen and heard what we’ve heard.I keep waiting for the ceremonial tribalism of politics to burn away in the fire of a true love of country that will not be ridiculed.I keep waiting for them to admit...2024-08-2904 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTim Walz and The Rise of Non-Toxic MasculinityWhen Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate in the coming presidential campaign, the decision was met with effusive praise from both Blue voters, as well as a disparate group of politicians and commentators.Walz’ effortless warmth, his heart-on-sleeve demeanor, and his undeniable joy for life, which have been apparent for a long time in his home state—have suddenly become a national story. In a matter of hours, millions of people fell in love with the Governor, sharing videos of he and his daughter on thrill rides at the State Fair...2024-08-0704 min
HeadRoom with Dr. Rod BergerWorth Fighting For: A Conversation with Author John PavlovitzIn this episode, John shares his personal experiences and perspectives, advocating for humanity and emphasizing the importance of empathy, curiosity, and inclusivity. As a lifelong lover of comic books, music, and art, Pavlovitz discusses how these interests have shaped his storytelling and commitment to preserving the good in the world.Listen as we uncover the balance of providing guidance without alienating audiences, the need for sustained, substantive conversations, and the role of humility and curiosity in fostering deeper understanding. John Pavlovitz also highlights the importance of balancing activism with self-care, the responsibility of public...2024-08-0147 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Olympics Didn't Mock Jesus. Trump and His Supporters Are.Cue the Conservative outrage machine…Social media was flooded with the performative histrionics of professed American Christians, incensed at the inclusion during the Olympics’ opening ceremony, of a drag performer parody of Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper, which they claim is another example of their incessant persecution.How could they mock God like this? What a brazen anti-Christian display! Jesus is weeping!These folks seem to lack self-awareness, a mirror, and a Bible, because they’ve been openly ridiculing God for nearly the last decade by passionately supporting Donald Trump and doing so quite un...2024-07-2704 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastJoe Biden Put America FirstAfter three weeks of incessant media fixation and social media handwringing, President Biden announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential campaign.The beautiful irony of this act, is that by removing himself from contention for the November election, Biden reminds us once again why he was and is so deserving of leading America, and why he is the human being and leader that Donald Trump could never be.Joe Biden did something the Republican nominee forever preaches but has never once practiced in his life or his political tenure: he actually put America...2024-07-2204 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Christians Who Hate JesusI used to think I was a Christian.I was raised in a Christian home and went to a Christian school. After a few meandering spiritual wilderness years, I attended a Christian seminary, became a Christian pastor, and have served in Christian churches for most of the past twenty-five years of my life.I've read and studied and preached the Scriptures extensively, led community Bible studies and student retreats and overseas mission trips, ministered in tiny rural chapels and massive gleaming megachurches.As a result of these decades immersed in the Christian tradition...2024-07-1806 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHappy Interdependence DayFreedom is a really nice illusion.The idea of individual autonomy is one fought for every single day in my country, and I suspect in yours as well. It’s the public battleground where so much blood is shed and so many hills are taken, only to be lost again.And yet beneath every moment of necessary struggle and every well-earned bit of progress toward personal liberty, there is a greater war to be won: the one to remember and honor our connectedness.We are an ever more siloed people, deeply sequestered in the pr...2024-07-0404 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTo the People I've Lost Over Politics and ReligionDear Friend,There's a good chance you won't see this, as at some point over the past few years you either unfriended, unfollowed, or physically disconnected from me—or I from you. There may have been a decisive severing or a slow drifting apart, but the resulting space between us is the same. Still, I'm hopeful that somehow these words will reach you, because there are some things that you need to know; things that I need to say, if for nothing other than my own sanity.The first thing I want...2024-06-2804 min
Free Thinking with MontelAmerica, Worth Fighting For | John PavlovitzWelcome back to another thought-provoking episode of "Free Thinking with Montel.” In this episode Montel sits down with John Pavlovitz, a writer, pastor, and activist known for his unwavering commitment to equality, diversity, and justice. With over 25 years of dedicated service in local church ministry, John has been a beacon of hope and a voice for progressive change.They discuss John's new book, “Worth Fighting For,” which motivates readers to find courage and compassion in times of widespread cruelty. Delve into John's personal background, what drives him to advocate for marginalized communities, and how he continues to inspir...2024-06-1956 min
Good Faith WeeklyGood Faith Weekly, 06/14/2024 - Reasons for Hope + John PavlovitzA weekly podcast exploring stories at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. This week: Mitch and Missy discuss reasons for hope -- the LGBTQIA+ community being one of them.Guest: John Pavlovitz, author of "Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty is Trending.""Good Faith Weekly" is produced out of Norman, Oklahoma. Music is by Pond5. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrgJohn Pavlovitz ~ https://johnpavlovitz.com/"Worth Fighting For" book ~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0664268536"Pride 365: Keeping...2024-06-1454 min
Pastor With No Answers: The MIXTAPE EraEP31: Worth Fighting for (w/ John Pavlovitz)[This Episode: Hosts, Hayne Griffin, Matt Oxley, Joey Svendsen and guest, John Pavlovitz] Any one want more courage and compassion when cruelty is trending? Can we get an amen or two? With guest and author John Pavlovitz, we navigate themes of judgment, emotional reactions, and the delicate balance of maintaining hope within societal systems. Together, we uncover the transformative power of breaking down preconceived notions through genuine human connection. Navigating social media's treacherous landscape, we delve into main...2024-06-121h 06
Compass Podcast: Finding the spirituality in the day-to-day[133] Cultivating empathy in polarized times: Insights from John PavlovitzCurious about maintaining compassion and engaging in meaningful conversations in your daily life? On Compass 133, join Ryan Dunn as he speaks with John Pavlovitz about finding common ground and exploring spirituality amidst life’s challenges. Discover how to navigate differences with empathy, find solace in nature, and embrace your faith journey authentically.
John shares his personal journey from questioning his Christian identity to embracing a compassionate approach that transcends religious and ideological boundaries. We’ll explore the need for human connection beyond political or religious labels and John’s latest endeavors including his work on grief, his online...2024-05-2900 min
Dirty Moderate with Adam EpsteinJohn PavlovitzJohn Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. John was one of our very first guests on Dirty Moderate over 2 years ago, and we were thrilled to spend time with this deep thinking, generous, loving, and spirited human again. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. His work is a testament to finding meaning not only in our politics but in our lives. John’s latest book, “Worth Fighting For” is a primer for...2024-05-2353 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Playground Bullies Became Christian Nationalists and MAGA RepublicansI've always despised bullies.Ever since I was a young boy I could see them clearly: on the playground and in the hallways and on the street corners—the way they terrorized people while being themselves internally terrified.Even as they brutalized the other kids with words and fists, I heard the shaking of their voices and noticed their quivering hands, and I knew how petrified they were.I almost pitied them.Almost.I watched them prey upon those who were vulnerable or alone or different—not because these peop...2024-05-2204 min
Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Social Justice and How We Get FreeJohn Pavlovitz Won't Stop Fighting for DemocracyWhen John Pavlovitz's new book Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage & Compassion When Cruelty is Trending, landed on my desk I was intrigued by the title. Given that trolling on socials, nastiness on the news, and day-to-day unkindness to one another seem to be the norm, there isn't any way to argue that cruelty is not the currency of the day. So a book on reconnecting to compassion felt like a gift to my soul.
John and I spoke about what we, as a society, need to do and our concerns about the repercussions of not healing the...2024-05-2146 min
The New Evangelicals Podcast259. TNE TALKS: Building Bridges with Our Enemies// John PavlovitzSummaryJohn Pavlovitz, author of the book, Worth Fighting For: Finding a Faith That Makes a Better Human, discusses his journey from being a conservative evangelical pastor to a more progressive Christian ethos. Tim and John discuss the tensions between personal convictions and pastoral expectations, the challenges of navigating relationships within the church, and the importance of humanizing people in the midst of political differences.TakeawaysMany people within conservative evangelical communities feel torn between their convictions and the community they love, making it difficult to navigate their beliefs and relationships....2024-05-201h 03The New Evangelicals Podcast259. TNE TALKS: Building Bridges with Our Enemies// John PavlovitzSummaryJohn Pavlovitz, author of the book, Worth Fighting For: Finding a Faith That Makes a Better Human, discusses his journey from being a conservative evangelical pastor to a more progressive Christian ethos. Tim and John discuss the tensions between personal convictions and pastoral expectations, the challenges of navigating relationships within the church, and the importance of humanizing people in the midst of political differences.TakeawaysMany people within conservative evangelical communities feel torn between their convictions and the community they love, making it difficult to navigate their beliefs and relationships....2024-05-201h 03
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastSpeaking at Your Own FuneralEvery time I attend a funeral or memorial service, I think about how powerless the guest of honor is.Conversations take place, tributes and memories are offered, events of their lives are recalled, intimate stories are relayed—and they can’t do a thing about any of it. Once someone dies they are defined and summarized without their consent.If there’s one certainty of this life, it’s that we all will surely find ourselves in a similar situation, including you.I’m sorry to remind you but there will come a day when y...2024-05-1904 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt's Teacher Appreciation Week. If We Truly Appreciate Teachers, We Need to Fight For Them.We all have a story we tell ourselves: a sometimes aspirational mythology about what kind of human beings we are, about what truly matters to us, and about how we’re using the one life we’ve been given. And then, there is the unadorned nonfiction of our daily existence, the unalterable declaration we make by our presence that speaks with great eloquence who we really are.It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and many of us need to decide where we stand, both figuratively and literally.Each of us would profess gratitude for our teachers, for th...2024-05-0704 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe United Methodist Church is Finally Repenting of Its LGBTQ DiscriminationThe United Methodist Church recently decided to reverse its ban on LGBTQ clergy.As someone who served in the UMC for 17 years, nearly a decade of those in one of the 100 largest churches in the country—it's about damn time!Traveling this country and engaging thousands of Christians every month, I encounter local faith communities both inside and outside the United Methodist Church, who claim to be LGBTQ-affirming or LGBTQ-inclusive but who want to do so with all sorts of caveats or conditions in place. They aspire to see themselves as open to di...2024-05-0504 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastKristi Noem, Killing Dogs, and the Right's Selective Gun Violence OutrageThey say every dog has its day…There’s been a rare bipartisan outpouring of outrage in response to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s revelations in a forthcoming book, of her shooting and killing a 14-month old hunting dog: an act that she not only deemed innocuous enough to include, but one she actually manages to use as an example of her willing to do “unpleasant jobs.” In the terrifying world inside her head, Noem (a speculated Trump VP candidate) sees this as a noble act, something to engender kudos and hat tips from her rank-and-file. This isn’t...2024-04-2703 min
The John Fugelsang PodcastWeekend Interviews: John Pavlovitz, Rep. Kathy Castor, Lindy Li, and The God SquadOn this special weekend show John interviews former pastor and author John Pavlovitz; Congresswoman Kathy Castor who represents Florida's 14th Congressional district; Lindy Li who is a political commentator, campaign advisor, and former political candidate serving as the Women's Co-Chair and Mid-Atlantic Regional Chair at the Democratic National Committee; and The God Squad - John has a group discussion about religion with author and former pastor Keith Giles; author and former pastor Desimber Rose Wattleton; and writer, theologian, and permaculture enthusiast Dillon Cruz.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...2024-04-201h 32
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAmerica Deserves Better Than ThisI love this country.I don't love it blindly, though.I don't love it unconditionally.I don't love it unreservedly.I love it with my eyes wide open, my mind fully lucid, my senses completely awake.I see well its every disfigurement and blemish, every grotesque part of its past and every ugly bit of its present.I see the crucible of colonialism it was formed in, the genocide and white supremacy it has been built upon and sustained by, and the insidious anti-Semitism and perverted Christian t...2024-04-1205 min
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Beautiful Exhaustion of Compassionate PeopleAre you exhausted right now?Be grateful.That is a good thing.You see, that weariness is confirmation that your heart is working properly.It is your humanity responding to so much inhumanity around you.It is evidence of your goodness still fighting to feel useful, to push back against a steady and furious stream of ugliness.Your heavy fatigue in this moment is the internal alarm that will not allow you to proceed unaffected while so many grieve here, while war rages half a...2024-04-0504 min
Let Your Ears Be the Gateway to Knowledge With Full AudiobookWorth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending Audiobook by John PavlovitzListen to this audiobook in full for free onhttps://hotaudiobook.com/freeID: 738425
Title: Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending
Author: John Pavlovitz
Narrator: John Pavlovitz
Format: Unabridged
Length: 05:13:22
Language: English
Release date: 04-02-24
Publisher: Christianaudio.com
Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Counseling & Inspirational
Summary:
John Pavlovitz has inspired millions to keep boldly loving both neighbors and strangers throughout the years of Trump's hate-mongering campaign and presidency and continues to be a voice of sanity and urgency when so much is still at stake.
It's a scary time for America, with rights for women and transgender...2024-04-025h 13
In Conversation… with Frank SchaefferJohn PavlovitzFrank Schaeffer In Conversation with John Pavlovitz, exploring the themes of his new book, Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending._____LINKShttps://johnpavlovitz.comhttps://www.facebook.com/johnpavlovitzofficialhttps://twitter.com/johnpavlovitzhttps://www.instagram.com/johnpavlovitz/https://www.patreon.com/johnpavlovitzhttps://substack.com/@johnpavlovitzhttps://www.lovechildrenplanet.com/events/in-conversation-with-frank-schaeffer-john-pavlovitz-2024_____I have had the pleasure of talking to some of the leading authors, artists, activists, and change-makers of our time...2024-04-0256 min