Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts, religious trauma, and mental health crisis. If you're struggling, please reach out to Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).Jon Reichardt is an ARIA-nominated music producer who's worked with some of Australia's biggest hip hop artists: Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso, 360. But this conversation delves into the deeper struggles Jon has faced in the past, at the intersection of mental ill-health and toxic theology. Jon shares about some of the darkest chapters he's faced and how he emerged from them with a more beautiful and healing conception of God. At the end of the episode Will and Jon share a brand new track they've been working on as part of a mental health campaign: Gravity & Grace. A stirring combination of spoken word poetry and atmospheric music, the track is a perfect way to conclude the conversation, acknowledging the weight of life (gravity) while holding space for wonder and healing (grace). Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
--------
1:16:39
--------
1:16:39
Sara M. Saleh on Palestine, liberation and poetry [Replay]
This week we're revisiting a conversation from December 2023 with Sara M. Saleh - Palestinian-Australian human rights lawyer, poet, and activist.As we mark two years since the beginning of Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, and as news breaks of a fragile ceasefire agreement, Sara's voice offers crucial context and perspective that remains deeply relevant.In this conversation, Sara helps us understand the long history of settler colonialism in Palestine, disentangles anti-Zionism from antisemitism, and articulates a vision of liberation that makes room for everyone. She speaks with both fierce conviction and generous wisdom about what it means to show up consistently for justice, even when hope feels scarce.Sara reminds us that the systems causing harm are human-made, which means they can be dismantled and remade. She calls us toward imagination, discipline, and unconditional solidarity - fighting for a world where everyone can live in dignity and freedom.About Sara M Saleh: Sara is a human rights lawyer, community organiser, and writer - the daughter of migrants from Palestine, Egypt, and Lebanon. She was the first poet to win both the Australian Book Review's Peter Porter Poetry Prize and the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize (2020 and 2021). Her debut novel, Songs for the Dead and the Living, is available now. Sara's book: Songs for the Dead and the Living Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
--------
45:52
--------
45:52
On Naming God: a Contemplation (Carolyn Meers)
How do you address God when you pray? Has the way you name the divine changed over your lifetime?In this contemplative episode, Carolyn Meers invites us to slow down and explore the mystery of naming God. Drawing from biblical stories like Hagar's encounter with "the God who sees" and Moses' conversation with the burning bush, we reflect on how our names for God reveal as much about us as they do about the divine.This episode includes gentle questions for reflection, periods of space for contemplation, and a guided practice of "naming and un-naming" that might help you explore both familiar and unfamiliar ways of addressing God. It's an invitation to embrace both the intimacy of naming God and the beautiful mystery of the unnameable.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
--------
28:25
--------
28:25
Brian Recker: Reframing Hell, Exchanging Fear for Love
Brian Recker used to be an evangelical pastor. Growing up fundamentalist, hell was always core to his experience of Christianity. But when he started questioning the doctrine as a pastor, it unraveled more than he expected. His new book 'Hell Bent' argues that fear of hell fundamentally distorts Christian spirituality, disconnecting us from God, ourselves, and others. We discuss the power of hell-based religion, how it shapes our politics and relationships, and what a love-centred spirituality looks like when you're no longer afraid of punishment.Check out the book, 'Hell Bent' here.Connect with more of Brian's work here. Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
--------
1:04:53
--------
1:04:53
Pub Theology: James Dobson, Charlie Kirk & Universalism
Join Mitch and Will at the pub for an unstructured conversation about the recent deaths of James Dobson and Charlie Kirk, the challenge of responding maturely to political violence, and how universalist theology might offer a different way of thinking about these situations.Topics covered:The deaths of James Dobson and Charlie Kirk and the polarised online responsesWhy ‘and’ is better than ‘but’The problem with performative social media responses to tragedyHow universalism shapes our view of ideological opponents"Praying for their souls" - what does redemption look like for everyone?Why local, interpersonal conversation often beats online discourseContent note: This is a "thinking out loud" conversation where we work through complex issues in real time rather than offering polished analysis.Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.The Spiritual Misfits Survival Guide (FREE): https://www.spiritualmisfits.com.au/survivalguideSign up to our mailing list:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/Join our online Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualmisfitspodcastSupport the pod:https://spiritualmisfits.com.au/support-us/View all episodes at: https://spiritualmisfits.buzzsprout.com
If you’ve ever felt on the fringes of Christian faith this is a safe space for you. Your questions, doubts and hopes are all welcome here. We’re creating conversations, affirmations, meditations and other resources to support you on your spiritual journey and let you know that even if you feel like a misfit, you don’t have to feel alone.
Australia