The Church of the Covenant with Dan Harrison

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 20: THE CHURCH OF THE COVENANT WITH DAN HARRISON

Reparations, contemplative prayer, the Good Samaritan, the Choctaw Nation, and the racial history and segregation in Lynchburg, VA are a few of the topics Dan Harrison and I talk about in this episode of The Why Behind the What.

Dan is the third pastor of the infamous Church of the Covenant, which has been a force for racial justice and integration within Lynchburg, contemplation, and creating a community of people who live out the teachings of Jesus since 1954. 

The Church of the Covenant was the first integrated church in Lynchburg during the Civil Rights Movement, hosted Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, during his visit to the city, opened the first integrated swimming pool, started a camp, and has been an ecumenical movement within its context ever since.

In this episode, Dan and I talk about our role of dismantling white supremacy, the Good Samaritan, reparations, contemplative prayer, and his journey of moving from a fundamentalist Christian faith to an expansive spiritual life. 

Dan knows his history and it impacts his actions. He refuses to forget or ignore history, like so many of us do. Instead, he embodies that history so he might live more fully as a Christian, a minister, and as a human being.

In this episode, Dan mentioned his interview with Quan McLaurin and the LUnderground Railroad GoFundMe Campaign to raise funds for staff who feel racial trauma at the institution and hope to leave Liberty University but are financially unable to do so. 

If you want to learn more about Dan and Church of the Covenant, check out the website and you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And maybe someday a TikTok.

And as you continue to work for an equitable world where the contemplative leads to you humble yourself, may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.

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Profane Faith with Dr. Daniel White Hodge

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 19: PROFANE FAITH WITH DR. DANIEL WHITE HODGE

In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Daniel White Hodge, Professor of Intercultural Communication and Department Chair of the Communication Arts Department at North Park University in Chicago. 

He is the author of 5 books, including The Soul of Hip Hop, Heaven Has a Ghetto, Hip Hop’s Hostile Gospel, Homeland Insecurity, and his most recent, Baptized in Dirty Water: Reimagining the Gospel According to Tupac Amaru Shakur. He also hosts the podcast Profane Faith, which I am loving right now! 

We talk about systemic racism, the ongoing black experience in our culture, a bit about how the president has changed communication and the presidency, as well as what white people do to screw up this work. 

Dr. Hodge is real, says it how it is, and is not afraid to speak truth even when it stings.

A few resources that Dr. Hodge recommended include Color of Fear Film and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Be sure to check out his website and follow him on Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook.

As you continue to do this important and essential work, even when it stings, may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.

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The Return of Darren Calhoun

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 18: THE RETURN OF DARREN CALHOUN

Four years ago, July 18th 2016, Darren Calhoun appeared on the first season of The Why Behind the What.

In that episode, we talked about racial justice, intersectionality, and our response to the killing of Philando Castille, Alton Sterling, and the mass shooting of 49 people at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

Four years later, we are having the same conversation.

We talk, again, about racial justice, the need for intersectionality as we dismantle systemic racism, and our response to living through a pandemic, engaging in protests, and the self-care needed to endure it all.

Has anything changed? Is it different this time around? Darren and I both seem glimmers of hope, but we realize there is so much more work to do.

Hopefully, Darren and I will not need to have a similar conversation four years from now. If we do, things really got screwed up.

Darren is a worship leader, a justice advocate, and a photographer based out of the great city of Chicago. He is also a member of the band, The Many, which is creating some beautiful music and resources.

Darren is truly one of the best human beings I have ever met.

I hope you enjoy this podcast interview and gives you the hope that there continue to be people who are doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. For more information about Darren, check out his website. You can also follow Darren on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can support Darren and his work on Venmo and CashApp.

And so friends, as you continue to do the work of racial justice, as you discover compassion even amongst the depth of unjust systems, and as you find joy even when things become exhausting, may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.

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The Leprosy of Whiteness with Dave Capozzi

SEASON TWO - EPISODE 17: THE LEPROSY OF WHITENESS WITH DAVE CAPOZZI

Being healed from the leprosy of whiteness. 

That, among other things, is what Dave Capozzi and I talk about in this episode. Dave is a former church planter and now works in preventative work for under-resourced populations outside of Boston, MA.

Dave is one of those guys who make you think, who challenges your assumptions, and pushes you to be a better human being.

In this episode, we talk about whiteness, how we've messed up these conversations and were complicit in racist systems, the importance of shutting up and listening to the stories and experiences of others, and the importance of checking our motives as we do this work.

Dave isn’t an author, doesn’t have his own website, isn’t hosting a podcast, or living as a social media influencer. He’s making a tangible difference in his community, in the lives of the people who know him, and in the culture.

Be sure to follow Dave on Twitter and Instagram. He’s someone you should know.

As you continue to do the work of dismantling systems, listening to others, checking your motives, and being healed from the leprosy of whiteness, may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.may you have peace, may you have calm, may you have happiness.

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