Advertise on podcast: Mending Divides

What happens when your work, your identity, and your sense of belonging become entangled in conflict? Rahn’s story takes us inside the experience of a Black leader navigating a DEI role at a predominantly white Christian university in the midst of extreme national tension around the politics of diversity, equity and inclusion . It’s a story about leadership, courage, and the challenge of remaining present when your convictions and your humanity are being contested. Mending Divides is a production of Global Immersion. Hosted by Jer Swigart Produced by Andrew Brumme Audio post-production by Great Feeling Studios Every story this season features a leader from Global Immersion’s Leadership Cohort. Consider becoming a more conflict-competent leader through this six-month journey for Christian leaders. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through December 31: globalimmerse.org/cohort Learn more about Global Immersion: globalimmerse.org Read our free Substack: Hopeful Alternative: hopefulalternative.substack.com Support this show and Global Immersion’s work forming leaders who mend divides: globalimmerse.org/donate

Jen had never known what it feels like to become the villain in someone else’s story. When she found herself on the outside of a community she had come to serve, she had to navigate the unfamiliar territory of being misunderstood, betrayed, and afraid. Her story explores what it means to become known, to believe the best about people who see you differently, and to let conflict become an incubator for our own formation. Mending Divides is a production of Global Immersion. Hosted by Jer Swigart Produced by Andrew Brumme Audio post-production by Great Feeling Studios Every story this season features a leader from Global Immersion’s Leadership Cohort. Consider becoming a more conflict-competent leader through this six-month journey for Christian leaders. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through December 31: http://globalimmerse.org/cohort Learn more about Global Immersion: http://globalimmerse.org Read our free Substack: Hopeful Alternative: hopefulalternative.substack.com Support this show and Global Immersion’s work forming leaders who mend divides: http://globalimmerse.org/donate Mentioned in this episode: Leadership Cohort

More than a decade after her husband was killed, Andrea’s daughter asked to meet the man responsible. That moment opened a door Andrea had spent years keeping closed, inviting her into a difficult journey of grief, forgiveness, and seeing the person she had made an “other” in a new way. What happens when we move toward the person at the center of our deepest pain? Mending Divides is a production of Global Immersion. Hosted by Jer Swigart Produced by Andrew Brumme Audio post-production by Great Feeling Studios Every story this season features a leader from Global Immersion’s Leadership Cohort. Consider becoming a more conflict-competent leader through this six-month journey for Christian leaders. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through December 31: globalimmerse.org/cohort Learn more about Global Immersion: globalimmerse.org Read our free Substack: Hopeful Alternative: hopefulalternative.substack.com Support this show and Global Immersion’s work forming leaders who mend divides: globalimmerse.org/donate Mentioned in this episode: Leadership Cohort

How do you handle the real-world conflict in your life? Most of us were never taught how. So, this season, Mending Divides isn't a show about conflict. It's a collection of stories from people who were actually inside it. The moment their convictions got tested, their fears got exposed, and something in them had to change. These aren't polished success stories. They're honest accounts of what conflict costs, what it reveals, and what becomes possible when you do the slow, courageous work of healing instead of winning. Season 7 begins September 2nd. Follow Mending Divides wherever you listen.

From the Holy Land and US Prisons to our very living rooms, this conversation reveals how proximity, humility, and courageous tenderness make enemy love—the radical way of Jesus—possible, disarming fear, confronting injustice, and transforming our own hearts in the process.01:53 Two Stories - The call to enemy love 05:36 Grappling with enemy love 10:19 Tent of Nations - refusing to be enemies 11:29 How to build our capacity for enemy love 14:33 Creativity in refusing violence 17:30 Personal wrestling - who is my enemy? 21:25 Different versions of Jesus 22:11 The state of our hearts towards our enemies 23:17 Thank God I’m not like those people... 24:51 Speaking ill of others 29:28 Story from death row 34:03 Am I condoning my enemy’s behavior? 40:18 Loving individuals while resisting harmful systems 44:13 Closing Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

Rev. Harold Good—Protestant minister, contemporary of Desmond Tutu, and key figure in Northern Ireland’s peace process—reflects on what it means to pastor through division. Having played a pivotal role in bringing Catholics and Protestants to the same table, Rev. Good shares hard-won wisdom for our polarized age, inviting us all to lead pastorally with courage, compassion, and the hope of reconciliation. Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

Conflict is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to divide us. In this episode, Enneagram coach Rob Yackley joins Jer to explore the Enneagram and how each of the nine types tends to show up in conflict. Together, they explore each type’s default responses, the unique gifts and traps they bring, and practical ways each can move from reactivity to resourcefulness. Whether you’re new to the Enneagram or fluent in this resource, join us as we discover how the Enneagram can help us show up more fully, more compassionately, and more peaceably when things get hard. 02:00 Opening 02:43 The Dynamic Nature of the Enneagram 05:45 Enneagram and Conflict Navigation 06:53 Intro to Enneagram in the Context of Conflict 11:10 Core Desires and Fears of Each Type 16:30 The Two Tasks of Life 21:53 Virtues and Vices of the Nine Enneagram Types 36:08 Conflict and the Enneagram 41:44 Belly Breathing and Re-growing our Fuses 43:37 Practical Tips for Each Enneagram Type 50:24 The Importance of Otherness in Enneagram 52:12 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Become an Ember EMBERS is our community of investors and partners committed to igniting and fueling the Everyday Peacemaking movement. Through their continued monthly support, EMBERS members accompany us in our work of forming Everyday Peacemakers and Reconciling Leaders to mend divides. Donate 2026 Leadersip Cohort Discover the 2026 Global Immersion Leadership Cohort! Join a community of leaders, receive coaching from global peacemakers, take part in an immersive experience in Northern Ireland, and earn certification in Dialogue for Peaceful Change. Applications are open until October 31 at globalimmerse.org/cohort

In a time of exhausting division, what we need isn’t a new moral majority—it’s a faithful remnant. In this timely conversation with Latasha Morrison of Be the Bridge, we explore what it means to follow Jesus into the hard and holy work of repair. We talk about the habits that shape bridge builders, and name the biblical and historical illiteracy at the root of so much of our current brokenness. We also reflect on the need for lament and explore prayer as the seedbed for the work of justice. Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

What if peacemaking meant moving into people’s lives instead of waiting for them to come to the table? In this profound conversation, renowned peacemaker Dr. John Paul Lederach shares how presence, story, and deep listening can transform conflict—and why this “circulation” approach looks a lot like Jesus.02:29 John Paul Lederach’s journey with conflict transformation 07:48 How do we approach conflict today? 10:01 Humiliation and dehumanization 12:20 The way of Jesus with conflict 16:01 A story from Maze prison in Belfast 19:25 What formation is needed? Looking at Defensiveness 24:52 The Pause of Curiosity 26:16 The Vocational Pause 30:22 Fixing conflict vs. wounded companions 36:58 This moment in time? 42:29 Hope in the Everyday and the Local 46:28 Circulatory Approach 48:24 Learning from insects 55:31 Deepening in circles vs. linear “fixing 59:49 Jesus’ circulatory “along the way” ministry 01:02:23 Final encouragement 01:07:49 Closing reflection Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

What if the path to peace begins with listening? In this story-driven conversation, Robi Damelin—a bereaved Israeli mother and peace activist—shares how, after losing her son to a Palestinian sniper, she chose to seek connection with those she was taught to see as enemies. Her journey is not just about Israel and Palestine—it’s about all of us, and the conflicts we each face. Discover why listening across divides may be the first courageous step toward ending conflict and reclaiming our shared humanity.04:26 Robi Learning to Survive as a Child 08:07 Memorial Day Rememberance 10:50 Revenge Motivating the Violence in Gaza 13:26 Pursuing Survival Together 17:44 Impact on Universities 21:39 Respect for Our Other 23:55 Columbia University Story 29:22 Al Jazeera Interview 32:08 Hoping Beyond Boundaries 34:54 Hope and Resilience 38:46 United States 43:05 close Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

The dominant story isn’t working. In this bold conversation, Ben McBride challenges Christians to confront power, discomfort, and exclusion—and reimagine a faith big enough for belonging. Learn why he says we must be hard on systems, soft on people, and always building a bigger table. 00:25Iintro 01:34 Leaning into discomfort 06:10 Self-compassion, or hope that’s larger than our fears 09:24 Jer remembers similar experience with his dad 11:20 The need for a new story 15:28 The perceived righteousness of the dominant Christian story 17:52 Gospel of a dead Jesus 22:00 Personal Suffering and America’s Decline 26:22 Relationship with the powerful 36:00 Relationship with the suffering 38:42 The pace of transformation 42:51 Relationship with people in pain 45:25 Challenges engaging all sides at once 48:02 End Mentioned in this episode: Listen to Navigating Deep Disagreements with Loved Ones Navigating Deep Disagreements with Loved Ones (Everyday Peacemaking Podcast) In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

Conflict can strengthen relationships—if handled well. Nina Barnes shares why avoiding conflict causes more harm, how to tell the truth with kindness (not just niceness!), and why “agreeing to disagree” isn’t always the answer. Learn strategies for turning conflict into deeper connection. This episode kicks off the newly relaunched Mending Divides Podcast, where Dr. Jer Swigart has unfiltered conversations about conflict—what it is, why it matters, and how to navigate it well—with those who think deeply about it. Chapters 01:00 Start 01:34 Conflict is inevitable 04:43 Conflict styles 06:36 Conflict as an opportunity 09:15 Suspicion in the Absence of Conflict 10:53 Conflict is modeled for us 15:48 Nina’s Direct Conflict Style 16:50 Niceness vs. Kindness 21:17 Truth-telling with Kindness: What’s the Goal? 26:30 Getting Practical - How to do this 32:54 Agree to Disagree? 36:56 Dehumanization is “the line” 42:53 A Real Life Story 50:56 Invitations 58:32 Closing Guest bio: Nina Barnes Nina Barnes is a Spiritual Director, the Founder of Transforming Journey, and a featured faculty member of Global Immersion’s Leadership Cohort. She is a seasoned leader who spends her life accompanying Reconciling Leaders as they grow their cultural awareness, resilience, and prophetic witness. Nina's Website Mentioned in this episode: In a world of division, your support fuels peace, courage, and connection. Help us keep going. Donate Now. Donate

Welcome to the Mending Divides Podcast, formerly known as the Everyday Peacemaking Podcast! Join us for a brand new series of unfiltered conversations about conflict and how we navigate it. In a world familiar with conflict, Mending Divides offers a fresh perspective. Hosted by Dr. Jer Swigart, this Global Immersion podcast delves into the conflicts we all face through insightful conversations with those who deeply understand them. This isn’t just about prescribing peace-building techniques. Mending Divides invites you into the lives, stories, and practices of individuals shaping our understanding of conflict resolution. Through their journeys, we discover what it means to confront our own conflicts head-on. Expect candid dialogues that: Challenge assumptions and explore diverse paths to peace.Shed light on the roles of religion, culture, and biology in conflict resolution.Share stories of resilience, creativity, and courage that inspire hope. Join us as we explore the many dimensions of conflict and peace. Follow us on Instagram @globalimmerse and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Look out for our first episode coming later this month!

In this final episode of the 2024 season of the Everyday Peacemaking Podcast, hosts Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart reflect on the past year, emphasizing the importance of radical reflection over resolutions. They explore the Hebrew concept of ‘zakar,’ which means to remember and retell a story vividly. Jer shares an impactful experience from a war-torn village in Burma, while Osheta recounts her journey of shedding commitments and rediscovering her creativity. Together, they invite us to engage in self-reflection, identify pivotal moments from 2024, and look towards 2025 with hope and renewed commitment to Peacemaking. 03:01 Jer remembering 10:58 The Power of the Resurrection 17:05 Osheta remembering 22:45 Navigating the discomfort 25:26 Stones of remembrance 27:28 Invitation to remember PRO-HUMAN Apparel - Get your PRO-HUMAN shirt, hoodie, hat or more in our online store at https://www.bonfire.com/store/global-immersion/ Want a free PRO-HUMAN t-shirt? Make a donation of $100 or more or start a recurring monthly gift of $25 or more by December 31, and we’ll send you a free PRO-HUMAN t-shirt! Donate at globalimmerse.org/donate   Learn more about us: globalimmerse.orgSupport our work: globalimmerse.org/donateTurning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com

In this episode, hosts Osheta Moore and Jer Swigart explore what peacemaking looks like in the aftermath of the election. They unpack how different communities are processing the results and the impact on marginalized groups, emphasizing that there’s no single “right” way for a peacemaker to use the ballot. With honesty and grace, they wrestle with the best way to engage with those we’re in relationship with—especially those who voted differently. Grounded in the teachings of Jesus, Osheta and Jer navigate calls to action, the challenge of loving enemies, and the need to confront harmful policies. They remind listeners that “it’s not the end of democracy” and invite them to embrace radical, subversive peacemaking. This episode challenges you to reflect deeply on your role in mending divides and building the beloved community—because the work doesn’t stop with an election. 00:39 Setting up the conversation 02:17 Osheta’s Family Conversation 02:58 Impact of Elections on Different Communities 04:27 Jer’s Initial Reflections and Grounding Reminders 08:26 Navigating the Frenzy 12:06 The Role of Friendship in Peacemaking 13:41 Loving our enemy 19:39 The Responsibility of White Peacemakers 23:44 Distinct Gifts and Graces 26:07 If you voted for Trump... 30:56 The Urgency of Peacemaking 36:42 Different kinds of fear 40:30 Jesus’ Strategy PRO-HUMAN Apparel - Get your PRO-HUMAN shirt, hoodie, hat or more in our online store at https://www.bonfire.com/store/global-immersion/ Want a free PRO-HUMAN t-shirt? Make a donation of $100 or more or start a recurring monthly gift of $25 or more by December 31, and we’ll send you a free PRO-HUMAN t-shirt! Donate at globalimmerse.org/donate Turning Over Tables theme music courtesy of The Brilliance www.thebrilliancemusic.com   Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash