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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Listen to Navigating Deep Disagreements with Loved Ones

Navigating Deep Disagreements with Loved Ones (Everyday Peacemaking Podcast)

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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

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