Brené with Bishop Michael Curry on Love & Hope in Troubling Times
Sep 30, 2020
01:24:37
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Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and advocate for social justice, joins the conversation. He discusses the complicated nature of love, its power to overcome fear in challenging times, and the importance of building beloved community. Listeners will appreciate his heartfelt reflections on resilience through love, personal stories intertwining faith with social justice, and surprising musical choices. Curry’s insights on navigating life’s struggles will inspire hope and connection.
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Quick takeaways
Bishop Curry emphasizes that love is a powerful force capable of transforming fear and scarcity into hope and resilience.
He highlights the essential role of community in nurturing faith, emphasizing that shared experiences foster deep spiritual growth and connection.
Curry advocates for love-driven activism, asserting that meaningful change is rooted in love and compassion rather than mere opposition to injustice.
Deep dives
The Importance of Love in Troubling Times
Love is emphasized as a crucial element in dealing with the challenges of modern life, especially in the face of fear and scarcity. Bishop Michael Curry highlights that focusing on love and hope can serve as a counterbalance against the overwhelming negativity prevalent in society. He expresses the need for love to be central in conversations around community building and personal resilience. Through love, individuals can navigate the complexities of life, even when faced with adversity and uncertainty.
The Role of Community in Faith
Curry discusses the essential role of community in experiencing and expressing faith, asserting that God is often experienced through communal relationships. He stresses that humans are inherently social beings who thrive in communal settings and that isolation can hinder spiritual growth. The importance of gathering, sharing, and finding strength in togetherness serves as a reminder of the significance of familial and communal bonds in faith practices. Ultimately, fostering a connected community acts as a foundation for love, support, and spiritual fulfillment.
Navigating Exhaustion and Struggle
Curry acknowledges the collective fatigue that many people feel due to recent global events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and issues surrounding systemic injustice. He emphasizes that persistent challenges can wear down individuals, leading to a sense of disconnection from their source of strength and community. Despite the exhaustion, he reassures that it is possible to find renewal through love and connection. Reminding individuals of their shared humanity can help ease feelings of isolation and resentment in difficult times.
Love as a Vehicle for Justice
The conversation illustrates that love is not passive; it serves as a powerful force for justice and change. Curry reflects on historical movements, such as the civil rights movement, which were driven by love and aimed at achieving equality rather than mere opposition to oppression. He argues that to love is to actively work towards creating a better world, emphasizing that the struggles faced in pursuit of justice should be rooted in love and compassion. This framework highlights the potential of love to provoke systemic change while simultaneously fostering healing within communities.
The Interconnection of Struggle and Growth
Curry draws parallels between personal trials and communal struggles, suggesting that love grows stronger through adversity. He discusses the concept that burdens can build spiritual and emotional resilience, much like physical muscles strengthen with use. This perspective encourages individuals to reflect on previous hardships to gain insight on overcoming current challenges. By embracing the lessons learned from past struggles and recognizing the support of community, people can cultivate a deeper sense of love and connection.
The Most Reverend Michael Curry is presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and in this episode, we talk about love. Messy, hard, complicated love. I ask him how we can transcend fear in a scarcity-based culture and what we can learn from those who came before us. We also talk about the church, how to develop beloved community, and the scrappy, gritty work of love that is my definition of faith. Plus, Bishop Curry shares his playlist, with one song that I really didn’t expect.