Fabric Podcast

We all like to think we’re good people—but what happens when we get real about our flaws, fears, and the ways we pretend? This conversation (inspired by The Good Place) explores why honesty about ourselves is so hard, how it can set us free, and why we need each other to grow.

When left to our own devices, we often get trapped in ruts we've made.  What would it be like to give up “the grind” and actively participate in rest and the right-sizing of our relationship to “productivity?”

There are all sorts of ways our culture pressures us as individuals to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps," but it's time to give that up.  What might be an alternative that naturally takes its place? Maybe the sort of interwoven community where we can be ourselves and deeply contribute!

Intention-setting and aspirations are one thing, but a lot of the pop-spiritual “manifesting” language directed to the universe sounds an awful lot like televangelist prayers to a vending-machine god. How can we strike a balance of having aspirations and goals without the magical thinking of prosperity gospel?

New Year, New You? We’re big fans of goal-setting, but wonder what it is about the calendar year turning over makes this the best moment to do the sort of aspirational, self-transforming goal setting? What would it be like to instead recognize that who you already are is just so beautiful and worthy of participating in the cozy slowness of the rest of creation?

Christmas gives us the beautiful opportunity to remember that divine love comes to look us in the eye. What could it mean that love is born, when so many are actively experiencing hurt?

“Joy to the world?!” How might our experiences of sorrow help inform our understanding of joy? What is the depth of joy beyond spiritual bypassing? Glad tidings of joy…but also metabolized sorrow and grief!

Peace…in a time like this? But conflict is everywhere. How can we possibly embrace peace in the presence of conflict? This episode helps us dream toward a potent peace, rather than phony one.