Shows / The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast
Authentic words for everyone trying to figure out the best way to be human.
johnpavlovitz.substack.com
Episodes
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Church, Your Silence is Why People are Leaving
Dear Church, The Exodus has begun and it's not going to stop. People are leaving you and they're probably not coming back. I've been where you are and I know…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastOn The Day Democracy Dies
What will you do on the day democracy dies? On November 6th, when you realize that the terrible things you always dismissed as virtual impossibilities have…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt's Teacher Appreciation Week. If We Truly Appreciate Teachers, We Need to Fight For Them.
We all have a story we tell ourselves: a sometimes aspirational mythology about what kind of human beings we are, about what truly matters to us, and about how…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe United Methodist Church is Finally Repenting of Its LGBTQ Discrimination
The United Methodist Church recently decided to reverse its ban on LGBTQ clergy. As someone who served in the UMC for 17 years, nearly a decade of those in one…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDonald Trump Isn't on Trial Alone. His Supporters Are on Trial, Too.
This isn’t a “hush-money” trial. Donald Trump is on trial for trying to override the voices and votes of the American people in order to steal an election…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastKristi Noem, Killing Dogs, and the Right's Selective Gun Violence Outrage
They say every dog has its day… There’s been a rare bipartisan outpouring of outrage in response to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s revelations in a…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhat Would Jesus Do? Nothing MAGA Christians Would.
What Would Jesus Do? When I began my ministry career over a quarter of a century ago, this was the rallying cry of American Christian youth culture; embossed…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMost Trump Supporters Aren't Stupid—And That's The Real Tragedy.
Ignorance is not a compelling argument. We’ve all heard the theories for the past eight years: people still supporting Donald Trump are somehow victims of the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastCaretakers of the Beautiful
We are all hopelessly temporary. We had a fixed date when we arrived and we will have another when we depart. We all have a birthday—and we all have zero…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastChristian, If You Won't Fight Climate Change, You Aren't Pro-Life
Conservative Christian, I want to talk to you about Life. No, not the word you've weaponized as ammunition in your incessant, hollow holy culture war; not the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Exodus From Religion
We are the people of the Exodus. For so long we lived in captivity, chained in the Egypt of our Religion. Fear was our Pharaoh and he was cruel and brutal. For…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAmerica, It's Time For Intolerance
For years I've preached tolerance. I’ve lauded its virtues. I’ve affirmed its value. I believe in it, in its place and time. I also know that tolerance can be…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Hateful White People, I'm Sorry
Dear Hateful White People, I’m sorry. I was wrong about you. For a long time I thought I hated you. I may have even made you feel that way, too. You would pop…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAmerica Deserves Better Than This
I love this country. I don't love it blindly, though. I don't love it unconditionally. I don't love it unreservedly. I love it with my eyes wide open, my mind…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastOf All The Religions, Conservative Fear is the Worst
I feel really sorry for Conservative Christians. It must be awful to go through life terrified: to believe that you are perpetually in danger; to always be…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIn Between Israel and Gaza: Can We Grieve All Innocent Life?
Yesterday I came across a video on a widely-followed Instagram page. It was a small section of a full Joe Rogan interview with author Coleman Hughes. In the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Left Cares About Republican Voters More Than Republican Leaders Do
I'm really tired. Marrow-deep, hope-sucking, soul-choking exhausted. There are all sorts of reasons for this: a seeming endless state of national urgency, a…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Beautiful Exhaustion of Compassionate People
Are you exhausted right now? Be grateful. That is a good thing. You see, that weariness is confirmation that your heart is working properly. It is your…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Terrible Waste of MAGA America
Donald Trump was president for 1,460 days. If asked by someone in the future to summarize in a small space, the depth and breadth of the collective injury…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastProject 2025 and the End of America
We don’t have to speculate on the sociopathy of MAGA Conservatives. They have put it all in writing. PROJECT 2025 outlines in precise and sickening detail, the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastChristians Should Condemn Christian Nationalism and Evangelical Theocracy. Jesus Does.
There's nothing more dangerous than professed Christians who have no real interest in Jesus. They're rather easy to spot if you're paying attention. They're…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastResurrecting The Dead: An Easter Reflection
Growing up in the Catholic Church, as a child I learned about the Resurrection story in the New Testament: Jesus dies and three days later he rises from the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhat To Tell Our Kids When Bad People Prosper
We parents have stories we like to tell our children: Cheaters never prosper.Honesty is the best policy.Crime doesn’t pay.Good prevails.Love wins. Sometimes we…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Christian, Why Do You Stand Behind Cruelty?
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Christian, Why Do You Stand Behind Cruelty?
Christian, you are a mystery to me. I see you there on that rally platform, I watch you in the crowd and the words fail me. I watch you standing there with…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNEW BOOK SNEAK PEEK!
Hey Beautiful Mess Community!To celebrate us reaching 10,000 subscribers today, here’s an exclusive excerpt from my forthcoming book, Worth Fighting For…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastGrieving People Who Are Still Alive
Today is a day of mourning for millions of Americans. You can see the bereaved everywhere you look. They may not be dressed in black or sitting in a church pew…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastGaza, MAGA, and the Tensions of Voting Your Values
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast7 Things Online Creators Want You To Know
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast7 Things Online Creators Want You To Know
This week, a dear friend of mine who makes a living publishing original content on social media and who has a large, vibrant following, messaged me to catch up…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Crucifixion and Resurrection of Woke Jesus
Jesus was a progressive. He arrived two thousand years ago, not with vague religious nostalgia or territorial separatist dogma but with a bold, clear vision…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Sadness of Women Who Still Vote Republican and Support Donald Trump
None of this makes sense. I think I’ve been misled somewhere. Growing up, I learned from the men and women around me what it meant to be a gentleman; how…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Could Have Been a Christian Nationalist
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Could Have Been a Christian Nationalist
I am a person of profound privilege. As a white, cisgender, heterosexual Christian man raised in America, I have had nearly every benefit and buffer afforded…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Closed Border of Conservative Compassion
I need you to clarify something for me, MAGA friend. I've seen all your incendiary social media posts about the border crossers.I've come across the fictional…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWaiting to See America's Invisible Men
America has a white male problem. If you're living here and you're not a white male I probably don't have to do much to convince you of that fact. You've been…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt's Time to Say Goodbye, America
America, we will soon say goodbye to something. One way or another this year will end with a farewell. It will either close with a glorious, triumphant blast…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhy It May Be Time to Leave Your Church
Sunday is coming. Soon, millions of Americans will find themselves in the houses of worship that dot nearly every corner of this country: disparate buildings…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhy It May Be Time To Leave Your Church
Sunday is coming. Soon, millions of Americans will find themselves in the houses of worship that dot nearly every corner of this country: disparate buildings…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIf White Evangelicals Could Learn Compassion
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThings No Election Can Bring Back
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThings No Election Can Bring Back
One day this will all be over. History testifies that all brutal empires fall, all hateful movements dissolve, all malevolent momentary victors eventually find…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastJoe Biden is Not the Lesser of Two Evils. He's the Far Better Human.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastJoe Biden Is Not The Lesser of Two Evils. He’s the Far Better Human and Leader.
The lesser of two evils. I hear people using this phrase again right now and I hate it. I heard it four years ago and it was a lie then, too. The choice was…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastYes, He Can Win Again
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHow to Stay Alive When You Don't Feel Like You Want to
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThere's a Conservative War on Women—and Decent Men Should Care
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThere's a Conservative War on Women—and Decent Men Should Fight Against it
They’re no longer saying the quiet part quietly. It’s all out in the open now. The extreme Christian Right (which is now essentially the de facto Republican…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Left's Purity Politics is a Gift to The Right
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Left's Purity Politics is a Gift to The Right
The Right is pushing America to the brink of theocracy—and we on the Left are helping them. I feel like we’ve seen this movie before: the infighting, the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFacing America's Empathy Poverty
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFacing America's Empathy Poverty
America is facing a growing poverty in these days. We are going broke an alarming rate and we need to do something quickly to change our collective fortunes…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastGod is Not Republican Property
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNex Benedict Was Killed By a Republican Culture War. We Cannot Stand for It.
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNex Benedict Was Killed By a Republican Culture War. We Cannot Stand for It.
Nex Benedict will never see their seventeenth birthday. The beautiful, healthy, vibrant nonbinary teenager died at the hands of peers who bullied them…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastGrief is the Tax on Loving People
A friend of mine recently shared the grief she was experiencing over the loss of her husband of thirty-eight years. He’s been gone for over a decade and she…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhen Americans Love Guns More Than People
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastStop Saying Love Wins
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The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastEveryone Gets Jesus—Except American Evangelicals
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastLosing Faith in Religion
Some honest thoughts about the damage done in the name of God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to…