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.
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Episodes
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFor Those Who Hurt on Mother's Day
Mother's Day. For many people, that means flowers and handmade cards and Sunday brunches and waves of laughter. It means celebration and gratitude and warm…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMother's Day Should Be a Woman's Choice
Mother's Day should not be compulsory for any woman. It should be the yearly celebration of a decision, a moment to mark with gratitude a beautiful but…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastA Mother's Day Hell, From the GOP
Today, as Mother’s Day Weekend began, I watched the sickening video of a hysterical 16-year-old girl with her face smashed into the pavement by police…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNo, the Right Doesn't Hate the New Pope. They Hate His Jesus.
The Catholic Church chose Robert Prevost as its new pope in the wake of the recent passing of Pope Francis. And let’s just say, there was no joy in MAGAville…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHere's Why Public School Teachers Are Amazing—and Why They Deserve to Be Celebrated and Defended
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week. For some parents, that might mean running out to the store for a few token gifts for their children’s teachers, maybe picking…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastShiloh Hendrix, White Christianity, and The Reward of Racism in America
Shiloh Hendrix, a white woman from Rochester, Minnesota, was caught on camera in a local park playground using the N-word toward a 5-year-old Black autistic…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast5 Ways to Give Fascism a Middle Finger
Fascism is here. At this point, it’s too late to prevent its arrival, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a great deal you and I can do to slow its spread…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Tariff on Hatred is Here, Trumpers. It's Time for You to Pay
It's time to pay up, Trumpers. The deferred invoice for collectively selling your souls is here. It's time to pay for every incendiary campaign boast you…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Pray Conservative Christians Will Get Tired of Being Terrible
I came across a social media post this morning from a former church friend. He was (as usual) carrying on about the LGBTQ community, arguing with folks while…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWhen The Worst Person is Leading the Greatest Nation
I’d just hopped into a cab in Toronto, on my way to the airport after a weekend speaking engagement. My driver's name was Mohammed, a middle-aged man born in…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAmericans, Stop Waiting for America to Look Like What You Think Fascism Will Look Like
America is tragically deceptive right now. You can go out today in your local community, and everything looks perfectly normal: the sun is shining, pickleball…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWas This Worth It, Trump Voters?
Trump Voters, Pardon me for interrupting America’s Greatness Celebration, but I was thinking about you today.I really have to wonder what story you’re telling…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastPlease, Don't Forget to Live Today
Welcome to another day. You probably didn't give much thought to the fact that you're here, that you woke up at all, other than to lament the conditions you…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastCanada is Great—and Trump Has Nothing to Do With it
I owe Canada an apology. Like millions of other Americans, over the past few hours, I’ve been guilty of sarcastically giving Donald Trump credit for “keeping…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastSaquon Barkley, You Really Dropped the Ball
It’s a really poor decision to put any human being on a pedestal, to place them in an elevated position simply because of their ability to write a song or…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDo Americans Have What It Takes to Stop Fascism? We're About to Find Out.
America’s been in the news a lot lately. Maybe you’ve seen things. Word on the street is that her best days are well behind her, that she’s clearly peaked, and…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFighting America's Second Civil War
"We don't talk anymore. My mother is here but gone." This simple confession, made to me yesterday by a 55-year-old mother of three from Wisconsin about her…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDo You Miss Who You Were Before All This? I Do.
Today, a friend I hadn’t seen in a while sent me a text saying, “I miss you, John!”Immediately, I thought to myself, “Me too!” Like many truthful things, the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastPope Francis Aspired to the Teachings of Jesus. Of Course, MAGAs are Celebrating His Death.
Pope Francis had barely been dead for twelve hours when Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media for a bizarre celebration of his…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastAn Open Letter to Hateful White Americans
Dear Hateful White Americans, For a long time, I misunderstood my feelings toward you. You would pop up on my social media feed, drive past me in traffic, say…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFor America's Survival, His Supporters Must Be Ostracized
Decent people need to face a really painful truth at this point: Far too many of our family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates are fully…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastTo My Apolitical Friends, It's Time You Got Political
To those who believe I’m too loud, too opinionated, too political—I get it. Growing up, I was taught to avoid talking about politics and religion in mixed…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIf Your Church Won't Speak Out About a Deported Father (and Thousands More Like Him)—It May as Well Cancel Easter
As a former pastor of over two decades, I could seriously throw up right now. The Trump Administration wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father of four…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastForget Anti-Christian Bias. The Trump Administration Has Anti-Jesus Bias
As Christianity’s Holy Week begins marking the final week of Jesus’ life as presented in the Bible, the State Department under Marco Rubio recently instructed…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Was a Pastor. My Christian Friends Went MAGA and Canceled Me for Following Jesus
People often say God moves in mysterious ways. I won't argue with them. I was a local church pastor for more than two decades. During the 2016 presidential…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastI Just Got Back From Europe. They All Know That America's a Mess and That He's Nuts.
My family and I had barely been in our Lisbon Uber for ninety seconds when our gregarious driver Nuno, recognizing our accents asked, “So… are you pro-Trump or…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDonald Trump is the Chosen One. That's the Problem.
This week, I was talking with a Trump supporter who claims to be Christian, and I brought up the inhumanity of indiscriminate I.C.E abductions, baseless mass…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastCongratulations, MAGAs, You Defeated Our Woke Liberal Agenda
Yesterday, I commented on social media about the unparalleled Stock Market free-fall we’re experiencing due to Donald Trump’s stupefyingly asinine tariff war…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWishing for Evil to Die
"I never wished for someone to die before. I've been suicidal many times in my life—but I've never been homicidal." So began the tearful confession of a…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastYours to Hold: A Beautiful, Messy Minute
Right now, you and I are being perpetually bombarded with an onslaught of soul-crushing news, Constitutional crises, and human rights atrocities. It is beyond…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastProtests Won't Save America
While it was heartening to see millions of Americans take to the streets in hundreds of rallies throughout this country, as part of the #HandsOff campaign, it…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastMy Privilege Made Me Grieve Losing an America That Never Was
I’ve shed many misplaced tears recently. For a while I thought I was grieving over the loss of America; that I was missing something we used to be, a place we…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe The People Are Not Afraid of You, Donald.
Dear Donald, We are Americans and we are fearful of what you are doing to our nation. That is to say, we fear your ignorance, your recklessness, and your…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastGrieving People Who Are Still Alive
Today is a day of mourning for tens of millions of Americans. You can see the bereaved everywhere you look. They may not be dressed in black or sitting in a…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Conservative War on Everything
War is indeed hell. The Conservative Republican movement in America is a case study of what fear does when it fully grips a group of people; the emotional net…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastA Beta Man-ifesto
Today, a Trump supporter called me a "beta male." I was on social media, expressing my respect for survivors of sexual assault and women who've been subjected…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt's Too Bad the Pro-Life Right is So Violently Anti-Life
Conservatives love embryos. They tell us all the time. They speak effusively about them in conversation, publicly revere them at rallies, shed crocodile tears…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastBehind the Mask of Mental Illness
William Shakespeare said that all the world is a stage, and he was onto something. When a beloved public figure leaves this life by their own hands, millions…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHere's Why You Need To Become An Activist—Right. F*cking. Now.
Ok, so I get it—you’re not an activist. Or, at least maybe that’s the way you’ve always felt. Perhaps you don’t see yourself in a street with a sign yelling…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Grief of Sharing a Country With Trump Supporters
More often than I like to admit, some recurring dark thoughts creep in and level me these days. They may arrive as I foolishly wade into a comment section in…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear Jesus, Do I Really Have to Love My Enemies?
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe MAGA Mental Health Crisis
"I feel like I'm losing my mind." These words are a continual presence here these days.I hear them a couple hundred times a day it seems, in one form or…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastPete Hegseth and the Bullsh*t Patriotism of MAGA America
So, he accidentally texted war plans to a journalist on a social media app. The Secretary of Defense. Of America. The second in the chain of command behind the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastChristians Should Hate The Religious Right's Theocracy. Jesus Does.
There's nothing more dangerous or terrifying than professed Christians who have no real interest in Jesus. They're rather easy to spot if you're paying…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Cure for America's Cruelty Sickness
I am a collector of stories. I watch people, I listen closely to them, and I eavesdrop on their conversations in person and on social media. I look for…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastFox News Orphans, MAGA Refugees, and the Relational Casualties of This President
I'd just finished a speaking event with some progressive writers and activists and we were meeting with people who'd stayed after to say hello, have a book…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHey MAGAs, Aren't Christians Supposed to Give A Damn About Other People?
Hey, MAGA Christians, I have a spiritual question and was wondering if you could help me out. I used to think I was a Christian. I was raised in a Christian…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHey Guys, We Need to Stop Being So Mean to Elon.
(Extreme Satire Warning) Hey Everyone, Enough’s enough here, OK? This has all gone too far. We all need to be nicer to Elon. Last night, I watched the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNo, It's Not Going to Be Okay
I am a semi-retired optimist. I used to believe that things would always be okay: that no matter how bad circumstances seemed in the world, I trusted that…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastBefore You Die, Remember to Live
"We should do a brain scan just to rule out some things..." the emergency room doctor said to me matter-of-factly. Before I could ask him, he responded to the…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDear God, WTH?
Dear God, I’m not sure where to start here. Originally, I was going to try easing into this with some small talk, but then I realized with You being God n'…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe Really Need to Talk About MAGA's Sexual Predator Problem
This week, Robert Morris, the founding pastor of Texas’ Gateway megachurch was indicted for lewd acts with a child. Roberts has served as a Trump spiritual…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastWe on the Left Didn't Want to Be Right
To those who voted for Donald Trump, We on the Left were right. We were right last year when we warned you that Project 2025 was the impending Republican Party…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastThe Right Indoctrinated People We Love Into a Hate Cult—and We're Probably Not Getting Them Back
A couple of years ago my family and I walked into an older relative's house unannounced. They'd been expecting us that day from out-of-town, but we'd arrived…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastDon't Forget The Other State of the Union
Sometimes, what we see can make us forget what we know. The swirling storm of bad news can craft a nihilistic narrative in our heads, one where possibility is…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIf You Don't Care About The Ukrainian People, You're Not Pro-Life
You say that you're pro-life, friend. You let me know in hashtags and bumper stickers and t-shirts and memes and march photos and sermons and high-horse…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastHe Bankrupted His Casino. Now He's Bankrupting Our Country.
Throughout three presidential campaigns, people who’ve voted for Donald Trump have repeatedly said they’ve done so, in part, because he was a “successful…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt's Okay To Let People Know What You're Against
"You should let people know what you're for, not what you're against." I hear this sentiment from time to time, and perhaps you do, too. The implication, is…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastNo, Everything Does Not Happen for a Reason—Thank God
Everything happens for a reason. That phrase… We've all received it personally gift-wrapped by well-meaning friends, caring loved ones, and kind strangers. It…
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz PodcastIt Doesn't Matter How Bad Things Are Here
A reader told me that she thinks I’ve become too negative lately: that she misses the optimistic, hopeful version of me that she got to know during Kamala…