From Restless to Rooted: Joshua Williams on Calling, Repentance, and a Faith That Endures. What happens when the map you drew for your life no longer fits the road God is actually giving you? In this continuation of our conversation with Joshua Williams, we trace a candid journey through disappointment, redirection, and the quiet practices that turn belief into a way of life. This isn’t highlight-reel faith; it’s the daily, hidden work of following Jesus when the feelings fade and the next step isn’t obvious. In this episode you’ll hear about: Calling vs. career: how God reshapes ambition into service and steadies the heart when doors close. Repentance as renewal: not shame, but the rhythm that keeps love honest and hope alive. Prayer that holds in storms: learning to pray Scripture when words run out. Community and accountability: why “just me and Jesus” isn’t enough when you’re tired, tempted, or unsure. Sacrament and Scripture together: how worship and the Word form a faith that lasts beyond trends. Suffering without cynicism: carrying grief to Christ and finding courage to begin again. Why listen: If you’re in a season of waiting, change, or quiet rebuilding, Joshua’s story offers both clarity and comfort—practical ways to keep moving with Jesus when you’re short on answers but rich in questions. If this conversation encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs steadying grace, and leave a quick review with the one practice—prayer, repentance, or community—you’re committing to this week. ********** What if the road to Jesus runs through a guru? We sit down with Joshua to trace his unlikely path from a Romanian “enlightenment” school to Orthodox Christianity, and we ask the questions seekers rarely say aloud: Do mystical experiences prove truth, or do they force us to ask which spirit we’re listening to? Joshua describes leaving the U.S. to “throw himself into the arms of the universe,” clinging to ideas like reincarnation and religious unity while resisting the moral claims of Christ. Inside a syncretic school that blended Hindu and Buddhist concepts, he encountered a compelling teacher, apparent clairvoyance, and a vision of reality where Brahman reigns as impersonal essence. That promise of unity felt expansive—until it demanded he treat personhood, love, and moral responsibility as illusions. We contrast that with the Orthodox claim that God is personal and tri-personal: the Trinity as eternal communion, love that exists before creation, and a God who is everywhere present yet distinct from creation. Rather than absorbing us into a faceless One, God calls us by name and invites real relationship. Across the conversation, we map the turning points: irritation at the name of Jesus giving way to self-awareness, recognition of authentic Christian witness, and a rethinking of “science versus faith” that leaves shallow slogans behind. We explore discernment of spirits, why power isn’t proof, and how an impersonal metaphysics drifts toward quiet nihilism. Then we look at the Orthodox vision of personhood that grounds meaning: if we’re made in God’s image, our capacity for love is not a cosmic trick—it’s the point. If you’ve chased enlightenment and still long for a face behind the light, this story will meet you where you are. Listen, share with a friend who’s wrestling with pantheism or syncretism, and leave a review to help others find the show. Subscribe for more conversations that take faith, reason, and experience seriously. Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdh Please prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnesses Find Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, X Please leave a comment with your thoughts!