Be the Bridge Podcast with Latasha Morrison That Sounds Fun Network

This episode is the second part of our Cultural Views conversation on white Christian nationalism. (Listen to part one released on 5/30 to get the full discussion!) Podcast host Latasha Morrison and Be the Bridge leaders Sean Watkins, Elizabeth Behrens, and Micah Smith continue to share why this conversation is needed, the importance of digging into the origins story of the US and our churches, and the difference between patriotism and nationalism. There are resources and practical steps given along with reminders of hope.



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If you are a pastor and listening to this podcast and want more information on how to be able to change your own discipleship and spiritual formation of your church, we want to invite you to go to our website, BeTheBridge.com, where you will find the Resources tab where we share Recommended Resources, a book list of resources from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds that have been vetted by our training team.



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Host & Executive Producer - Latasha MorrisonSenior Producer - Lauren C. BrownProducer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts with Integrated Entertainment StudiosAssistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser



Quotes:“There's a crisis of discipleship.” -Latasha Morrison

“One of the issues of Christian nationalism is that it allows for all of these conversations about all these different ethnic groups without actually talking to any of those ethnic groups and having them be included in the conversation.” -Sean Watkins

“I grew up with the Christian flag on one side and the American flag on the other. And if we don't think that our theology is shaped by our place and our space, then we're not being honest with ourselves.” -Elizabeth Behrens

“We're supposed to be trying to honor and glorify God, not a nation, not a group, not a denomination. But honor and glorify God. With everything that we got we're loving him.” -Micah Smith



Terms:Christian Nationalism: a cultural framework that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life. Christian nationalism contends that America has been and should always be distinctively “Christian” from top to bottom – in its self-identity, interpretations of its own history, sacred symbols, cherished values, and public policies – and it aims to keep it that way.



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Resources Mentioned:The Civil War as a Theological Crisis by Mark NollEqual Justice InitiativeThe Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan RahUnsettling Truths by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan RahSanta Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes by Justo L. GonzalezRescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Dr. Richard TwissStand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Reverend Dr. Kelly Brown DouglasBe the Bridge Recommended ResourcesNational Memorial for Peace and JusticeThe Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass IncarcerationMissio Alliance



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Connect with Latasha Morrison:FacebookInstagramTwitter



Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.

This episode of the Be the Bridge Podcast is part of our Cultural Views series where we do a deeper dive into societal and cultural issues with the intent of exposing our listeners to opportunities for the reassessment of their own values and perspectives. We have previously talked about gun violence on episode 250 and now we are diving into white Christian nationalism. Podcast host, Latasha Morrison, is joined by Be the Bridge team members Sean Watkins, Elizabeth Behrens, and Micah Smith to dive into a relevant topic impacting our community and our neighbors. At Be the Bridge, we want to make sure that we are equipping you to do this work. So in this episode, we will provide the historical context and present realities of white Christian nationalism.



Make sure you are subscribed as we keep the conversation going. In part two, we will look at how to disciple people through this.



If this conversation leaves you wanting to know more about the training Be the Bridge offers, learn more about our trainings for companies, organizations and churches here, learn about our Foundations Course here, and learn about our Transracial Adoption trainings and resources here. And subscribe to our email list so you can know when Be the Bridge trainings, events, and resources are released!



We love our community of listeners and we want to know more about you! Find the Listener Survey Here. (One participant will receive a Be the Bridge swag bag!)



Host & Executive Producer - Latasha MorrisonSenior Producer - Lauren C. BrownProducer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts with Integrated Entertainment StudiosAssistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser



Quotes:“What does it look like when we talk about orthodoxy and orthopraxy in our everyday lives? And so for me, as an African American, knowing the history here, it's hard for me to even say that America was a Christian nation.” -Latasha Morrison



“Our nation was birthed really out of genocide and enslavement. And so even though we say that we're a Christian nation, we've been violent from day one.” -Sean Watkins



“If you find yourself unwilling to genuinely and authentically challenge those systems, then you might be a white Christian nationalist. Not intentionally. I don't think a lot of us are out there just saying, ‘Oh, we want to just tear other people down.’ But that's a framework….In the long run, you're going to dehumanize and marginalize and justify hurting people in the name of religion.” -Micah Smith



“The top three curriculums used for homeschoolers, the top three curriculums used in private Christian schools, promote Christian nationalism. And those textbook companies have existed since the 50s and 60s. So you now have a couple generations where kids grew up on this. They had kids, they put their kids in those same schools with the same curriculums. You now have multiple generations who have been indoctrinated in this since the time they were learning to read.” -Elizabeth Behrens



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Links:Jude 3 Project’s documentary “Unspoken”Pew Research on How Americans describe ‘Christian nationalism’Equal Justice Initiative



Connect with Be the Bridge:Our WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitter



Connect with Latasha Morrison:FacebookInstagramTwitter



Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.

In a gentle and heartfelt conversation, Korean American Storyteller Tasha Jun discusses her new book, Tell Me the Dream Again, with Latasha Morrison on the Be the Bridge Podcast. You’ll hear Tasha vulnerably share about her journey of embracing the whole story of being biracial. They discuss the importance of being specific about our stories, of honesty and community, and of representation. Tasha and Tasha give listeners encouragement on how to persevere through injustice and also how to sit with the feelings of anger and lament and grief. This episode is an invitation to show up as your whole self and know you are worthy of belonging.



We love our community of listeners and we want to know more about you! Find the Listener Survey Here. (One participant will receive a Be the Bridge swag bag!)



Host & Executive Producer - Latasha MorrisonSenior Producer - Lauren C. BrownProducer, Editor, & Music - Travon PottsAssistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser



Quotes:“Belonging is being able to be in a place or a space, where you are your whole self and where your whole self is welcome to stretch out and also have room to become at the same time.” -Tasha Jun

“I hope that being really specific will help people to be specific about themselves, and just take a look within and be able to see their own distinctions with value and give attention to those things.” -Tasha Jun

“When we think diversity is really divisive, then we have missed something. Because diversity is a part of creation.” -Latasha Morrison



Links:Tell Me the Dream Again: Reflections on Family, Ethnicity, and the Sacred Work of Belonging book by Tasha JunVoices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Longing in a World Longing for Justice book edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson



Connect with Tasha Jun:InstagramFacebookHer SubstackHer Website



Connect with Be the Bridge:Our WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitter



Connect with Latasha Morrison:FacebookInstagramTwitter



Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.

Thank you for stopping by the Be the Bridge Podcast! This podcast is a resource from the non-profit organization Be the Bridge and is hosted by Latasha Morrison, the Founder and CEO of Be the Bridge and the author of the book Be the Bridge.

Be the Bridge responds to racial brokenness and systemic injustice in our world and believes understanding can move us toward racial healing, racial equity, and racial unity. This podcast is an extension of our vision to make sure people are no longer conditioned by a racialized society but grounded in truth. We have provided this podcast as a resource to help cultivate courageous conversations and equip all to flourish.



You will find interviews from a variety of thought leaders, faith leaders, and business leaders as well as authors and artists, activists and athletes. You will be encouraged, you will be challenged, and you will be changed. Thank you for subscribing and sharing!



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At Be the Bridge Podcast, we intentionally interview bridge builders doing incredible work all year long. And it just so happens that we are highlighting an interview Be the Bridge founder and our host, Latasha Morrison, had with Pastor Raymond Chang as we welcome in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month. They have an important conversation surrounding breaking the stigmas of mental health, discipling students, and acknowledging history.

Latasha and Raymond talk about a life-changing trip he took called the Reclaim Trip, where he and others with the Asian American Christian Collaborative toured historical Asian American Civil Rights sites in California. It was a trip that fostered remembering history and reclaiming identity. And he and Latasha even dream up an incredible opportunity for the Be the Bridge community. We are all connected; and gaining historical context helps us better understand, empathize, and lead in the church and in the culture.



We love our community of listeners and we want to know more about you! Find the Listener Survey Here. (One participant will receive a Be the Bridge swag bag!)



Host & Executive Producer - Latasha MorrisonSenior Producer - Lauren C. BrownProducer, Editor, & Music - Travon PottsAssistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser



Quotes:“It's like most people don't see how the discipleship that many of us have inherited is actually a discipleship into deformation instead of a formation into Christ.” -Raymond Chang

“I don't think that you can fully understand how heinous white supremacy is until you see how it has affected the African American community, how it's affected and manifests within the Indigenous population, within the Asian American population, and the Latino population.” -Raymond Chang

“Understanding that history helps us move forward today in more solidarity.” -Latasha Morrison

“The more you understand the problem, the more you're able to actually concoct a solution, or at least be a faithful presence to try to be one.” -Raymond Chang



Links:Asian American Christian CollaborativeTENx10 CollaborationEpic Movement - Community of CRU for Asian AmericansManzanar



Connect with Raymond Chang:His WebsiteInstagramTwitter



Connect with Be the Bridge:Our WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitter



Connect with Latasha Morrison:FacebookInstagramTwitter



Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.

Beloved Bible teacher and best selling author, Beth Moore, joins Be the Bridge founder and podcast host, Latasha Morrison, once again on the podcast. They discuss her new memoir: All My Knotted Up Life and some of the stories she shares in it of growing up in racialized settings in Arkansas and Texas. They lament how we find ourselves in a time of being unable to reason together and of people looking away from injustice. Latasha and Beth agree on the need to know definitions in the language surrounding racial justice, that it is good and right to always be learning, and that remembering is a sacred act. They laugh together and share wisdom together. Beth is living proof of humble leadership and dedicated companionship. 



Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts at Integrated Entertainment Studios

Transcriber - Sarah Connatser



Quotes:

“We know that beauty is going to come from the ashes, but the ashes are just so hot at times.”  -Latasha Morrison



“How long, Lord? When will lives be more important than sides?” -Beth Moore



“You don't have to worry that God's just taking this side or he's taking that side. He's just taking over.” -Beth Moore



“I want to be a companion to those who have been mistreated.” -Beth Moore



Links:

All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore



Connect with Beth Moore:

Her Website

Facebook 

Instagram

Twitter



Connect with Be the Bridge:

Our Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter



Connect with Latasha Morrison:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter



Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.



Find the full episode transcript here.