Jer Swigart (Host): Conflict is something we all carry, but the truth is, most of us were never taught how to navigate it well. We learned how to avoid it, manage it, or win at it, but not how to move through it in ways that can actually mend what's been broken. That's why we're here. I'm Jer Swigart, and this is The Mending Divides podcast.
Andrea: Forgiveness is not just a one-time thing. It's a decision that we make again and again and again.
Jer Swigart: For five seasons, we've been shining a light on conflict in conversations with peacemakers, mediators, and global ambassadors of reconciliation. This season, we're bringing you something a little bit different.
Rather than talking about conflict, we're bringing you stories from leaders who found themselves in the middle of it, moments that tested their convictions, exposed their fears, and ultimately reshaped who they became.
Katy: I was probably doing my traditional song and dance of, "Everything's okay, and I'm okay, and it'll all be okay," and she just looked me square in the face and said, "You're not fooling me, girl."
Steve: If a dad would disown his son who came out as gay, that's messed up. He kept saying that phrase, "That's messed up. That's messed up."
Andrea: She came up to me while I was sitting on our front porch, and she just said, "Mom, I need to meet the man who killed Daddy."
Jen: Everyone had a story they were telling themselves about me, and it was so hard for me that that story wasn't true.
I was solidly on the outside.
Jer Swigart: These aren't polished success stories. They're honest accounts of what conflict costs us, what it reveals within us, and what becomes possible when we do the slow, courageous work of healing instead of winning.
Rahn: It caused me to wonder, "Is this what these folks are like?" Like, what did I get myself into?
Jer Swigart: Coming September 2nd, wherever you get your podcasts.
