First I want to say how liberating it’s been to watch our podcast transform before our eyes. Penn and I have loved using this podcast as a place to grow and learn, especially inside our marriage. But with this week and last week’s episode, it felt so important to keep discussing social issues. Every day I wake up and I am not sure what world I am going to get. But it seems to be more and more on fire. Penn and I want to use our microphone to talk and share with people who are making a difference in our world. That’s why this week’s guest is Jen Hatmaker.
Feeling Complicit in Silence
Jen Hatmaker is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning host of the For the Love podcast. But most importantly, Jen is an outspoken activist for marginalized communities. I just finished her book “Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire” – it had me both laughing and crying within 10 minutes of each other. She grew up in Kansas where everyone around her was the same – same skin color, same socio-economic level, same faith. It wasn’t until she got older that she started seeing injustice and inequality, and especially how it was ravaging people of color, the LGBT community, and those who were disenfranchised economically. She felt complicit in her silence.
We spoke to Jen about the importance of listening and learning. At every stage of our progress towards lifetime allyship, we need to listen. And more importantly, learn how to stay silent while we are still learning. Jen’s own trajectory has taken a hit as she fought between her career and her integrity. She had to choose one. If you are like me and struggling with how to do more in these scary times, I encourage you to listen to this episode with an open heart.
