Faith in a Fresh Vibe

Bonus – Eyewitness Account On Gaza

Eye Witness Account on Gaza with Dr. Sarah Lalonde The ongoing genocide occurring in Gaza demands our attention and response. In this bonus episode, we share an interview with Dr. Sarah Lalonde, who worked in the European Gaza hospital in South Gaza in 2025. She shares an eye-witness account of the daily atrocities. Over 50,000 Palestinians have perished, almost half are children. Sifting through all of the disinformation can be difficult, which is why we’ve brought a first hand account to the show to describe what is happening at ground level. An especially important conversation for Christians to listen to, especially those formed, or who remain, in evangelicalism. Some Christian traditions justify the ongoing violence against Palestinians because they believe destroying Palestinians is connected to ushering in the return of Jesus sooner. This abhorrent worldview clearly sidesteps the command, ironically from Jesus, to stand in solidarity with the oppressed–the least of these. This conversation may leave you feeling uncomfortable due to the content, which we make the disclaimer: some of the stories you hear, particularly about children caught in the crossfire, is hard to listen to. But stick with it. Your response to this ongoing genocide matters. Your voice counts when it comes to demanding action for a permanent ceasefire, a complete cancellation of arms sales, and the immediate expansion of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Contact your reps today. You can find one script to use by copying this statement. Bonus Episode Show Notes (00:00) Introduction with Rohadi (2:26) Rohadi shares some historical context about the region. (4:20) Interrogating malformed Christian theology that informs geopolitical opinion. (5:40) Historical overview of the region. (12:40) Introducing Dr Lalonde. (13:40) Dr Sarah Lalonde interview start. (14:38) What compelled Dr. Lalonde to go to Gaza. (18:32) Dr. Lalonde speaks to the idea of solidarity. (20:10) Discerning what is true. Speaking directly about what Dr. Lalonde saw at ground level. (23:50) But what about Hamas? (29:25) A direct eye-witness account of the atrocities committed by the IDF. (32:40) What is true about aid getting through into Gaza? (37:25) What can we do? Calls to Action from Dr. Lalonde responds. (41:00) A question for listeners. Hosted by Rohadi Nagassar. Rohadi‘s books can be found here, including his latest publication, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins, and his forthcoming title (Spring 2026) called Whole & Human. Forty Meditations for Liberating Body and Spirit. Find his online church community: https://abeautifultable.ca/ Dr Sara Lalonde – Author  Dr Lalonde is an emergency and family physician specializing in community, rural, and remote emergency medicine, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities. She has gained extensive international experience, including work in Guinea with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), as well as in Albania (working with Afghan refugees), Togo, and Chad. Dr. Lalonde is also recognized as the provincial physician expert on human trafficking in Quebec. Most recently, she returned from Gaza, where she served in the emergency department at the European Gaza Hospital. She can be found on IG @dr.sarah.lalonde Additional resources courtesy of Dr. Lalonde. https://imeu.org/article/quick-facts-the-palestinian-nakba Here another reference for the 22 percent https://www.cjpme.org/history Quick Facts: The Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) | IMEU Arabs from British Mandate Palestine during Israel’s creation. Dr Lalonde’s presentation about Christ at the checkpoint : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKWz25R3UAA and the ecumenical letter: https://kairoscanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ecumenical-Statement-in-Solidarity-with-Palestinian-and-Israel-partners.pdf CMP Anglican Church Sarah Lalonde – Christ at the Checkpoint July 29 2024 IG accounts you can follow: https://www.instagram.com/jkhoury218/ https://www.instagram.com/danielbannoura/ https://www.instagram.com/munther.isaac/ https://www.instagram.com/tony.deik/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSqEzOPU5E&t=1550s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyufVi2mdsA ?Yousef Khoury ~ ???? ????? (@jkhoury218) • Instagram… Daniel Bannoura (@danielbannoura) • Instagram profile Munther Isaac (@munther.isaac) • Instagram profile Tony E. Deik (@tony.deik) • Instagram profile Christ at The Checkpoint

Ep. 12 – Farewell Evangelicalism – Final Episode

In search for better, life-giving, community where all to be whole. Episode 12 arrives, the final episode in the serial series ‘Farewell Evangelicalism‘, designed to name problems in evangelical/conservative thought and belief to help folks leave, and when you exit, find the tools for your liberation. This episode summarizes key problems in conservative Christian spaces. What dominates evangelical thought and belief? Then, I posed a question to each guest that went something like this, “what does better look like?” I included their thoughts in this episode. We are fortunate to hear from the voices of: Scott Coley, Jared Stacy, Marlena Graves, Robert Callahan, Kristian Smith, Cait West, Ed Ng, DL Mayfield, Celeste Irwin, Daniel Wheat, and me, your host, Rohadi Nagassar. Episode 12 Final: Show Notes (00:00) Introduction with Rohadi and the final episode of Farewell Evangelicalism (4:00) Scott Coley summarizes core attributes that inform evangelical and fundamentalist beliefs. (11:42) Jared Stacy on apostasy as an act of faith. (21:00) Robert Callahan on Aslan…revealing the true nature of evangelicals. (23:45) Finding your people after your leave with DL Mayfield. (30:50) What does a better way look like? Love thy neighbor with Marlena Graves. (33:30) What does liberation and life giving community look like? (35:00) Cait West (40:48) Celeste Irwin (49:52) Examples of life giving community/churches doing things differently with Kristian A Smith. (1:03:05) Final reflections on steps to exit with Ed Ng. (1:10:22) Outro Guests Including Your host: Rohadi Nagassar (he/him) Rohadi‘s books can be found here, including his latest publication, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins, and his forthcoming title (Spring 2026) called Whole & Human. Forty Meditations for Liberating Body and Spirit. Find his online church community: https://abeautifultable.ca/ Scholar/Author – Scott Coley Scott Coley Scott M. Coley holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Purdue University. His research interests include philosophy of religion, moral epistemology and political philosophy. His book is entitled, Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Theologian/Author – Jared C Stacy Jared Stacy is a theologian and ethicist and former pastor to evangelical churches. He received a PhD in moral & practical theology from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. His research focuses on the intersection of theology and politics. Specifically on ethics, extremism/conspiracy theory and US evangelicalism. Jared’s work & story has been featured on platforms like TIME, NPR, NBC News, the BBC, and Christianity Today. Author/Attorney – Robert Callahan Robert Callahan is a writer and accomplished attorney, dedicated to his practice at Callahan & King in the heart of Waco, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gonzaga University and a Juris Doctorate at Baylor University School of Law, where he now serves as adjunct professor of Integrating Faith and Legal Practice. His latest book is called, Fire in the Whole: Embracing Our Righteous Anger with white Christianity and Reclaiming Our Wholeness. Dr. Marlena Graves – Professor/Author Marlena received her PhD in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH where she is researching the influence American culture has on Evangelicals’ view of immigration, race, and poverty. Marlena’s book, “The Way Up Is Down” (with IVPress) released in July 2020. Author/Podcaster – D.L. Mayfield D.L. Mayfield (they/them) is a podcaster and author. After a decade of writing for Christian spaces, they now write primarily about issues of neurodivergence and healing from high-control religion. D.L. and their partner Krispin Mayfield are currently working on a multimedia publishing project entitled STRONGWILLED, which is available on Substack. You can read along here. Kristian A Smith – Pastor and Podcaster Find Kristian on Instagram. Community Builder; Founder & Pastor @tfc.virtual; Host @holysmokesmovement; Curator of Greatest Commandment Theology. Find him over at kristianasmith.com Psychologist – Dr. Ed Ng Ed Ng is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Vancouver and is the founder and director of Eastgate Psychological Services. He is also the founder of the Eastgate Project and hosts its podcast, which focuses on the intersections of psychology, theology, and the experiences of the Asian diaspora. Celeste Irwin (she/her) – Trans Activist and Writer Celeste is a transgender, lesbian woman. She is a writer and advocate for transgender rights and inclusion in Christian spaces. Having survived an abusive church, she also writes about spiritual abuse. Visit her website/Substack and find her on BlueSky. Cait West – Author of Rift. A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy Cait West has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre, and Hawaii Pacific Review, among others. As an advocate and a survivor of the Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse, and cohosts the podcast Survivors Discuss. Find out more. Substack | Instagram | TikTok Bumper music by Daniel Wheat; Intro by Jesse Peters

Ep. 11 – Farewell Evangelicalism | On Belonging & Liberation

Featuring: Rohadi Nagassar, Sharifa Stevens, and Sarah E. Westfall Episode 11 in the serial series ‘Farewell Evangelicalism’, designed to name malformed pillars that shape evangelical/conservative Christian thought and beliefs. One of the counters to evangelical community is to demonstrate the expansive nature of belonging and liberation. Where evangelicalism demands assimilation to specific morals and theological persuasions, catching a glimpse of what freedom and living out your whole self looks like goes a long way to help make the switch and ultimately leave life-taking church community. In this episode my guests discuss some of the impediments in church community such as fear, and where we can look to replace harmful demands. Freedom to be your whole self, liberation from malformed theological systems, and ultimately community where you can belong and live as your true self without the mask are all out there. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge in search of belonging. Episode 11 Show Notes (00:00) Introduction with Rohadi (5:24) Sarah Westfall intro and her story. (7:15) When belonging starts getting complicated…. (10:44) A conversation on authenticity vs performance. (14:40) Leaving community behind and the loneliness it brings. (18:04) Resisting the attention economy. (25:00) Countering the tool of ‘fear’. (29:00) Interlude (29:44) Poetry Interlude with Sharifa (30:50) Intro Sharifa Steven and chatting about her latest book. (33:25) Holding the tension for liberation; seeking the ancestors. (37:15) The legacy of the ancestors and what it means to our liberation. (40:28) Naming the hope that is to come and what it looks like. (56:18) Outro Featuring your host: Rohadi Nagassar (he/him) Rohadi’s books can be found here, including his latest publication, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins. Visit his online church community: https://abeautifultable.ca/ Sharifa Stevens Sharifa Stevens is a writer, poet, speaker, and singer. She is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, born and raised in New York, and currently resides with her family in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Columbia University in New York with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies before earning a master’s in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sharifa aspires to use writing as a vehicle that moves readers to intersect with the sacred and the honest. Her latest book is When We Talk to God: A Powerful New Book of Prayers and Poems for Black Women. SharifaStevens.com | IG: SharifaWrites Sarah E. Westfall Sarah Westfall’s lastest book is called The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate (available in both print, digital, and audio formats). Sign up for her Substack newsletter, Human Together, or check out her podcast (which happens to go by the same name). Sarah_Westfall on Instagram. Bumper music by Daniel Wheat; Intro by Jesse Peters

Ep. 10 – Farewell Evangelicalism | Trans Identity and Liberation

Featuring: Rohadi Nagassar (he/him), Celeste Irwin (she/her), and Dr. Roberto Espinoza (he/him) Episode 10 in the serial series ‘Farewell Evangelicalism’, designed to name malformed pillars that shape evangelical/conservative Christian thought and beliefs. The hope is to catalyze pathways for folks to leave this faith tradition that does more harm than good. Sexuality and gender constructs are a significant pillars in evangelical identity. Any body that pushes against a white cis-gendered, straight able-bodied male gaze is a threat. In this episode, we discuss trans identity and liberation. Featuring Celeste Irwin and Dr. Che Roberto, two voices speaking on trans identity, offering us a picture of a wide ethic of liberation. Why should this conversation matter if you’re not trans? Because you’re a curious human! In this moment, 2025, trans folks are the primary target of conservative politicians and religious leaders, who better to learn from on what liberation looks like than the very folks furthest from the center? So through the example of Jesus where the last shall be first. Episode 10 Show Notes (00:00) Introduction with Rohadi (05:34) Celeste Irwin and her story. (12:00) Finding liberation escaping religious community. (16:00) Finding her whole self. (18:40) Naming malformed policies in conservative ideology/Christian right. (34:24) Pivot to Dr. Roberto (35:12) Intro Dr. Roberto Espinoza and his story. (39:20) Finding home on the land. (42:00) Finding healing in the body. (47:20) A trans take on the resurrection and signals for future hope. (57:25) The threat to our democracy and the power of stories. (1:01:00) Where is the light? Featuring your host: Rohadi Nagassar (he/him) Rohadi’s books can be found here, including his latest publication, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins. Visit his online church community: https://abeautifultable.ca/ Celeste Irwin (she/her) – Trans Activist and Writer Celeste is a transgender, lesbian woman. She is a writer and advocate for transgender rights and inclusion in Christian spaces. Having survived an abusive church, she also writes about spiritual abuse. Visit her website/Substack and find her on BlueSky. Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza (he/him) – Public Theologian and Author Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza is a Transgender & Latinx public scholar, using imaginative narrative to steward more ethical futures. Find more about his resources and exoertise on his website: https://robertoche.com/. Find his Substack and Instagram. Bumper music by Daniel Wheat; Intro by Jesse Peters

Ep. 9 – Farewell Evangelicalism | Processing Grief and Loss

Featuring: Rohadi, Mandy Capehart and Meghan Crozier Episode 9 in the serial season called ‘Farewell Evangelicalism’ is now live! In this episode, we discuss the embodied work necessary after losing core elements in our life like faith. We name pathways to help process leaving church, including the loss of community, and the mountain of grief that follows. Episode 9 Show Notes (00:00) Introduction with Rohadi on grief and loss. (04:24) Grief Coach – Mandy Capehart (32:00) Intro Meghan Crozier (46:00) Losing community after leaving church community. (56:20) Components that help grieve. (59:00) Cautions for folks entering the deconstruction space. Featuring your host, Rohadi (from Rohadi.com) Rohadi’s books can be found here, including his latest publication, When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins. Visit his online church community: https://abeautifultable.ca/ Mandy Capehart – Grief Coach and Podcaster Mandy Capehart (she/her/hers) is the founder of the Restorative Grief model. Find more about Mandy and her coaching program at https://www.mandycapehart.com/. Find her latest podcast episodes and her publication on grief. Meghan Crozier – Community Catalyst and Podcaster Visit Meghan over at The Pursuing Life! Meghan lives in the Pacific Northwest. Meghan curates space to help folks wrestle with questions on deconstruction and what spiritual growth looks like. She writes about topics like faith deconstruction, spirituality, equity, justice, race, mental health, and religion. She also explore the same themes and topics on the Thereafter Podcast with co-host, Cortland Coffey. Bumper music by Daniel Wheat; Intro by Jesse Peters Find Dr. Hillary McBride’s Holy Hurt podcast. Data on homicides and evangelicalism here.