Episode 14- The Great Manipulation: Propaganda, Fear, and the Spirit of Mammon

Episode 14- The Great Manipulation: Propaganda, Fear, and the Spirit of Mammon

Coming off a season where identity, symbols, and shared stories are powerfully reinforced, it's worth asking a deeper question: how are we being shaped? In this episode, we explore how influence works beneath the surface- through media, emotion, repetition, and the subtle formation of identity. What we often call "information" is not neutral. It forms how we see, what we feel, and what begins to feel like common sense. Looking at what Jesus called Mammon, we consider how systems of value- centered on power, control, and accumulation- shape our perception of reality without us even realizing it. But it is not a call to withdraw. It is an invitation to become aware- and to rediscover a freedom rooted not in reaction or reinforcement, but in truth, community, and a different way of being. Credits: * Music: 'Passage Of Time' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au * Scripture: Revised Standard Version Links: * Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://www.truthandway.org] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailto:tcotton@truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [tcotton@truthandway.org] * Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@truthandway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://substack.com/@truthandw⁠ay]

4th of July Episode- America 250; What Exactly Are We Celebrating

Independence, Confederation, and the Birth of a Nation As the United States marks 250 years since July 4, 1776, the assumption seems clear: we're celebrating the birth of a nation. But history tells a more complex story. In this episode, we take a closer look at what the Declaration of Independence actually accomplished- and what it didn't. Did 1776 create the United States as we know it, or did it begin a longer process that unfolded through the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? Because what we call "America" was not simply declared- it was formed. And that raises a deeper question: if the nation was shaped over time,what does it mean to celebrate its "birthday"? Credits: * Music: 'Passage Of Time' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au * Scripture: Revised Standard Version Links: * Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://www.truthandway.org] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailto:tcotton@truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [tcotton@truthandway.org] * Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@truthandway⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://substack.com/@truthandw⁠ay]

Episode 13 - Race, Status, and the Crisis of Identity

Beneath many of today's cultural and political tensions is a deeper question: who belongs, and where do I fit? In this episode, we explore how identity, status, and the stories we inherit shape the way we see ourselves and others. As familiar patterns begin to shift, what often feels like loss may actually be a disruption of identity rather than reality itself. Looking at how race and belonging have been formed over time, we consider why these conversations feel so personal- and why they so easily become political. But this is not a call to division. It is a an invitation to see more clearly and to rediscover an identity rooted not in status or fear, but in something deeper. The Kingdom of God offers a way of belonging that does not depend on position, but on belovedness- and that changes everything. Links: * Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://www.truthandway.org] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailto:tcotton@truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [tcotton@truthandway.org] * Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@truthandway⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://substack.com/@truthandw⁠ay] Credits: * Music: 'Passage Of Time' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au * Scripture: Revised Standard Version

Episode 12- The Corporatist Illusion: Why Liberal Democracy Cannot Deliver Justice

If some are drawn to systems of power through fear, others place their hope in the belief that those same systems van be reformed from within. In this episode, we explore how modern empire often operates not through chaos, but through stability- through institutions, expertise, and the promise of progress. While real improvements can happen, the deeper structures often remain unchanged. The question is not whether reform matters, but whether it can truly deliver the kind of justice we long for. The Kingdom of God invites us to see beyond the system- and to rediscover a hope not rooted in power, but in new creation. Links: * Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://www.truthandway.org] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailto:tcotton@truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [tcotton@truthandway.org] * Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@truthandway⁠⁠⁠ [ https://substack.com/@truthandw⁠ay] Credits: * Music: 'Passage Of Time' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au * Scripture: Revised Standard Version

Episode 11- The Oligarchy of Fear : Why People Support Systems That Harm Them

There is a question many people are quietly asking: why do so many support systems that don't seem to serve them? In this eposode, we explore how fear, identity, and belonging shape political loyalty far more than facts or policy. Drawing on the deeper theme of empire, we examine how fear becomes a worldview, how it is reinforced through culture and community, and why it often gets directed toward the wrong targets- especially in the form of anti-immigrant narratives. But this episode is not about condemnation. It is about understanding. And more impoortantly, it is about offering a different way forward. The Kingdom of God invites us out of fear and into a life shaped by love, welcome, and hope- a way of being human that no system of power can manufacture. Links: * Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ https://www.truthandway.org] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailto:tcotton@truthandway.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [tcotton@truthandway.org] * Substack: ⁠⁠https://substack.com/@truthandway⁠⁠ [ https://substack.com/@truthandw⁠ay] Credits: * Music: 'Passage Of Time' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au * Scripture: Revised Standard Version