The JustCoz Podcast

Episode 5 - Young Adult Voices: Justice in a New Generation

What does justice look like through the eyes of a generation that grew up online, came of age in 2020, and refuses to accept that the world can't be better? Co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown sit down with three young adults — a congressional staffer, a medical student, and a political studies student — for an honest, inspiring, and occasionally uncomfortable conversation about faith, justice, hope, and what the next generation really wants from the church and the world. TIMESTAMPS 0:00  Intro & Theme Music 00:53  Host Welcome     00:54  Guest Introductions 02:24 Journeys towards Justice — Pax, Ashley & Alanah  06:06 Defining Justice — Three Perspectives 08:47  How Does Justice Connect with Faith? 11:41  Is This the Faith You Grew Up With? 2020 as a Turning Point 16:12  Who Inspires You? John Lewis, Tim Keller, Taylor Cassidy & More 19:57  What Do You Wish Older People Knew About Your Generation? 26:03  Algorithms, Segregation & the Hunger for Authenticity 30:29  Platform Moment — Educate to Liberate, Senior Thesis & the Medical Student Club 35:02  Closing — Learning to Listen 35:40  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits Organizations & Projects Mentioned Educate to Liberate — Nonprofit bringing critical policy education to underfunded public schools  Congressional Black Caucus Foundation — cbcfinc.org [http://cbcfinc.org] Episode-Specific Resources Educate to Liberate contact/website: Educate to Liberate [https://www.educatetoliberateacademy.com/about-5]  CALL TO ACTION This Week's Challenge Find someone in your family, church, or community that you have some friendship with but who is from a different generation — whether older or younger. Ask them some of the same questions we asked Pax, Ashley, and Alanah. Ask them: how do they see and experience the world differently than you? How might their formative experiences have been different from yours? And what are the justice issues they are passionate about? For Young Adults You are not too young, too inexperienced, or too small to make a difference. Pax, Alanah, and Ashley are proof. Find your lane and get in it. Listener Engagement Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people discover these conversations. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Tag us @justlovecollective. Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every two weeks. EPISODE CREDITS Dilys Brooks — Co-Host & Content Producer Nathan Brown — Co-Host & Editorial Feedback Beverly Maravilla Jaramillo — Scheduling Coordination & Guest Confirmations Sam Gungaloo — Audio Engineer & Web Content Manager Corban Rosspencer — Mix & Master Music Lumber Down — Intro Music, licensed via Riverside FM Palms Down — Outro Music, licensed via Riverside FM The JustCoz is a podcast of JustLove Collective.

Episode 4 - The Silent Church Speaks

The church has a choice: keep the peace, or make it. In this episode, co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown sit down with theologian Dr. Zdravko Plantak — author of The Silent Church — and young adult Ezekiel Teo to ask the question that has never been more urgent: why is the church so often silent in the face of injustice, and what will it take to finally speak up? TIMESTAMPS 0:00  Intro & Theme Music 1:00  Host Welcome & Episode Overview 3:00  Personal Connection to JustLove's Mission 5:00  Guest Introductions — Dr. Zdravko Plantak & Ezekiel Teo 7:00  The Story Behind The Silent Church — London, Homelessness & Phil Collins 12:00  How the Book Was Received by the Church 16:00  Ezekiel's Discovery of the Book & Its Continued Relevance 20:00  The Kingdom of God: Now and Not Yet 25:00  What Do We Mean by "Church"? Corporate vs. Local Community 29:00  The Church's Official Statements — More Active in the 80s and 90s 33:00  Peacemakers vs. Peacekeepers — A Word for Church Leaders 38:00  Zach's Hopeful Vision: Students Carrying the Mantle Forward 42:00  Closing — A Church That Acts, Not Just Speaks 44:00  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits Featured Book The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics — Dr. Zdravko Plantak (Macmillan Press, 1998) People & Works Referenced This Episode Jürgen Moltmann — Theology of Hope John Brunt — Now and Not Yet (Kingdom of God concept) Dietrich Bonhoeffer — "Who is Jesus Christ for us today?" Phil Collins — "Another Day in Paradise" (cultural prophets) Bob Dylan — "Blowin' in the Wind" Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles) — Social loneliness and community Ellen White — Kingdom of Grace and Kingdom of Glory Proverbs 31 — Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves Luke 4 — Jesus' Nazareth Manifesto Matthew 24–25 — Signs of the times and caring for the least Chuck Scriven, Roy Branson, Doug Morgan — Adventist justice scholars Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — The Danger of a Single Story (referenced by Dilys) CALL TO ACTION This Week's Challenge Ask yourself: Is my church keeping the peace or making it? Then identify one issue in your local community where your faith community could move from silence to action — and take one step toward making that happen, however small. Book Recommendation Read The Silent Church by Dr. Zdravko Plantak — and ask what has changed since 1998, and what hasn't. EPISODE CREDITS Dilys Brooks — Co-Host & Content Producer Nathan Brown — Co-Host & Editorial Feedback Beverly Maravilla Jaramillo — Scheduling Coordination & Guest Confirmations Sam Gungaloo — Audio Engineer Web Content Manager Corban Rosspencer — Mix & Master Music Lumber Down — Intro Music, licensed via Riverside FM Palms Down — Outro Music, licensed via Riverside FM The JustCoz is a podcast of JustLove Collective.

Episode 3 - Adventist Pioneers as Social Reformers

What if the church we know today was built on a foundation of radical social justice — and then forgot it? Historian Dr. Kevin Burton joins co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown to uncover the surprising, inspiring, and sometimes uncomfortable truth about early Adventism's role in the American anti-slavery movement — and what it means for who we are called to be today. KEY QUOTES "What were the pioneers thinking?" "Ellen White said we are reformers." "We need to be the good Samaritan." "If we have a problem with any human being out there in the world, then we are desecrating God himself because we are created in his image." "I cannot be silent. That is actually a sin." TIMESTAMPS 0:00  Intro & Theme Music 0:56  Guest Introduction — Dr. Kevin Burton 0:57  Why Study History? 2:42  Why Study Adventist History?  4:40  How History Shapes Identity 6:08  How Do We Balance Who We Were? 7:44  Justice and the Adventist Church 12:00  The Impact of Adventism on the Anti-Slavery Movement 14:00  Apocalyptic Abolitionism — The Book 23:00  Methodology: Prosopography & Cross-Archive Research 29:00  Long Anti-Slavery Movement  33:46  How We Lost This History — WWI and the Conservative Turn 39:00  The Two-Horned Beast Doctrine & America in Prophecy 49:00  How the Saints Are Receiving This Work 53:00  Personal Transformation Through Research 60:00  Closing — An Invitation to Get Into Good Trouble 1:01  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits Featured Book Apocalyptic Abolitionism — Dr. Kevin Burton (forthcoming) People & Works Referenced This Episode Ellen White — "We are reformers" (recurring theme in her writings) Joseph Bates — Adventist founder and anti-slavery activist Uriah Smith — Editor of the Adventist Review; called slavery "the prime mover" Joseph & Sarah Clark — Early Adventist evangelists in the post-Reconstruction South A.G. Daniels — General Conference President; racial segregation in Washington D.C. Jan Loughborough — One of the first Adventist historians Doug Morgan — Adventist historian; work on race and the church Michael Campbell — Adventist historian; Adventism and fundamentalism Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — "The Danger of a Single Story" (TED Talk) Matthew 25 — "Whatever you have done for the least of these" Luke 10 — The Good Samaritan Revelation 13 — The Two-Horned Beast and America in prophecy CALL TO ACTION This Week's Challenge Sit with this question from Dr. Burton: What does my faith mean if I remain silent in the face of injustice? Then take one concrete step — however small — to act on the answer. As our Adventist pioneers understood, silence is not neutral. Book Recommendation Pre-order Apocalyptic Abolitionism by Dr. Kevin Burton [https://nyupress.org/9781479839469/apocalyptic-abolitionism/] — and add it to your JustLove Book Circle reading list for 2026. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people discover these conversations. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Tag us @justlovecollective. Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every two weeks. The JustCoz is a podcast of JustLove Collective.

Episode 2 - Prophetic Voices: From Hebrew Prophets to Modern Activism

The Hebrew prophets were not just predicting the future — they were speaking truth to power in their present. In this episode, co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown sit down with theologian and professor Dr. Janice DeWhyte to explore what the biblical prophetic tradition really means, why justice is non-negotiable for God, and what Amos, Jeremiah, and Isaiah have to say to our world today. TIMESTAMPS 0:00  Host Welcome & Episode Overview 0:55  Intro & Theme Music 0:59  Guest Introduction — Dr. Janice DeWhyte 1:56  What Is a Prophet? A Communicator for and to God 4:00  Deborah, Advocacy & the Prophetic Role in Community 8:02 What We Get Wrong About Biblical Prophecy 11:25  Reading Ancient Texts for Today — Isaiah 10 18:58  Why Justice Is the Central Concern of the Prophets 24:25  Mishpat & Tzedakah — Defining Justice Biblically 31:57  Favourite Prophets — Amos & Jeremiah 40:00  How the Prophets Can Shape Us Today 47:38 Homework: Read the Prophets Alongside the News 52:55  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits Voices & Ideas Referenced This Episode ““Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. And it is a form of living, a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words.” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel — The Prophets (1962) Isaiah 10:1–4 — Woe to those who make unjust laws Amos 5:24 — "Let justice roll down like waters" Psalm 89:14 — Righteousness and justice as the foundation of God's throne Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — The prophetic spirit and the Civil Rights Movement Rosa Parks — Embodying the prophetic tradition in action Jeremiah 20 — The burden and honesty of the prophetic vocation Matthew 5–7 — The Sermon on the Mount / Beatitudes Episode-Specific Resources Resource 1: The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel [https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Perennial-Classics-Abraham-Heschel/dp/0060936991] Resource 2: Our JustLove Book Circle talking about The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann [https://www.justlovecollective.org/videolibrary/v/bookc2] CALL TO ACTION Take Dr. DeWhyte's homework seriously: pick up one of the prophetic books — Amos, Isaiah, or Jeremiah — and read it alongside this week's news. Ask yourself: what might this prophet say about what is happening in my community right now? Share what you discover with someone. Join the Prophetic Guild You are not alone in this work. Find your community — your guild of fellow justice seekers — and show up for each other. That is the prophetic tradition. Upcoming Event JustLove Summit — La Sierra University Details: justlovecollective.org/summit [http://justlovecollective.org/summit] Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people discover these conversations. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Tag us @justlovecollective. Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every two weeks. EPISODE CREDITS: See Website The JustCoz Podcast is a podcast of JustLove Collective.

Episode 1 - The JustLove Story: Where Justice Meets Love

What does it look like when justice becomes more than a cause — when it becomes a calling? In this first episode of JustCoz, co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown are joined by the co-leaders and a founding member of JustLove Collective to share the origins, vision, and hopes behind the movement — and why justice matters urgently in our world today. Chris Blake Retired pastor, editor, and university professor; Co-Leader of JustLove Collective Jen Silva Public health professional, global health advocate; Co-Leader of JustLove Collective Sam Gungaloo Pastor, JustLove Organizing Team 00:00  Intro & Theme Music 00:17  Host Welcome & Episode Overview 01:09  Guest Introductions  04:00  What is the JustLove Collective 08:17 Engagement with Justice and Love  32:41  Origin Story of JustLove Collective 43:59 How Is JustLove Different 49:18  How to Get Engaged with JustLove Collective 57:21  Host Sign-Off & Next Episode Teaser Books Mentioned This Episode Imagine Life [https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/AssociationforAdventistForums/blakebook.html] — Chris Blake Practising Justice [https://a.co/d/0fYqXq5O] — Nathan Brown Organizations Mentioned This Episode Adventist Peace Fellowship (APF) [https://adventistpeace.org/] Adventist for Social Justice (ASJ) [https://adventists4socialjustice.org/index.html] Conscience & Justice Council (CJC) [https://adventistregionalministries.org/2025-conscience-justice-council-convention/] Spectrum Magazine [https://spectrummagazine.org/] CALL TO ACTION This Week's Challenge "Just love" your community, your church, and your world. Find one concrete way this week to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly — and share it with someone.  Upcoming Event JustLove Summit — La Sierra University Details: justlovecollective.org/summit [http://justlovecollective.org/summit] Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people discover these conversations. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Tag us @justlovecollective. Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every two weeks. EPISODE CREDITS Dilys Brooks — Co-Host & Content Producer Nathan Brown — Co-Host & Scripting/Editorial Feedback Sam Gungaloo — Audio Engineer Beverly Maravilla Jaramillo — Scheduling Coordination & Guest Confirmations Corban Rosspencer — Mix & Master JustCoz is a podcast of  JustLove Collective. [https://www.justlovecollective.org/]