Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

What would change if you could see with eyes of love—even in the face of cruelty, fear, and disagreement? In this episode, Brian McLaren and co-host Carmen Acevedo Butcher sit down with renowned spiritual leader, legal advocate, and activist Sister Simone Campbell for a deeply honest conversation about love, justice, and compassion. They explore how contemplative practice grounds fierce activism, why listening is an act of love, and what it means to see even your political opponents with empathy. From her role in passing the Affordable Care Act to launching the "Nuns on the Bus" movement, Sister Simone shares moving stories of courage, community, and the Spirit’s surprising guidance—inviting us all into a new way of seeing and being. Resources: * You can find a transcript for this episode here [https://cac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/807_LHTS.pdf]. * Find Sr Simone Campbell's book Hunger for Hope here. [https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Hope-Prophetic-Communities-Contemplation/dp/162698378X]

What would change if you believed that active, creative non-violence was the deepest expression of love? In this episode, Brian McLaren and co-host Carmen Acevedo Butcher welcome legendary peace activist, Catholic priest, and author Fr. John Dear for an unflinching conversation about the cost—and the healing power—of universal non-violence. Together they explore how language shapes our discipleship, what it feels like to be seen with unconditional love, and why “live and stop the killing” may be the clearest way to describe love in action. Resources: * Find out more about Fr. John Dear here [www.johndear.org%20]. * Find out more The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus: here. [www.beatitudescenter.org%20] Connect with us: * Have a question you'd like Brian or Carmen to answer about this season? * Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [podcasts@cac.org] * Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠⁠ [https://cac.org/voicemail]

How might your life change if you paused more often to unlearn what fear has taught you? In this episode, hosts Brian McLaren and Carmen Acevedo Butcher are joined by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. Together, they explore what it means to live with vision in times of struggle—when the path is unclear, but the call to truth and love remains strong. Drawing from his book Dancing in the Darkness, Dr. Moss reflects on the experience of being Black and faithful in America, and how reclaiming the radical tradition of love—rooted in justice and courage—can liberate both the oppressed and the oppressor. Connect with us: * Have a question you'd like Brian or Carmen to answer about this season? * Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ [podcasts@cac.org] * Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠⁠ [https://cac.org/voicemail] Resources: * The transcript for this episode can be ⁠found here⁠. [https://cacorg.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Hub/ProductionOutreach/EdElwMCR92dErfnIY4ZjELABunIFlCDQl-cfqEXbGhGw7Q?e=flwtOz]

How do ordinary moments become portals to the sacred?  On this episode of Learning How to See, Carrie Newcomer joins Brian and Carmen for a  conversation-and-concert that explores “short-form empathy,” the contemplative power of music, and the everyday practice of seeing, and being seen, through eyes of love. Along the way Carrie performs two beloved songs,  sharing the stories that shaped them, and Carmen invites listeners into a simple chant that can travel with us on morning walks or difficult days. Connect with us: * Have a question you'd like Brian or Carmen to answer about this season? * Email us: ⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠ [podcasts@cac.org] * Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠ [https://cac.org/voicemail] Resources: * The transcript for this episode can be found here [https://cac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LHTS-804-Mix2.pdf]. * Listen to the song Start With a Stone inspired by CAC’s Daily Meditations and co-written with the legendary John McCutcheon ⁠here⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udD5DeyOH8g] * Find the song I Do Not Know It's Name here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBGzmmgfYkM] * Find the song It's Always Love here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuaexqBmtXc] * To learn more about Carrie Newcomer and her work, check out her website here [https://www.carrienewcomer.com]. * To learn more about Carmen Acevedo Butcher, check our her website here [https://www.carmenbutcher.com]. * To learn more about Brian McLaren, check out his website here [https://brianmclaren.net].

What happens to your own humanity when you choose to truly see the humanity in others? In this episode, Jesuit priest Father Rafael Garcia joins Brian McLaren and Carmen Acevedo Butcher to explore what it means to see through eyes of love—especially in a world that often teaches us to view immigrants, the incarcerated, and the marginalized with fear or indifference. Drawing from his work at the U.S.–Mexico border, his Cuban refugee roots, and stories of deep pastoral presence, Father Rafael shares how radical hospitality transforms both giver and receiver. Carmen reflects on her own awakening to shared humanity while serving in a women’s prison, paralleling Rafael’s shift from architectural comfort to spiritual solidarity. Together, they illuminate how true vision—grounded in Jesuit and Franciscan compassion—invites us not into pity, but into kinship and mutual transformation. Connect with us: * Have a question you'd like Brian or Carmen to answer about this season? * Email us: ⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠ [podcasts@cac.org] * Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠ [https://cac.org/voicemail] Resources: * The transcript for this episode can be found here [https://cac.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LHTS_803_Mix2-2.pdf].