Hey there. It’s me. Let’s start with the big ol’ elephant in the room. If you’ve been around these parts for a little while, you might have noticed that I disappeared. (If you’re new here, hi! Hello. I’m glad our paths have crossed.) I am so grateful you have invited me into your inbox, so I want to give a little backstory about where I’ve been and what’s ahead. (But if you’re here simply for the podcast episode with my friends Rohadi and Brittany, feel free to skip on by.)
Last October, I came to the end of myself creatively and energy-wise, so I eased off the gas. But instead of slowly down and coasting for a little while, I went into full-on shutdown mode. What was intended to be a week or two break turned into a month or two and now here we are in February 2025.
There are a lot of reasons for the extended break, and I am happy to go into more detail in case you find yourself in a similar place. But, for the sake of brevity, I just want to let you know what I *think* I am finally finding my footing in the new year, and I am looking forward to spending some more time here at Human Together. (And wowza… what a time to be talking about the communal life…)
Today, I hope you enjoy this roundtable conversation with Rohadi and Brittany. I’m grateful for the experiences and perspectives they bring to the table as we (finally) wrap up season two on belonging and respond to questions submitted by several of you. As always, feel free to hit reply or keep the conversation going in the comments.
I’m glad you’re here.
Reminder: In season two of Human Together, we are taking a deep-dive into the topic of belonging. You can subscribe and listen here on Substack as well as on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
About the Episode
We are wrapping up season two and our series on belonging with a roundtable discussion. I’ve invited two guests—Brittany Tinsley and Rohadi Nagassar—to join me in responding to your lingering questions that have surfaced from fellow listeners or readers of The Way of Belonging. My desire with these roundtable conversations is not only to bring in voices other than my own, but also to allow room for a variety of thoughts, beliefs, and experiences so that we can continue to walk in compassion, curiosity, and humility as we learn to live more deeply with God and each other.
Episode Notes
When We Belong: Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins by Rohadi Nagassar
Faith in a Fresh Vibe podcast with Rohadi Nagassar
Brené Brown
Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Connect with Rohadi
Rohadi Nagassar writes on decolonizing, liberation, and deconstructing Christianity. Discover Rohadi’s latest book, “When We Belong. Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins.” He also has a podcast on decolonizing Christianity called: Faith in a Fresh Vibe.
Website: www.rohadi.com and Newsletter sign-up.
Threads: @rohadi.nagassar
Instagram: @rohadi.nagassar
Connect with Brittany
Brittany Tinsley is a writer and self-injury support advocate whose work sits at the intersection of mental health and faith. Her debut book, Stories Our Scars Tell, is slated for publication in September 2025. When she isn't writing, you can find Brittany exploring national parks with her husband and daughters.
Substack: Braver on Paper
Instagram: @brittanytinsleywrites
Threads: @brittanytinsleywrites
A reminder about what you get in your inbox: if you prefer not to get podcast-specific emails, you can go to your profile > manage subscriptions > notifications to adjust your settings at any time. All Human Together episodes will be released here on Substack as well as on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The benefit of subscribing here on Substack is that episode notes will land in your inbox, in addition to the occasional essay or update from me.
The Human Together podcast is hosted by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. The theme music is “Sit with Me,” written and performed by Sarah Scharbrough.
Share this post