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Every Sunday at 3:00amAbout the Show
Inspired
Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.
Over 5,000 Catholics have added their name to a sign-on letter appealing to fellow Catholic President Joe Biden to press for a ceasefire. Award-winning Author, Activist, and Catholic leader Jordan Denari Duffner and Middle East Peace policy advocate Julie Schumacher Cohen reflect on their experiences traveling to Israel and Palestine and why they are working to help Catholics unlearn and relearn the region’s history. Then, Dr. Duane Bidwell joins to discuss his new book that explores how chronically ill children sustain hope.
150-character Description: In a letter, over 5,000 people urged President Biden to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. We hear from two Catholic activists rethinking Israel-Palestine history. Then, what can we learn about hope for chronically ill children?
“I had to unlearn a lot of biases and stereotypes about Palestinians.”
Two Catholic women share how they are working to educate and engage American Catholics to examine their beliefs and perceptions about Palestinians. Interrogating the stories and negative stereotypes began for both during their time visiting the state of Israel and the Occupied Territories of Palestine. Witnessing the daily humiliations, disparate treatment, and suffering of Palestinians inspired both to get more involved over the last decade with Churches for Middle East Peace. This month, the two organized a sign-on letter campaign for American Catholics targeting President Biden as well as fellow Catholics. They join to discuss why they refuse to give up hope and the response of American Catholic organizations and faith-based communities nationwide.
“‘Buddhist Teachings Taught Me How to Sit with Suffering”
For many years Dr. Duane Bidwell served as a hospital chaplain working to offer spiritual support to people often in their most vulnerable moments. In his new book, “After the Worst Day Ever: What Sick Kids Know About Sustaining Hope in Chronic Illness,” Bidwell chronicles how children in a Los Angeles hospital sustain hope. With his approach of listening and interviewing young people, he discovers some surprises, including the role of spirituality.
