James Talarico

I mean, or a podcast, right?

Like this space in a lot of ways for the whole country has become a place where people are having these conversations.

Bigger conversations that aren't just about your job, aren't just about the current events of the day, but something deeper.

And I think we're going to need that now more than ever.

And right now we're not equipped.

Well, and everyone contains multitudes.

So we are all selfish.

I completely agree with that.

But I also think we're all selfless, too.

Yeah.

We have the potential.

Right.

I mean, it depends on whatever situation a person is put in and what roots someone has to draw upon.

Yeah.

And it's why I feel so lucky that I was brought up in a faith tradition that really emphasized my own experience as a validator for faith.

Because what you just described of a pastor or clergy consolidating power is something we see all too often in organized religion.

And so if you don't empower your congregation or someone who is seeking answers to check everything based on their experience—

and use that as a measure for what's true and what's good, then you make people dependent on that one guy.

Right.

Which is way too much power for one person.