The Wicked Truth

third things first

Betrayal, the Brain, and Nonviolent Action in a Polarized America

If you’ve been feeling betrayed by political leaders, overwhelmed by bad news, or stuck in anger, this week’s Third Things First episode is for you.

ireland Featured

This Story Isn't Over!

One night of storytelling in Ireland helped me welcome mystery back into my life. The idea that my life would be over at 60 was only a story I had been telling myself!

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Exchanging Accusation for Gratitude: The Mysticism of Daily Joy

How gratitude upends the spirit of accusation and helps us find the mystical in the mundane!

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Possibility in Your Pocket: Magic, Tarot, and Conflict Transformation

Suzanne talks with magician James Warren and Tarot reader Sally Graciela Ramirez about how magic and mysticism touch the irreducibly artistic heart of peacebuilding.

Blessing in the Freefall: Anger, Grief, and Joy with Andrew DeCort

It’s Easter Monday, and we have a conversation that’s all about the pain and joy of undergoing resurrection! Last time on Third Things First, “dissident theologian” and Neighbor Love founder Dr. Andrew DeCort joined me—from his bathtub, no less—to talk about what happens when our moral

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From Anger to Artisan: The Fire Inside Peace Work, with Andrew DeCort

Andrew DeCort captures something I've circled in my work on conflict resolution: the question of what we do with the anger, the urgency, the heat that rises when belonging is in danger.

racial reconciliation Featured

Marking the Unmarked: Racial Healing in Enslaved Burial Grounds

Julia Robinson Moore tells her story of how a childhood brush with the Ku Klux Klan left her with searing questions about religion, race, and violence. Now, her peacebuilding work brings Black and White descendants together around the neglected grave sites of the enslaved.

wicked musical

Claiming a Place In Your Context

Dr. Brian Ammons and I continue our conversation about Wicked, vocation, faith, art, embodiment, individualism, and the false gods that stand in the way of our vocations.

Wicked

Defying the Gravity of Going It Alone

Dr. Brian Ammons brings a queer perspective to Wicked, Defying Gravity, and what it means to find your vocation.

nonviolence

Who Has the Power?

Thoughts about who holds power in conflictual situations, how nonviolent direct actions is "soft power," but not weak, and the people giving me hope this week.

conflict transformation Featured

Reasons For Hope

Announcing a new podcast from The Wicked Truth – Third Things First!

Wicked

What's Next!

Wickedness is not an inherent trait, but an accusation made by the powerful against outcasts and the defenseless. When we stop dividing the world into good and evil, we begin to see one another as whole — capable of both, yet defined by neither.

eclipse

Chasing Totality

The story of how a not-quite-total eclipse and a prize-winning scientist taught me that wonder and meaning always outstrip our need to unlock all the universe's mysteries.

advent

The Bishop's Wife: The Most Important Prayer

A sweet romantic comedy proves to be a surprising Advent meditation on desire, prayer, and finding our most important thing.

Wicked

Lessons from Wicked in Today's Polarized Society

Lyle Enright and I delve into the nuances of the Wicked films, highlighting the story's enduring relevance to contemporary conversations about friendship, trust, and conflict resolution.

Let's Talk About Wicked: For Good!

I couldn't wait to see Wicked: For Good in theaters! I saw it twice in one week! And, no surprise, I cried at the end – also twice! My husband Keith and I, along with our supportive church friends, wore our Wicked Truth t-shirts to support this site and

What Is Our Greatest Power?

The more time I spend with Wicked, the more I notice something missing from the second half of the story.

How to Host a Wicked Truth Party!

As excitement builds to the release of Wicked: For Good, we fans of the musical are having Wicked Watch Parties. Here's how to turn your own watch party into a Wicked Truth party!

We Can Do Better Than Cope!

Evidence is mounting that violent methods do not change things for the better. To insist otherwise is "cope". Nonviolent action offers a more authentic, realistic, and hopeful perspective.

Do You Believe in Wicked Witches?

If we can put our fear aside, we can ask the questions fear keeps us from asking.

The Alchemy of Love

This Halloween, I'm thinking about the role magic plays in Wicked, and in our lives this side of the rainbow.

The Unexamined Life, Part 2: Whose Are You?

What was your initial response to the title of this post: Whose are you?  It’s not a typo! You may have read it at first as, “Who are you?” which is a question about our individual identity. “Whose are you?” is a question about belonging; it recognizes that our

The Unexamined Life, Part 1: Copy That!

When I was a second grader at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic school, there was one girl in our class whose dad was Protestant. Poor Mary Pat! We had prayed for her father’s soul every day since first grade. And then, one glorious morning, Mary Pat told

When Is It Good News That Someone Is Dead?

After the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, I noticed something about how I was reading the news: A barely-conscious fear was circulating through my body, a fear that the shooter would be someone in my “tribe,” even if only a fringe member of it. I needed to exonerate myself, to

What Is This Feeling?

When we meet them in the musical, Galinda and Elphaba seem to be natural enemies. But by the end, these two young women will sing about their friendship: “Because I knew you / I have been changed for good.”