The Soul's Garage
8 episodes Last Updated: May 15, 25
A garage isn’t just a place to park your car. It’s also where you work on your car, store things you can’t bring yourself to throw out, or hang out with your friends while you talk about life. Your soul is a lot like that garage. It’s more than just what makes you human. It’s a space for a handy spiritual tune-up or a supportive conversation. Come hang out with us in the garage, share some laughs, search through issues of life and belief, and tinker with that vehicle called faith to keep it—and you—going.
Episodes
When you are in pain, and someone says, “I know how you feel,” is that helpful to you? If not, what would be helpful? Join us in the garage for some thoughts on what a person in pain really needs, and why our culture does not give us much help in giving it.
Is it true that “God will never put more on you than you can stand”? Are my troubles some kind of test engineered by God? If so, what does that say about God, and what does it say about me? Join us in the garage for more discussion of “dubious dogma” designed to make a person in pain feel better, but often has the opposite effect.
Have you ever paid attention to the platitudes people offer to someone who is hurting? We have, and we think they are really spoken to make the speaker feel better instead of truly offering comfort to the person who is in pain. Join us in the garage for the first of three episodes where we examine some of these common sayings, and suggest an alternative approach.
Mar 31, 2025
Sympathy for Empathy
Political and religious leaders recently have claimed that empathy is Western civilization’s “fundamental weakness.” Others go so far as to call empathy “dangerous,” and “toxic,” and a notion that “needs to be struck from the Christian vocabulary.” But can empathy be erased, or even watered down, in one’s practice of spirituality, especially Christian spirituality? Join us in the garage as we examine the place of empathy—or the lack of it—in a life of faith.
Everyone has nights lying awake worrying, problem solving, or feeling guilty. In such moments how does my spirituality comfort me? What resources does my spirituality offer for the new day when it dawns? Join us in the garage as we examine faith in the wee hours when troubles seem to loom so large.
Feb 28, 2025
Spirituality's Grandchildren
Can my spirituality be passed on to the next generation? Should it be passed on? Join us in The Soul’s Garage as we discuss faith that is bigger than any one individual, and spirituality that is more like a living relationship than a museum relic.
Feb 14, 2025
So What? Does Spirituality Make a Difference?
In these days of religious ferment, how can I practice a spirituality that is more than a passing fad or whim? We think there are three crucial questions any spiritual approach needs to answer. Join us in The Soul’s Garage as we discuss the first question: How does my spirituality make a difference in my life and the lives of others?
Jan 31, 2025
What is the Soul's Garage?
In this first episode we dive into the meaning of our podcast's title. What kind of space can be created for spiritual discussions from a variety of perspectives, and what difference could it make in day-to-day living? We think this is especially important in these times when faith and religious language are driving people apart instead of bringing them together.