Kirralee Nicolle
17 November 2022
You may have heard whispers of a new podcast from The Melbourne Anglican, and I am excited to tell you that they are true.
This venture has been several months in the making. The vision grew for me from a love of audio journalism and the power it holds to bring intrigue to the more mundane aspects of life – cleaning the house, walking the dogs, driving to work or taking care of young children.
As a writer, I believe storytelling holds power to cut through political, social or economic divides and bring greater unity and transformation. A gap I noticed in the Christian media space was the ability to hear and tell stories about our faith and really pay attention – listening rather than just hearing to respond. We also don’t like to admit it, but there are certain people we tend to listen to more than others.
My hope for Everyday Saints is that it provides an opportunity to really listen – to take in the sad, happy, powerful, inspiring, traumatic and devastating aspects of another’s faith journey and attempt to understand what we can do with that knowledge on both a personal and communal level.
Listen: TMA’s new podcast: Everyday Saints
These stories are incredibly individual. Each guest so far has shared from a deep well of emotion and intellect.
I have been horrified to hear from Professor Anne Pattel-Gray of the trauma experienced growing up Indigenous in Queensland, yet stunned by her enthusiastic hope for seeing transformation happen. I’ve been inspired by the courage of Leif Camp, who refuses to let fear stop him from showing love to those experiencing displacement and the debilitating effects of sanctions in Russia. I’ve been fascinated by the journey of Kate Boyd from a faith shaped primarily by American evangelicalism to one broadened by her experience of other cultures. I’ve been touched by the openness of Professor Peter Sherlock as he shared a joy-filled outlook on faith and orthodoxy despite facing marginalisation in the church as a same-sex attracted person.
These are just the first four episodes. There are so many more stories to be told, and I cannot wait to hear them.
If you have a suggestion for someone we should feature on Everyday Saints, or you would like to tell your own story, please contact me at knicolle@melbourneanglican.org.au. To listen to Everyday Saints, see here.
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