In this episode Julie Varner Walks talks with Meg Hunter-Kilmer on a topic that is more explicitly Catholic than others she’s covered – but which will also have something to offer listeners of different faiths, or no faith at all: stories of saints who lived in politically troubled times.
Given the divisiveness of the 2020 presidential election and how existentially threatening both sides seem to consider it, it’s good to take a longer view. The sad fact is, people have long lived under unjust political systems – systems that are as bad as, if not worse than, our current fears. In this conversation Julie and Meg consider the stories of people who lived through such times, who faced them with courage and conviction, who took them as opportunities to grow in faith, to work toward justice, to do God’s will, and to draw others closer to Him.
In a conversation that was far funnier than Julie expected and which spanned four continents and several centuries, Meg speaks to us about what these holy men and women have to teach us about living through turmoil, about facing oppression, about resisting unjust systems, about speaking truth to power.
Meg Hunter-Kilmer considers herself a “hobo missionary.” After two theology degrees from Notre Dame and five years as a high school religion teacher, Meg quit her job in 2012 to live out of her car and preach the Gospel to anyone who would listen. 50 states and 25 countries later, this seems to have a been a less ridiculous decision than she initially thought. Meg blogs at Pierced Hands and Aleteia and is a prolific poster on Instagram and Facebook – especially about the saints.
To learn more about Meg, please visit her blog, check out her upcoming book, and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Follow Julie on Instagram and Facebook, and visit www.thesewallsblog.com/morethanpolitics to learn more about this podcast.
Theme music is by purple-planet.com