Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this episode, I chat with Fr. John Valadez—Orthodox priest and the man behind Death to the World—to talk about what it actually means to die to the world in a culture that’s built to keep you comfortable, entertained, and constantly distracted.
We get into why modern life makes it almost impossible to be still, why silence feels threatening to people, and how we’ve replaced transformation with validation without even realizing it.
But the conversation really centers around what he’s building right now—
A retreat center.
A real place. On real land. Set apart.
A place where you step out of the noise, put the phone down, and actually have to face yourself… and God.
We talk about why that kind of place is necessary right now, what happens to a person when the distractions are stripped away, and why most people have never actually experienced silence long enough for anything real to happen.
It’s about building something real in a world that isn’t.
And what it actually costs to live a serious spiritual life.
For more on Fr John, go here: sttimothy.net
And for Death to the World, go here: deathtotheworld.com
For more information on the retreat center, go here: youtu.be/lJejv9xL5hU?feature=shared
And here: meetingofthelord.com
Sponsors:
Podsworth App: podsworth.com
Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order!
Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast!
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For the official CounterFlow T-shirt, send $30 via PayPal to buck@counterflowpodcast.com with your size and shipping address, or order online: counterflowpodcast.com/store
Please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/counterflow
Please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/counterflow
Visit my website: counterflowpodcast.com
Audio Production by Podsworth Media: podsworth.com
Leave us a review and rating on iTunes! Thanks!
In this episode, I chat with Fr. John Valadez—Orthodox priest and the man behind Death to the World—to talk about what it actually means to die to the world in a culture that’s built to keep you comfortable, entertained, and constantly distracted.
We get into why modern life makes it almost impossible to be still, why silence feels threatening to people, and how we’ve replaced transformation with validation without even realizing it.
But the conversation really centers around what he’s building right now—
A retreat center.
A real place. On real land. Set apart.
A place where you step out of the noise, put the phone down, and actually have to face yourself… and God.
We talk about why that kind of place is necessary right now, what happens to a person when the distractions are stripped away, and why most people have never actually experienced silence long enough for anything real to happen.
It’s about building something real in a world that isn’t.
And what it actually costs to live a serious spiritual life.
For more on Fr John, go here: sttimothy.net
And for Death to the World, go here: deathtotheworld.com
For more information on the retreat center, go here: youtu.be/lJejv9xL5hU?feature=shared
And here: meetingofthelord.com
Sponsors:
Podsworth App: podsworth.com
Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order!
Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast!
Full Ad Read BEFORE processing: youtu.be/F4ljjtR5QfA
Full Ad Read AFTER processing: youtu.be/J6trRTgmpw
For the official CounterFlow T-shirt, send $30 via PayPal to buck@counterflowpodcast.com with your size and shipping address, or order online: counterflowpodcast.com/store
Please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/counterflow
Please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/counterflow
Visit my website: counterflowpodcast.com
Audio Production by Podsworth Media: podsworth.com
Leave us a review and rating on iTunes! Thanks!
