Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and endless scrolling, what does it mean to become a truly human person?
John Heers joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, the crisis of meaning, internet Orthodoxy, the rise of the “Orthobro,” and why so many people are searching for identity. We discuss how social media shapes the soul, why information alone cannot heal us, the Orthodox understanding of the heart, and how genuine community—not merely online discourse—forms us into the people God created us to be.
John argues that the greatest struggle of our time is not merely political or cultural, but deeply spiritual.
Finally, we dive into one of John’s favorite topics: the Supra. More than a shared meal, it has become a living expression of hospitality, friendship, and the kind of embodied community that modern life has largely forgotten.
If you’ve ever wondered why so many people feel disconnected despite being more “connected” than ever, this conversation is for you.
About John Heers:
John Heers is the founder of First Things Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through hospitality, cultural exchange, education, and authentic human relationships. His work has taken him across the globe, serving as a Peace Corps water resource manager in Mali, directing emergency relief efforts in the Republic of Georgia following the Abkhazia conflict, working in international development in Haiti, and teaching for nearly a decade in the South Bronx and Harlem. He also helped found Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Florida.
Today, John hosts the Heavy Things Lightly podcast and continues his work through First Things Foundation, including the Art of the Tamada, international field work, and Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina—a nonprofit restaurant introducing guests to the rich tradition of Georgian hospitality. His work explores how the wisdom of the Old World can help heal many of the cultural and spiritual crises of the modern West. (First Things Foundation)
Guest's Links:
heavythingslightly.com
first-things.org
Sponsors:
Thea's Orthodox Young Adult Formation Conference:
thetemplesteps.com
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
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!
The Counterflow Podcast is a weekly show featuring discussions and interviews with people who are outside of and critical toward mainstream liberal and conservative politics. Counterflow challenges the conventional right/left binary and is concerned with the more important distinction of free vs unfree. The show will feature thinkers from all backgrounds, who do not fit into the narrow framework of fashionable opinion. The show will address cultural and lifestyle issues as well as philosophy and politics. Host Buck Johnson (formerly of The Death To Tyrants Podcast) is a musician and firefighter and has always had an interest and drive to go one way while everyone else runs the other direction.
In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and endless scrolling, what does it mean to become a truly human person?
John Heers joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, the crisis of meaning, internet Orthodoxy, the rise of the “Orthobro,” and why so many people are searching for identity. We discuss how social media shapes the soul, why information alone cannot heal us, the Orthodox understanding of the heart, and how genuine community—not merely online discourse—forms us into the people God created us to be.
John argues that the greatest struggle of our time is not merely political or cultural, but deeply spiritual.
Finally, we dive into one of John’s favorite topics: the Supra. More than a shared meal, it has become a living expression of hospitality, friendship, and the kind of embodied community that modern life has largely forgotten.
If you’ve ever wondered why so many people feel disconnected despite being more “connected” than ever, this conversation is for you.
About John Heers:
John Heers is the founder of First Things Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through hospitality, cultural exchange, education, and authentic human relationships. His work has taken him across the globe, serving as a Peace Corps water resource manager in Mali, directing emergency relief efforts in the Republic of Georgia following the Abkhazia conflict, working in international development in Haiti, and teaching for nearly a decade in the South Bronx and Harlem. He also helped found Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Florida.
Today, John hosts the Heavy Things Lightly podcast and continues his work through First Things Foundation, including the Art of the Tamada, international field work, and Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina—a nonprofit restaurant introducing guests to the rich tradition of Georgian hospitality. His work explores how the wisdom of the Old World can help heal many of the cultural and spiritual crises of the modern West. (First Things Foundation)
Guest's Links:
heavythingslightly.com
first-things.org
Sponsors:
Thea's Orthodox Young Adult Formation Conference:
thetemplesteps.com
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
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!
The Counterflow Podcast is a weekly show featuring discussions and interviews with people who are outside of and critical toward mainstream liberal and conservative politics. Counterflow challenges the conventional right/left binary and is concerned with the more important distinction of free vs unfree. The show will feature thinkers from all backgrounds, who do not fit into the narrow framework of fashionable opinion. The show will address cultural and lifestyle issues as well as philosophy and politics. Host Buck Johnson (formerly of The Death To Tyrants Podcast) is a musician and firefighter and has always had an interest and drive to go one way while everyone else runs the other direction.
