Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
In this TCU+LIVE episode, the Convocation Unscripted team talked about the challenges of finding rest amid the ongoing assaults on our democracy and American decency--from the $100 billion spent on the unjust and unnecessary war in Iran to $20 million for new "shock gloves" that will be issued to ICE agents across the country, which are exactly what they sound like. Diana reminded everyone of the power of beauty and poetry, even--and especially--when they feel dissonant against the destructive background noise. Thanks to all the live subscribers who joined us with insightful questions, which lead us to wrap the conversation about the importance of building local community and connections in these critical months ahead of the challenging midterm elections.
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Follow on Substack:
The Convocation- convocation.substack.com
Robert P. Jones- whitetoolong.net
Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com
Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com
Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com
In this TCU+LIVE episode, the Convocation Unscripted team talked about the challenges of finding rest amid the ongoing assaults on our democracy and American decency--from the $100 billion spent on the unjust and unnecessary war in Iran to $20 million for new "shock gloves" that will be issued to ICE agents across the country, which are exactly what they sound like. Diana reminded everyone of the power of beauty and poetry, even--and especially--when they feel dissonant against the destructive background noise. Thanks to all the live subscribers who joined us with insightful questions, which lead us to wrap the conversation about the importance of building local community and connections in these critical months ahead of the challenging midterm elections.
Follow on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/jemartisby.b...
https://bsky.app/profile/kkdumez.bsky...
https://bsky.app/profile/dianabutlerb...
https://bsky.app/profile/robertpjones...
Follow on Substack:
The Convocation- convocation.substack.com
Robert P. Jones- whitetoolong.net
Diana Butler Bass- dianabutlerbass.substack.com
Kristin Du Mez- kristindumez.substack.com
Jemar Tisby- JemarTisby.Substack.com



![Is it worth engaging with Trump supporters in 2025?
FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/KU7vIdyo31Q?si=kwmwtAQ-JlJC1N-w
We love your comments. In fact, we led off our discussion by sharing our reflections on one particular comment. Robby shared, [This person was] finding themselves feeling a little jaded by the constant, “You wont believe what just happened now.” And same thing, day after day, after day—kind of a Groundhog Day experience, and worried about getting caught up in the negativity, not being able to think about: What do we do? How can we manage the chaos? How can we manage our own responses to it, and try to get to do something productive in the meantime? So we each shared how we approach our obligation to tell the truth—which necessarily involves a lot of “doom and gloom”—with the equally urgent call to hope and resilience. We do these live episodes once a month, and the best part for us as hosts is interacting with you in real time. So we devote about half the episode to answering your questions. We’re curious: How do you resist feeling jaded when there’s so much bad news? How are you cultivating hope and resilience? Let us know in the comments. Is it worth engaging with Trump supporters in 2025?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BWBUNdmBr5Y/mqdefault.jpg)






