Heavy Things Lightly

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Orthodoxy in Palestine

June 12, 2026

In this conversation recorded live at Symbolic World, John Heers sits down with Mother Agapia for a deep, unfiltered account of life on the ground in the West Bank: the building of the wall, the expansion of settlements, the targeting of Christian communities, and the complicated, often beautiful relationship between Orthodox Christians and their Muslim neighbors.Mother Agapia is an American Orthodox nun who spent decades living and working in Bethany, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem — running a sch...

Race, Ethnicity & Nationalism: Is an Orthodox America Possible?

June 05, 2026

Find this episode on YouTube: Is American Orthodoxy even possible? John Heers sits down with Ben Michael (Orthodox Luigi) to talk about race, ethnicity, what it means to be an American — and whether there's a future for Orthodox Christianity in a nation built on rootlessness.This conversation goes where most won't — deep into the tension between ethnic identity and faith, the rise of nationalism, and the hard question: can America — a country of immigrants with no single ethnic root — ever tr...

The Ancient Christianity That is Alive and Well in Georgia

June 02, 2026

Georgia's ancient faith is still alive — and it demands more than just going through the motions.Professor Levan Gigineishvili joins John to discuss the importance of continuous personal growth as an Orthodox Christian, the ultimate answer to avoiding complacency and transforming our lives in Christ. A medievalist, philosopher, and one of Georgia's most respected public intellectuals — walks us through 1,600 years of Christianity that refuses to die.This conversation goes deep, we cover:✧ Why...