Love Anyway

GuestsJeremy Courtney is the founder and CEO of Preemptive Love. He has lived and worked on the frontlines of conflict for over a decade, serving families who’ve been terrorized by violence, poverty, and disease. He’s the author of the book Love Anyway: An Invitation Beyond a World That’s Scary as Hell. Jeremy lives in Iraq with his wife Jessica and their two children.ResourcesPodcast: Why Violence Is a VirusWhat if the very skills we’re all learning to stop the spread of COVID-19 could help us stop the spread of violence? In fact, what if what we’re experiencing now could lead us to end war?The Defeat of ISIS Is Not a Victory for PeaceWe have everything in us to be the ones who crush others underfoot. (That’s what “Daesh,” the Arabic name for ISIS, means.) We have everything in us to be the overtakers. To be those some might see as heroes—and who others might see as the most terrifying villains imaginable.We Share the BlameWhen we prioritize our own comfort and privilege over the basic needs of our neighbors; when we leave weaker neighbors to fend for themselves; when we make it easy for governments to abuse their own citizens because they know the world doesn’t care, we fail our neighbors.Take ActionAttend a Love Anyway WorkshopLearn how to press into pain, become a better listener, and connect deeply with those who are different. Join one of our free online workshops.Join our Peacemaking CommunityGive monthly to join our community of peacemakers and support our work to heal all that is tearing us apart—in our own communities and around the world. Your gift will provide lifesaving relief to stop the spread of violence, jobs that reduce the risk of being recruited into war, and community to help change the ideas that lead to war.

GUESTSJeremy Courtney is the founder and CEO of Preemptive Love. He has lived and worked on the frontlines of conflict for over a decade, serving families who’ve been terrorized by violence, poverty, and disease. He’s the author of the book Love Anyway: An Invitation Beyond a World That’s Scary as Hell. Jeremy lives in Iraq with his wife Jessica and their two children.RESOURCESAttack on the Capitol: Why We Must Call It What It IsThe Seeds of War Have Already Been Planted. Now What?US Election: Voices From the Other Side of War (Podcast)TAKE ACTIONAttend a Love Anyway WorkshopLearn how to press into pain, become a better listener, and connect deeply with those who are different. Join one of our free online workshops.Join our Peacemaking CommunityGive monthly to join our community of peacemakers and support our work to heal all that is tearing us apart—in our own communities and around the world. Your gift will provide lifesaving relief to stop the spread of violence, jobs that reduce the risk of being recruited into war, and community to help change the ideas that lead to war.EDITOR’S NOTEThe Love Anyway tour mentioned on this episode took place in late 2019. 

Many worry about the risk of violence after the US election. But most Americans have no idea what it’s like to live through political unrest or what to about it. We asked members of our team who've lived through political violence and war what Americans should know.

In the US, our Black brothers and sisters, whose forced physical, mental, and emotional labor built so many of our communities, are asking for presence from those of us who aren’t Black. And this isn’t new. They've been asking. They’ve been fighting for their lives for four hundred years—four hundred years too long.As host Erin Wilson shares in this episode: Throughout the war with ISIS, Preemptive Love chose to stay in Iraq. We chose to travel to the frontlines and stand with the people being crushed by violence and oppression. We did it out of love...and for some, that mattered. It mattered that we chose to stay. It mattered that we put our bodies on the line with theirs.And now we, all of us, need to show up on the frontlines in the US, too. In the midst of a wave of protests sweeping all 50 states, and on at least four continents, declaring the truth that Black Lives Matter, we have a chance to make our presence matter.In this breaking episode, we hear from:Faitth Brooks, director of programs for Be The Bridge and co-host of Melantated Faith podcast. Faitth shares what it looks like to be a co-conspirator by stepping behind the marginalized and supporting the work without co-opting or centering.Nick Mahlstadt, friend of Preemptive Love and father of seven, shares what he's learned about stepping out in front — not to co-opt or take over— but to literally stand between the oppressed and their oppressor.Both Faitth and Nick also share the idea that being anti-racist means showing up to do the everyday, unglamorous work of justice.Visit show notes page.Links from this episode:Melanated Faith podcast Be The BridgeThe Move ProjectFaitth's Book Recommendations:How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. KendiI'm Still Here by Austin Channing BrownBe The Bridge 101White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol AndersonWhite Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngeloRecommendations from Be The BridgeFaith's Podcast Recommendations:Melanated Faith podcast  '1619' podcastCode SwitchSeeing White

What does empathy have to do with emergency aid? In this final episode of Season 4, Erin Wilson, podcast host and senior field editor, sits down with Jessica Courtney, Preemptive Love's vice president of international programs, for an honest look at what they've learned about themselves as they've cared for others.This episode:Invites you into a behind-the-scenes look at emergency food distributions in Iraq and Syria. Ihsan Ibraheem, who does program documentation, gives an on-the-ground update.Takes you to Venezuela, where you'll hear — in their own words — from new friends who were able to make ends meet because of food deliveries.Welcomes you to peek behind the podcasting curtain, as Erin vulnerably shares about the photos that made her not only cry, but think about her global neighbors — and herself — in a new way, too.Learn more.

We’ll be back next week with our last regularly scheduled episode of season four. But this conversation is too important to wait. Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, was jogging in a southern Georgia neighborhood on February 23 when he was chased, gunned down, and killed by two white men. (Only after a graphic video of his killing was recently posted online, and a wave of public outcry followed did authorities move to press criminal charges, more than two months after he was shot.)This story is all too familiar—and all too common. Men and boys losing their lives, for no other reason than that they are Black. Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castille are a few names you might recognize...though there are countless more. And now there’s another. Ahmaud Arbery.So we’re asking: What do we do in this moment? How do we respond? Can we possibly hope to end violence somewhere else in the world if we do not confront the violence in our own communities… and in our own hearts?Learn more.

In this episode, Vjolca Capri gives her first-hand experience of attending a Love Anyway Gathering in central Florida. As a hijab-wearing Muslim woman, she wasn't sure what to expect when Saadia Qureshi invited her to join a roomful of community members, most of whom didn't look or worship like her.Could they really have meaningful conversations? Would others judge or stereotype her? Would it be... awkward?In this episode, we find out.Listening, doing conflict better, cultivating peace—these are all things we’ve been learning alongside our neighbors in Iraq for years.And now, we’re excited to bring that to communities around the world. To heal all that’s tearing us apart through Love Anyway Gatherings.Learn more.

Remember when we used to eat together? In this episode, we travel everywhere from Atlanta to Iraq for a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to gather around the table with strangers.War begins in our heads and hearts long before it reaches our hands. But that also means the solution can begin with us. And sometimes, healing all that’s tearing us apart starts with a meal.If polarization is fueled by our isolation from anyone different, then what if interacting with people who are different is key to reducing prejudice and polarization?Even as you listen to this episode while self-isolating, you can still prepare for the time when we get to come back together, face-to-face.What starts as a simple meal around a shared table with strangers can lead to life-changing conversations. And those conversations can lead to a thirst for more.Learn more.

COVID-19 anywhere is a threat to everyone, everywhere. In this special bonus episode, Preemptive Love team members call in from around the world to share why they are staying home—and exactly who you are helping when you do the same.Because the choices we make in this moment could mean life or death for someone else. And as you'll hear in this special bonus episode, for many of us, this threat is anything but hypothetical.These are their stories.

In this episode, Jeremy and senior field editor Erin Wilson share a candid conversation about the themes Jeremy explores in his latest book, Love Anyway. He answers never-before-asked questions, uncovers his writing process, and shares the why behind his vision of how we can heal all that’s tearing us apart. Visit our show notes to enter to Win a signed copy or audiobook Version of Love Anyway by Jeremy Courtney.In his book, Jeremy says that the way things are is not the way they have to be. There is a more beautiful world.And as you'll hear in this episode, to find it, we have to we confront our fear—and end war where it starts: in our own heads and hearts.Learn more.

Hear how late last year, before the coronavirus started it’s deadly spread across the world, Preemptive Love founder Jeremy Courtney was noticing striking parallels between the process for stopping the spread of infectious disease and stopping the spread of violence.Travel back in time to 2016 with host Erin Wilson, when she met two Iraqi doctors in a displacement camp she'd never forget. In raw audio from her time there, hear how Dr. Qudama and Dr. Mustafa decided to create a health clinic from scratch in one of the toughest places you can imagine, learning along the way that trust is essential to healing.In this episode, Jeremy shares a three-step effort as we work together to stop the spread of violence and work to end war:We listen and show up fast so we can address felt needs as quickly as possible.We create jobs to protect the vulnerable.We foster community where diverse people can truly hear each other, discover common joys and fears, and maybe even change our ideas that lead to war.Learn more.

This first episode of season four takes you behind the scenes of the Love Anyway tour that took place last fall. Peek behind the curtain into the making of the Love Anyway film, a short documentary we created to explore the ideas around how we can heal what’s tearing us apart. We let you in on some of the conversations that happened before and during the making of the film.We were planning to share this immersive episode with you later this year to go along with a new Love Anyway tour across the US. But because of COVID-19, our spring tour is going online. So we bumped up our production schedule to share this with you now!(Starting April 9, we’re hosting five online, interactive events with Preemptive Love founders Jeremy and Jessica Courtney. Free tickets are available now, but space is limited.)Learn more.

Who are the helpers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic? They might be closer than we think.In today’s special episode, we talk with people across the U.S. to explore what it looks like for all of us to not only look for the helpers — but to be the helpers — even in a global pandemic hitting very close to home.Many of us are familiar with Mr. Roger’s admonition to “look for the helpers” in times of chaos. As life continues to change in the face of COVID-19, podcast producer Kayla Craig looks for the helpers in her own community, recording conversations along the way.Kayla talks with Preemptive Love grants officer Lindsey Pruett-Hornbaker about her online storytime for “little revolutionaries.”Dane Barnett, Preemptive Love’s student and university engagement manager, spends some self-isolation time interviewing his mom Kris, a nurse in a local hospital's pediatric emergency department.We also hear from Kayla’s four young children who are now figuring out what their days look like without school. She also receives a message from her brother Nathan, who is helping keep grocery store shelves stocked during the pandemic.And Jeremy Courtney, founder and CEO of Preemptive Love, shares an important message about why he’s cutting his salary to $0 during the COVID-19 pandemic.Learn more.

As coronavirus cases grow worldwide—including in many of the places we serve—this breaking episode shares how the virus, also known as COVID-19, is impacting our displaced and refugee friends in Iraq, Syria, and Mexico.We hear from Preemptive Love team members:Jessica Courtney, vice president of international programsErin Wilson, senior field editorBen Irwin, director of communicationsThe future is uncertain. No one knows how widely this disease will spread or how bad the effects will be. But we are committed to our friends.We continue to listen to their most pressing needs. And we’re delivering the kinds of aid that reduce their vulnerability: food and warm clothes to help immunity, mobile health clinics in places where healthcare is absent, and jobs that bring stability.We are committed to the work you’ve entrusted to us. We’re not going anywhere.Learn more.

As we prepare new episodes (and spoiler alert: maybe even a second podcast!) we want to know what you think. What do you want to hear more of? Less of? Here’s your chance to chime in: We created a short five-minute survey with you in mind.To say thanks, we’re offering the first 25 people to finish a survey a free pin from our Preemptive Love Shop, and you’ll also be entered to win a Love Anyway jute bag along with some beautiful refugee-made candles.Just go to preemptivelove.org/podsurvey to fill out the survey now. Or text ‘surveyme’ to 72000. We can’t wait to hear from you. We’ll be back soon for Season 4 of the Love Anyway podcast.

This breaking episode of Love Anyway is a bit different than other time-sensitive episodes we’ve shared. While we want to give you the latest, clearest information on what’s happening between Iran, Iraq, and the US, we also want to take you behind the scenes of a conversation several of us had with our Preemptive Love colleague, and friend, Ihsan Ibraheem.As we hear in this episode, Ihsan has lived his whole life in Iraq. And he’s lived through what seems like countless wars.Details to Know:Early in the morning of January 8 local time, Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing US troops.At the time of this recording, there are no known casualties.The attack was in retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s top military commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike on January 3, near the Baghdad airport.In an address on January 8, US President Trump threatened to impose new sanctions on Iran, but also suggested the current crisis is winding down.This episode features audio from a conversation several members of our team had with Ihsan Ibrahim, minutes before President Trump’s address. Ihsan has been part of the Preemptive Love team in Iraq for almost four years.Ihsan  is an Iraqi, a father, a husband, a neighbor, a friend—and to many of us, an essential guide to making sense of the events of the last several days. In this epsiode, Ihsan shares what it was like to wake up to the news of Iranian missiles hitting his country.Learn more.

On Friday, a US drone strike killed two top Iranian and Iraqi military commanders in Baghdad, dramatically escalating tensions across the region. Preemptive Love's Iraq-based staff members Erin Wilson and Ihsan Ibraheem discuss the assassinations and what might come next.

We're in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, responding to the refugee crisis on the US-Mexico border. Earlier this year, we began showing up just across the border in El Paso, Texas, listening, learning, and lending a hand where we could, thanks to many of you. We distributed emergency backpacks and listened to leaders on the ground.US protocols have rapidly changed, forcing most asylum seekers to wait on the Mexico side of the border. So we’ve shifted our focus to the growing needs in Juarez, just across from El Paso, where many people are sheltering after they petition for asylum.On Giving Tuesday, we’re excited to announce a new initiative we’re launching where you can help us provide jobs for the most marginalized asylum seekers on the US-Mexico border.  And you can be a part of it.Text “border update” to 72000 to sign up so you can be the first to know about what we're launching on Giving Tuesday. You can play an important role in choosing to love anyway at the US-Mexico border.Learn more.

This breaking episode features firsthand accounts of what's happening on the ground in Syria. After our team heard updates from Erin Wilson and Jen Meyerson about what they saw displaced people facing weeks after the US troop withdrawal in northeastern Syria, we knew we had to pause our regularly-scheduled Love Anyway podcast episodes.What they told us is too important not to share. Some of the stories you’ll hear are quite literally life-and-death scenarios.Our team reports that the Turkish ceasefire is not over. Violence is continuing. Families are hiding in gutters and sewers as Turkish bombs fall. Preemptive Love has a presence throughout the vulnerable region of northeastern Syria. Despite the danger, we’re not going anywhere. Our on-the-ground teams are continuing to receive people, including young children, who have experienced serious injuries as a direct result of this violence.Learn more.

Preemptive Love is on the ground in Northeastern Syria. This is the biggest crisis we’ve seen at one time...and it’s getting worse. In this breaking episode, hear from our colleagues in the Middle East, who share what they’re seeing unfold.Some of our team members delivering emergency aid have been shot at. Upwards of 300,000 people are running for their lives, fleeing Turkish bombs. The situation is desperate. We need your help.We breakdown terms like "safe zones" and "ceasefire." We examine President Trump's recent statement about the US troop withdrawal from Syria, Turkish bombings, and the  massive wave of displacement it triggered.