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David: "Empathy Under Fire"

David: "Empathy Under Fire"

Update: 2025-10-13
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What happens when the faith you were handed no longer fits the world you live in? In this episode, Jenell sits down with David — a lifelong Christian, surfer, biologist, and father — whose story traces a journey from certainty to compassion.


Raised in a Southern California Baptist church, David learned early that being a “good Christian” meant having the right answers. But through science, parenting, travel, and loss, he began to see faith less as a system to defend and more as a posture of love.


From the cultural weight of purity culture and the fear of the rapture, to his daughter’s courageous questions and the painful beauty of walking alongside his son through cancer, David’s story is one of dismantling judgment and rediscovering Jesus’ radical empathy.


This episode invites you to consider: What if the real work of faith isn’t about saving others — but about seeing them?


Featuring reflective storytelling, honest conversation, and a few taco-loving moments of levity.


Learn more or support our work: https://oceansidesanctuary.org


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David: "Empathy Under Fire"

David: "Empathy Under Fire"

The Collective Table