Faith is rarely absolute. Almost everyone goes through challenging life events that put faith to the test, from losing a loved one to being diagnosed with a chronic illness. Tragedy often calls us to re-evaluate our relationship with faith. Some come to feel that there is no choice but to walk away from religion when prayers go unanswered and inexplicable hardship defines the tone and tenor of everyday life. For others, faith can be a source of solace and meaning in the course of difficult events, providing the impetus needed to move forward and to envision less trying times. Faith put to the test can transform how we understand the world. In this collection of conversations, people share how challenging life events have tested their faith.
The interviews below were recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.
November 1, 2019
More stories about: Immigration
Julius Michael and Nguyet Pham—refugees from Sudan and Vietnam, respectively—have settled in the United States after being driven from their homelands by war. In this conversation, the co-workers discuss how they have kept their faith during their personal journeys and consider how religion shapes their outlooks on life.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 2, 2019
More stories about: Healing & Recovery Christianity
Jane L. provided spiritual guidance to the families of death row inmates during her nearly two decades working as a prison chaplain. In this conversation, Jane discusses with colleague Erica Gibson-Even how she experienced and processed the trauma of the executions, which initially left her feeling the absence of God.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
August 20, 2018
More stories about: Gender Christianity
Joel Barrett and David Seymour are a married couple who have significantly different religious upbringings: Barrett grew up in a conservative Baptist world that presented significant challenges to his life as a gay man, whereas Seymour was raised in a family that did not attend church regularly. In this conversation, Barrett and Seymour reflect on their faith journeys as queer people in the Midwest.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
May 17, 2016
More stories about: Healing & Recovery Catholicism
Mark Geraci and Judy Presta tried for years to have children naturally before they turned to in vitro fertilization. In this conversation, the husband and wife discuss the loss of the first pair of twins they succeeded in conceiving, the sense of grace that they managed to find in the midst of tragedy, and the joy they experienced when they finally gave birth to a baby boy.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
April 3, 2016
More stories about: Christianity
When she was in her early thirties and raising a daughter, Patience DeWeese began questioning her faith as a Jehovah's Witness. Given the opportunity to attend college, she left her faith and was shunned by her family. In this conversation, Patience discusses her long trajectory away from the Jehovah's Witnesses and to the Unitarian Universalist church with her daughter, Keturah.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
March 11, 2016
More stories about: Judaism Immigration
In 1941, when she was 5 years old, Olga Weiss fled Belgium with her family to escape the Nazis. She remembers the fear she experienced during the war, recalling a vivid experience in which a guide hired to smuggle her family to Switzerland instead denounced them to the Gestapo. These experiences are recounted in this conversation with Arielle Weininger, a curator at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Life and Learning.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
March 10, 2016
More stories about: Healing & Recovery
Amanda Longe-Asque, a professional counselor, spent years feeling silenced and isolated as she struggled with homelessness and drug addiction. In this conversation, Longe-Asque joins her friend and mentor Renate Reichs to reflect on how staying in a faith-based treatment center allowed her to find a sense of self and community while on the road to recovery.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
June 20, 2015
More stories about: Healing & Recovery
When he was nearly killed in a terrible car accident, Matthew Sissman was saved by a Good Samaritan who called 911 and stayed by his side until emergency services could arrive. In this conversation, Sissman discusses his experience and the spiritual gratitude it brought him with his childhood friend Paul Elie.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
June 18, 2015
More stories about: Healing & Recovery
When Nikhil Jain moved to the United States from India, he began teaching meditation, and the experience deepened his spirituality and gave him confidence in the existence of God. In this conversation, Jain discusses with his friend Donna Crisfulli his difficulties following his father's suicide, and his resulting decision to leave and eventually return to teaching meditation.
This story was produced by StoryCorps.
May 28, 2015
More stories about: Healing & Recovery Christianity
Danny Givens underwent a spiritual transformation and was eventually ordained as a Christian pastor while serving a 12-year prison sentence. In this conversation, Givens joins friend and colleague Marea Perry to discuss his journey and ministry as a Black pastor working in the Unitarian Universalist Church.
This story was produced by David Dault at Sandburg Media, LLC.
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