Well, hey everybody and welcome to the messy table, an ordinary space for real women, imperfect stories,

and the God who's at work in our mess. Yes, even over and over and over again.

Well, I am Jen Jewel, the host of this faith-fueled conversation-style podcast, which typically

airs a new episode every other Tuesday. However, we wanted to get this particular chat into your

hands and ears a few days early because it matters and it's important. And we all need reminders

of both truth and love as much and as quickly as possible. So to cut to the chase and let you know

where we're heading, today's episode is one about the very real issue of racism,

justice, and the heart of God. So wherever you are and whoever you are, whether you're black

or white or brown or purple, whether you vote red or blue or somewhere in between, we are

honestly so glad you're here and we can all learn from each other. I do want to point out a couple of things,

so we're all on the same page. One, this is a conversation between four Christian women.

So if it's your first time here at the messy table and you're not really sure what we're about,

or maybe you believe something else, and that's fine, and you're absolutely welcome here.

But just so you're not surprised, the Bible is the

lens in which we are viewing the world, including history and current events. And two, I am a

white American woman interviewing three of my incredibly bold and brilliant and beautiful friends

who have each previously taken their precious time to share a piece of their story here on the podcast,

who each have vastly different perspectives, who grew up in three very different states,

who happened to be black, brown, African American, whatever term you prefer.

So in today's episode, Latanya Pratt, Sharon Hester, and Stacia Malone are intentionally and

courageously wearing their heart on their sleeves. Y'all, even when they don't have to,

they are choosing to share some of their personal wounds, personal experiences, as well as personal

...