Forgiveness, Peacemaking, and the Courage to Reconcile | Todd Deatherage

What role does forgiveness play in the hard, often painful work of building peace? In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Jean Geran sits down with her longtime friend Todd Deatherage, co-founder of Telos, a nonprofit helping leaders navigate conflict and work toward reconciliation in some of the world’s most challenging places.Drawing from decades of experience in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the American South, Todd shares why forgiveness can’t be forced — but why, when it does happen, it has the power to break open even the most entrenched cycles of hurt. From the story of Mama Callie Greer in Montgomery, Alabama, to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa, this conversation is for anyone wrestling with what it means to pursue peace without sacrificing justice.What You Will LearnWhy forgiveness is essential to peacemaking — but can never be required or rushedThe six principles of peacemaking that guide Telos’s work around the worldThe difference between inner transformation and systemic justice — and why both matterThe story of Callie Greer: how one woman’s act of forgiveness launched a lifetime of advocacyWhat the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa teaches us about truth, forgiveness, and communal healingWhy forgiveness across communal lines creates space for the offender to be transformed — not just the victimHow restorative justice works, and why the American criminal legal system leaves so little room for repairThe meaning of shalom — and why “peace” is a pale translationCommunal responsibility, historical injustice, and what it means to say “I’m not responsible”Why “hurt people hurt people” — and why healed people have the power to bring healing to the worldGuest BioTodd Deatherage spent ten years on Capitol Hill and six years at the U.S. State Department working on human rights and international religious freedom — where he and Jean first became friends and colleagues. In 2009, he co-founded Telos, a nonprofit that helps leaders better understand conflict and equips them to pursue reconciliation and peace in some of the world’s most difficult contexts. Telos has created experiential learning journeys in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the American South (Restory Us). Todd’s work is deeply rooted in his Christian faith and his conviction that justice, peacemaking, and forgiveness are inseparable.Resources & LinksTelos: telosgroup.orgRestory Us (experiential learning in the American South): telosgroup.orgOne Day After Peace — documentary referenced in this episodePoor People’s Campaign (Rev. William Barber): poorpeoplescampaign.orgPrevious UpWords Podcast episode with Dr. Robert Enright on forgiveness: slbf.org/studioListen and view other podcasts in the Forgivness Series: https://slbf.org/questions-of-faith-podcast-episodesSend us Fan MailCONNECT WITH USSubscribe to The UpWords Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and visit slbf.org/studio to learn more about our work at the intersection of faith, the academy, and the marketplace.This episode was created by the SLBF STUDIO at Upper House.Produced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour