Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

What sparks your sense of wonder in the natural world?  In this episode, we're continuing our exploration of learning how to see like a scientist with botanist and author Susan Tweit. Brian McLaren and Susan Tweit explore how a hike in the Badlands sparked Susan's passion for sharing nature's wonders...

Can we look at nature with both wonder and a scientist's eye? In this episode, we're learning how to see nature from the perspective of a scientist. In Part 1, Author and professor Paul Wallace joins Brian to explore the intersection of science and spirituality in the natural world. Together, they discuss the awe-inspiring scale of the universe, the contemplative nature of scientific inquiry, and the urgent call to protect our dwindling bird populations...

What can children teach us about loving nature? In the first episode of season 6, three of Brian’s grandchildren — Ella, Ada, and Lucas — drop by to talk about how to take responsibility and care for the planet. In this conversation, we see the from the perspective of a child as three of Brian's grandchildren highlight the impact of climate change through a shared love of animals and emphasizing the need for a more sustainable and compassionate relationship with nature...

Welcome to the sixth season of Learning How to See which focuses on learning how to see nature in a new way. In this season, we'll look at nature through the lens of a child, a scientist, a lover, a doctor, a seeker, and a gardener. The goal is to develop a deeper connection and appreciation for the natural world. We need to see every tree and stone, every bird and fish, every stream and prairie and star with eyes of love and wonder...

What if we could reimagine the future of storytelling? In the last episode of Season 5 of Learning How to See, join in the conversation about how to create a new kind of space in which we can all participate in shifting our world towards greater Love and justice.   Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Gareth Higgins, click here. To learn more about Brian McLaren, click here. To explore the seven stories in more depth, visit the website here...

How do you embrace the wisdom of letting go? In this episode, Brian and Gareth explore the power of sharing to explore the Accumulation Story, a justification of our human need to hold onto things, people, and circumstances.  Gareth explains: “This is a story about money and fear. It's a story about being possessed by things rather than enjoying and sharing them. And it's a story nested within a bigger story about how sometimes when we think we have more, we actually have less...

How do you tell the story of a time you have been wronged or betrayed?  Many of us experience victimization. But when does "victim" become an outdated part of our identity? Brian McLaren offers us: “If victims allow themselves to take an offramp from their victimizing stories, they embrace another way to define their lives.”   We're continuing forward with powerful explorations of storytelling as resilience and transformation. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here...

“To be fully in the world is to believe that we can love other people and places more than we fear them.” –Gareth Higgins   Have you convinced yourself that you are better off alone? Today we're exploring the dynamics of the Isolation Story — the belief that we can avoid pain by avoiding others. As Gareth Higgins explains, “While it may not be physically violent, the Isolation Story is more than harmful, because it does two things...

“Almost everybody who does evil has convinced themselves that they are doing good.” —Brian McLaren   Have you ever convinced yourself that an unloving act was justified? In this episode, we're asking ourselves the tough questions and peeling back the layers of the Purification Story — a narrative with complex dynamics that can lead us to harmful interactions with others and ourselves.   Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Gareth Higgins, click here...

“If you want a better world, tell a better story — especially one that centers justice without vengeance.” –Gareth Higgins  How do we tell stories that offer us the best chance of creating a more peaceful and loving reality? In this episode of Learning How to See, we're exploring stories of revolution. Although these tales often contain values of heroism and liberty, they are more likely to feed into the cycle of violence rather than end it...