Season 2 Finale
The Roll Down
This season launched in January 2023 and is wrapping up in 2024, something that our hosts did not anticipate. In this finale, Alethea and Matthew reflect on what it took to get this season launched and highlight each of the episodes and what they appreciated about them. They express their joy and gratitude in what was accomplished in the midst of more unexpected life circumstances which caused the season to take a year and a half to complete, and they give a brief vision for what the upcoming season will be focused on. Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez Engineer:...
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Book Interview: “A Heart on Fire” w/ Danielle Coke Balfour
The Roll Down
We have our first returning guest, Danielle Coke Balfour, back to discuss her first book, “A Heart on Fire: 100 Meditations on Loving Your Neighbors Well”, which was released in October 2023. We talk with Danielle about what sparked her desire to write (and illustrate!) the book, and how she landed on her “ten pillars of a life of good work”. We also highlight one of the meditations in the “Justice” section that resonated with us and directly connects to the foundation of The Roll Down. We hope you enjoy this fun and inspiring conversation with one of our favorite guests! ...
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The Lenses Institute and Beyond: Our Time to Heal from Religious Trauma and Workplace/Spiritual Abuse
The Roll Down
This episode is a continuation from the previous episode where we discussed the lead up to, and the closing of, all Lenses offerings in the U.S. in July 2021. In this episode, Alethea and Matthew share more about their experiences in the organization outside of what happened with Lenses, and they’ll explore the impact of these events and practices they utilized to heal. Though their story is specific to the Cru ministry, anyone who has endured religious trauma and/or workplace abuse may benefit from the practical elements they offer. Additional Resources: The Roll Down, Season...
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The Lenses Institute: Our Story to Tell
The Roll Down
On July 29, 2021, The Lenses Executive Team released a statement which announced that all Lenses offerings in the U.S. would be shut down effective immediately. From that day until now, there have been various things said about why Lenses closed, and much of what has been said is not remotely true. As the three year mark is coming up this summer, Alethea and Matthew felt it was time to let people know what really happened. And though this episode is specific to one organization, those who have endured workplace and/or spiritual abuse may resonate with the themes from these experiences. ...
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State of Our Country: Activism and Self-Care
The Roll Down
This is part two of a two part episode where we discuss the state of our country as of April 2023. We acknowledge that we barely scratched the surface in our last episode due to the sheer amount of obscene things in the news each week and the lack of hours in a single day to process it all. Today's episode will focus more on practical ideas of how to engage at the local level and how to continue practicing self-care in the midst of our fight for justice. We hope that this will be an encouragement to you who are listening and wrestling with these very same realities, questions, and feelings...
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State of our Country: Where do we begin?
The Roll Down
This is part one of a two part episode where we discuss the state of our country as of April 2023. We will cover some of the various atrocities that have taken place during the last two years, some of the ignorant policies being implemented and some of the connections we have made to other historical events. From book bans and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community to mass shootings and immigration, there is so much that can be said. As you listen, know that some of these events can be retraumatizing so please go at your own pace and care for yourself in the midst of this never-ending stream of...
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Culture Creator, Not Chaser
The Roll Down
This episode is an invitation into the life, person and work of a woman of color in the creative sphere. Our guest and friend, Danielle Coke, walks us through how she rests, dreams, creates and perseveres as she’s doing justice work. Danielle Coke is a designer turned illustrator, advocate, speaker, and entrepreneur. She’s the founder of Oh Happy Dani, a lifestyle brand and educational platform that uses artwork and resources to encourage hope, inspire justice, and make complex ideas more accessible. She’s driven by her desire to help everyday advocates do good daily...
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Refinding Your Voice
The Roll Down
In the last episode, special guest Sandhya Oaks talked about reclamation identity, resilience, and addressed why so many people are wrestling with the question “who am I?” This episode is a continuation where Matthew and Alethea let us see their journeys in reclamation identity and how that led to refinding their voices. They share how a crucial part of the journey was regaining agency to choose when and how to be a bridge for others, especially as People of Color. Matthew and Alethea hope this episode will give hope for those struggling to find their voice in a chaotic world. ...
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Who Am I?
The Roll Down
This episode is a powerful invitation towards reclaiming our identity and what it means to be resilient. Our guest and friend, Sandhya Oaks, walks us through some of the ways that she (and we) can return to the core of who we are by slowly taking back our God given identities through the hard but beautiful and necessary journey of story work. Sandhya is a Speaker, Ministry leader, Story Coach, and Spiritual Director. Born in India and adopted as a Transracial Adoptee in the Midwest, her story lends to walking with others through identity reclamation and creating experiences that...
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The Hope of Belonging
The Roll Down
While there are many acronyms being thrown around these days, here’s one of great value to our communities—DEIB—which stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. The common thread in each is that something needed to be done institutionally where these things lacked. You may have heard talk about these terms in smaller combined fragments but they are a mightier and more holistic work when combined. Matthew and Alethea are going to take time breaking it down for us by defining the terms and analyzing the work itself. The heart behind this episode is to give clarity, common...
info_outlineIn this episode we discuss the current rise in violence towards the Asian community as well as highlight how this violence and anti-Asian racism is nothing new. We also talk about what it looks like to have conversations about anti-Asianness in Black and Brown communities.
A special thanks to several of our Asian American friends who spoke into this and helped us shape this episode.
Orgs to support/follow:
- Asian American Christian Collaborative (@aachristcollab)
- Oakland Chinatown Coalition
- Stop AAPI Hate (@stopaapihate)
Host: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez
Producer: Caleb Dea
Social Media & Marketing: Jazzlyn Venkataya
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com