Unity In A Divisive Time (Episode 5 - Archive)Unity In A Divisive Time (Episode 5 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about unity in a politically charged time, questioning how Christian faith gets tangled with party identity. Their chat highlights how tribal thinking, labelling and hidden parts of ourselves can weaken relationships and personal strength.
7:00•23 Aug 2026
Unity, Politics and Faith: When Your Identity Gets Glued Together
Episode Overview
- Disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you have to change your beliefs or cut them off.
- Equating being a follower of Christ with a political party can create unhealthy anger and defensiveness.
- Strong identity is shown by engaging with differing ideas and people, not by isolating with those who think the same.
- Extreme labels for conservatives or liberals oversimplify complex people and damage genuine connection.
- Hiding parts of yourself to stay accepted in a group suggests the relationship may not be truly authentic.
“Strength, I think, is being able to interact with ideas and people that differ from you.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This archive instalment of *Relational Recovery* shifts the focus from substances to something just as addictive for many: politics, identity, and tribal loyalty. The conversation between host Wes Thompson and co-host Austin Hill looks at how easily people slide from healthy disagreement into demonising anyone who thinks differently.
Drawing on Adam Grant’s *Think Again*, they quote, “people are often willing to do whatever it takes to elevate their own group or undermine their rivals, even if it means being nasty or hurting someone,” and connect that mindset to the fragile sense of self that fuels anger and division. You’ll hear Austin compare political identity to being a sports fan, joking about whether Wes is a Bengals or Browns supporter.
Liking a team is one thing, but they point out how politics often gets glued to Christian faith so tightly that a challenge to a party feels like a threat to someone’s spiritual core. As Austin puts it, “they have put being a follower of Christ equal to my political party… those aren’t the same.” For anyone in recovery, this episode offers a mirror: how much of your identity is wrapped up in your group, your labels, your "side"?
The hosts ask tough questions like, “Would Jesus freak out if someone voted differently than me? Probably not,” nudging you to separate faith and values from partisan loyalty. They also talk about how quickly we slap extreme labels on people—"closed minded conservative" or "fragile" and "so woke"—and how that keeps relationships shallow. Hiding parts of yourself just to stay accepted in a camp, they suggest, isn’t genuine connection and might echo the secrecy and fear that often surround addiction.
If unity, honest relationships, and a calmer inner life matter to you, this conversation is a chance to rethink what you’ve fused together in your identity and ask: what really needs to stay at the centre?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.