Welcome to Inviting Oneness, a podcast where we explore true stories from friends and members of EquaSion, stories where the illusion of separateness gave way to the deeper truth of our shared humanity. Oneness isn't an idea, it's an experience. And today we continue listening for it one story at a time.

Our guest today is David Moody. David Moody is a writer and Cincinnati native. He currently works full-time for an insurance company here in Cincinnati and manages a community garden in Mount Auburn called The Magic Garden. In his free time, he enjoys writing poetry as well as listening to and playing music. In his writing he explores themes of faith, race, identity, and mental health among other things. He currently lives in Camp Washington with his two cats Millie and Clara.

At EquaSion, we recently launched a new small-group initiative called Faith & Friendship Groups. Throughout the summer, interfaith groups will gather around a range of themes and practices, including Having Difficult Conversations, Prayer, Belong Dinners, Faith Communities in Solidarity with Immigrants, and Sacred Connections, our Religious 101 group that visits different places of worship across the Greater Cincinnati region.

The poem you’ll hear today was written by David and it opened all four Faith & Friendship Groups last week and this week. After sharing the poem, David responds to this connecting question: What teaching or story has shaped your faith?

As you listen, we invite you to reflect on that question for yourself.

If today’s story moved you and you’d like to get involved visit us at equasion.org.

Until next time, may we keep inviting oneness—within ourselves, and with one another.