Episode 45: Dr. Devin Singh
Fight the Powers That Be!
In my discussion with Dr. Devin Singh, an Associate Professor of Religion at Dartmouth College, we locate our conversation at the epicenter of history, religion, politics, and economics and go for it. More than the nonsensical political debates of today that have become an exercise in the polemics of the absurd, we take a deep dive into the underpinnings of our current systems that are based on religious doctrine and teachings born from the beginnings of Christianity. Much of the tension that we feel today between Church and State, Economics and Religion, Spirituality and Religion can be traced back to the origins of how the founders of the Church decided that we would interact with and practice our belief in God, Jesus, and Faith.
And to make sure that the conversation didn’t get too heady, we explore Devin’s work as executive coach in his business Leadership Kinetics and look at the importance of movies like the Breakfast Club, Grunge Music and the early days of Hip Hop and Rap as cultural signifiers of the angst of what it meant to grow up as Gen Xers. Angst that persists today with what we could term America’s Forgotten Generation – those of us who are saying goodbye to our 40’s and embracing life into our 50’s. The Latch Key Generation.
In our joyfully intense back and forth that sometimes felt like a good tennis match and less like a “podcast,” we peel back the layers to reveal Devin the man. Who moved around often as a child. Who witnessed and experienced violence growing up. Who was in search of finding for himself answers to some of the greatest existential questions we all face – Who am I? What is my purpose on the planet? How do I heal the brokenness within me?
Two quotes from Devin that sum up the nature of our conversation: “In reality there’s always something that is given up in order to choose a certain path.” and “There’s beauty to encounter in the world. There’s beauty to experience and wanting to experience that and wanting to seek that out.”
