001: Seeking Sanctuary, Finding Shalom

Welcome to Thinking From the Heart, a podcast about theology, mental health, disability, and music.

In this first episode, host and practical theologian John Swinton guides us in looking at mental health through a different lens—one that moves us beyond self-improvement or symptom management and invites us toward shalom.

John leads a reflective exploration of mental health as a lived continuum rather than a fixed state, considering how faith, community, and our shared humanity shape our well-being. He reflects on shalom as a holistic way of being—rooted in relationship with God, with ourselves, and with one another. Throughout the conversation, we return to the idea that healing is profoundly communal, sustained by connection, presence, and shared belonging.