What If Curiosity Is The Real Calling

Send Fletch a Voicemail or Text! The life you built can look faithful on the outside and still be quietly crushing you on the inside. Jason Callahan helps us name that moment when “sacrifice” starts turning into isolation, when every relationship gains an agenda, and when your confidence is louder than your actual certainty. We talk through Jason’s unlikely path from an aimless early adulthood into an anarchist touring band, then into intense urban ministry in North St. Louis where “pastoring the community” meant real work: reclaimed wood projects, a sewing centre, job re entry efforts, a cafe, and shared resources that blurred every boundary. Then the ground shifts. A devastating pregnancy diagnosis (encephalocele), months of unanswered prayers, the slow reveal of trauma, and a season of grief and burnout collide with the collapse of the very mission he poured himself into. One day the sentence finally lands: “I don’t know if I believe this anymore.” What happens next isn’t a tidy comeback story built on better arguments. It’s quieter and more practical: learning to shut up and listen, stepping out of the silo, re learning how to read the Bible with humility, and letting Jesus’ teachings on love, mercy, and care for the vulnerable stay central. That openness eventually grows into a surprising new calling: regenerative farming and permaculture, shaped by Restoration Agriculture and the conviction that the natural world can teach us without demanding we perform. If you’re navigating deconstruction, a faith crisis, spiritual burnout, or a midlife transition, come listen for a way forward that isn’t forced. Subscribe to Mango Times, share this with a friend who needs permission to pivot, and leave a review so more people can find the show. ⸻ **Guest Information** **Jason Calahan** is a husband, father, former touring musician and longtime ministry worker who is now exploring a very different kind of vocation: farming. After years spent in church ministry and community development in North St. Louis, a combination of family trauma, burnout and a changing faith led Jason to reconsider some of the beliefs and identities that had shaped much of his adult life. His growing interest in ecology and regenerative agriculture eventually led him toward farming, where he is exploring the intersection of land, community, meaningful work and a less certain but increasingly curious faith. He is also a regular contributor to The Mango Times! **Resources and Links** ***Website:*** Sozo Valley Farms **Music used in this episode:** All music in this episode is licensed for use through Epidemic Sound. ⸻ **IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE MANGO TIMES, PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW BY...** ✅ Send me a voicemail/text and let me know what you think. ✅ Share this episode with a friend RIGHT NOW! ✅ PLEASE LEAVE ME A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS HERE. https://www.sunministries.org/ministries/sozo-valley-farm Support the show