On The Other Side of War: Jeremy Courtney

Today’s guest for On The Other Side #3 is Jeremy Courtney. Jeremy is the founder and CEO of Preemptive Love, an organization that provides relief, jobs and community in an effort to end war. Jeremy has come face-to-face with ISIS, suffered U.S. airstrikes, spent jail time in Iraq, and survived fatwas calling for his death. But he’s learned to love anyway despite fearing for the safety of his family. In this episode, Jeremy walks us through his experience of being on the other side of war.

We are resisting the urge to give an elaborate summary of this episode because we believe every second is 100 percent worth the listen. In this episode, Jeremy opens up about what it was like moving to Iraq in the middle of the war, and how what he saw and experienced caused a change in his faith, politics and views. He also dives deep into his mission to stop the contagious spread of violence, not just through behaviors, but also through the ideas that eventually give rise to the behaviors. It was such a powerful statement when he said, “We cannot bomb ideas out of existence.” That stuck with us from the moment he said it. As the conversation continued, we kept feeling more inspired and empowered by his belief to love first, and ask questions later. We hope that this conversation impacts you in some way, and reminds you that we have truly been invited to love and care for one another in the midst of a complex world.

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