Joshua Triplett: Can We See Both Sides?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:10] Speaker B: Welcome to Becoming Church, the podcast where we discuss how the message and movement of Jesus is not just about becoming Christians, but about becoming the church. I'm your host, Kristin Mockler Young, and my guest today is Joshua Triplett. Now, you may not recognize his name, but you'll probably recognize his face from his roles on Grey's Anatomy, Black Coffee or the Rookie, as well as many, many, many commercials. He is a delightful human being, and I am so glad to bring you Joshua Triplett. Joshua, welcome to the Becoming Church podcast. [00:00:46] Speaker A: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I'm excited to finally be here. We talked about this for a while. [00:00:50] Speaker B: I know. Thank you. And I think we even changed dates a couple times because I really wanted to get your conversation. This conversation up before all of the holidays. [00:00:59] Speaker A: I remember. Yeah, we pushed it up just so we could have this conversation. It's very important. [00:01:04] Speaker B: Yes. So thank you for that. And people are like, why? What are they going to talk about? We'll get there. We will get there. But I would love for our listeners just to kind of get to know you a little bit. You are an actor, a showrunner, a producer, a director. Did I leave anything off? A hand model? [00:01:22] Speaker A: Yeah, hand model. Look, hand model's there. Too few little things. Whatever gets the bills paid. In this industry we call Hollywood, it's a big industry, so I love it. A lot of mediums. [00:01:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Is there a particular role that feels like the most comfortable or the most that you like the best? [00:01:39] Speaker A: I think my favorite is acting. I think my passion is singing. It doesn't always pay the bills, but that's kind of like, you know, it's always been a long, long dream of mine since I was very little. I started singing around two years old. Very little. And then I would say producing feels like almost like a calling. It's something that I think I'm really good at. Resourceful. I feel as though, you know, leadership is definitely something I take as an important role and then kind of putting people in positions that they deserve and, you know, that they worked hard for. So just kind of being able to say, hey, you're the perfect this, you're the perfect that I get to pay you. There's a budget. You know, it kind of puts me in a position of. Of being an opportunity provider. So I love that. Yeah. [00:02:33] Speaker B: Very cool. Okay. So you really just. You do it all. You like it all. [00:02:36] Speaker A: I do it all. I like it all. I always get asked the question of if I were to pick one, you know, which would it be? But it's so hard because I think my love comes from being able to be happy at all times in that sense of, you know, I can put one thing down and be happy and successful doing this. If this well is running dry over here because the seasons are changing, I can be happy over here doing that. But just picking one, I don't think I'll be happy. Honestly. I would just kind of feel like I'm in a box. Like I have so much to give and so much to offer. Let me out of this thing. You know. [00:03:14] Speaker B: I do. I do feel that. I mean, I'm a pastor, that's my role. But I also like, host this podcast and I write and I do social media. Like, so we're vibing. I totally don't put me in a box. [00:03:24] Speaker A: You get me. You get me. [00:03:25] Speaker B: Yes. As soon as somebody. And I love all of these roles, but I think if somebody was like, hey, this is now your only one thing, I would feel so trapped. [00:03:32] Speaker A: Like, it would. It's just again, I go back to happiness. I think I am happy having options. I'm happy having the ability to choose. I'm happy being able to decide when I feel like doing things because otherwise it feels like work, you know? One thing we missed was a magician. I'm a professional magician as well. [00:03:52] Speaker B: Oh, that's right. [00:03:54] Speaker A: So excited when I saw that. I would have brought some stuff to show you guys. But when I first moved to la, I performed on Hollywood Boulevard just as a street magician. And that's how I paid the bills for about a year and a half before I found my first agent. And as much as I love doing magic, it became a job because I needed to do that in order to pay the bills. So the love for it started to kind of fade. But, you know, magic in itself has saved my life so many times, even to present day. So I appreciate it, but I love to just keep it at that. It's like, I'll. I'll get to you when I feel like getting to you. Otherwise it feels like a weight or a job and I don't like it to feel that way. [00:04:37] Speaker B: Okay, listen, I am maybe that rare adult, but I automatically become a six year old. Like if there's a magician and there's magic tricks, I am so all in. And my brain, the people that want to be like, debunk it. I'm like, stop, Please do not stop. [00:04:52] Speaker A: Trying to figure it out. You're ruining it for everyone, you know, don't ruin people who want to. There's people who like to trick people. And there's people who like to just figure it out. And, you know, I always just. Either way, I love performing. So it's like, listen, enjoy the show. Even if you're trying to ruin it, just enjoy the show. [00:05:09] Speaker B: Yeah, but keep it to yourself. [00:05:10] Speaker A: Keep it to yourself. Don't let. Don't ruin the. For the other kids around here. [00:05:14] Speaker B: Yes. Well, what have people seen you in recently? Or is there, like, a particular thing that you get recognized for the most often? [00:05:23] Speaker A: So Grey's Anatomy is one that's very popular. The show's been around for a long time. I was a guest star on there on a very, very cool episode. It's one of my favorite roles, actually. The Rookie is another popular show that people recognize me from all the time. It's so funny because that was supposed to be four episodes, if I remember correctly, but it was during COVID and they cut the season in half. And unfortunately, my. My storyline got got washed. So. [00:05:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:50] Speaker A: And then the neighborhood, that's another TV show, comedy. Most people recognize me on there because they play a lot of the episodes repeatedly. They're going, I think, in their eighth and final season. So that is one of the. You know, But I think overall for me, people are just like, hey, you're that guy from the commercials. You know, like, that's kind of my claim to fame. My. My bread and butter, as I call it. I've done over 150 national commercials, so people like, you look familiar. And I'm like, you probably saw me on TV earlier today and don't even know. [00:06:18] Speaker B: Right. [00:06:19] Speaker A: Which is kind of fun, too, because you don't have that, you know, that celebrity aspect of not being able to just enjoy your life. So, yeah, I'm happy. I'm very happy. [00:06:28] Speaker B: But they're also like, but I know you from somewhere. Listen, your face is on a Gillette box right now. You're the guy from My Razors. [00:06:39] Speaker A: That's so funny. I love it. That's a new development. I did that. I did that commercial, man. Probably 2015. And they're right now using my image, and they're not supposed to be using my image on the product. So I was like, my people will reach out to your people. You know, it's that. But that's the thing, too. It's a business, so you have to definitely be aware of your rights and usage and all those things. So. [00:07:04] Speaker B: Yeah. Is there anybody that you. Did you have this, like, starstruck moment, meeting somebody on a set or at an event, and you're Like, I can't believe I'm getting to meet this person. [00:07:13] Speaker A: Wow. So I'm not usually a starstruck type person. I'm not. It's so funny because when I say this, people don't get it. I'm not really a fan of anyone. Like, I always appreciate people, but I'm, you know, when I say fan, meaning, like, I'm not passing out when I see Michael Jackson or anything. [00:07:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:32] Speaker A: But there has been a couple times where I was caught off guard when I see someone because their energy is just so powerful and it's just so exuberant. So when you see them, you kind of like, you're in like, oh, my God, that's that's him. Or, oh, my God, that's her. But I've never been too afraid to speak or to hold myself at the same level as appeared to them. I've worked with some incredible people, and it's always been like a. It's an honor. It's an honor. It's a privilege. You know, it's that type of energy, but never a starstruck. I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain. Yeah. I think. You know what? I think Chris Brown and maybe Steph Curry might do it, though. I've never met them, but I feel like those would be the two. [00:08:13] Speaker B: Put them on the list. Okay. [00:08:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I feel like. I feel like they would do it. [00:08:17] Speaker B: Okay. Is that besides Chris Brown and Steph Curry, is there, like an actor, director, singer, even, maybe that you'd love to, like, work with one day? [00:08:25] Speaker A: Oh, my God. I mean, that list of working with, it would be long lasting. Ava DuVernay is someone I really love. She's a great director and producer. Her work is always so meaningful and intentional. [00:08:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:41] Speaker A: And it's. It's. It's important. It's very important work. So I love to work with her one day. I think working alongside of, like, Jamie Foxx would be really cool. He's one of my favorites. Just because, like, me, he. He's involved in a lot of things. He does comedy, he does acting, he does. He does music. He's a father. You know, just kind of just being encompassing and being great at a lot of things. I really look up to him. I would love to work with just. Just so I can say that I did, like, Denzel Washington or Will Smith. Those are, like, for me, the pinnacle, especially in African American entertainers like those two. I mean, I feel like, all right, I can. I can stop acting now. I've worked with the greats, like, you know, like, it would be them for sure. [00:09:32] Speaker B: That's awesome. That's so cool. All right, well, I'm sure they're listening to the show, so I hope so. Listen, we'll put your agent's number in. [00:09:38] Speaker A: The show notes, but let me put one more out there. Jordan Peele. I'm working on a big project that I think we will align on. So he's another one that's. He's done a lot of great things within our community, within the entertainment industry, period, of just, you know, making things outside of the box and just going for something different. So a great storyteller, which is what I am a fan of the most. [00:10:01] Speaker B: You two would be fantastic together. [00:10:03] Speaker A: I agree. [00:10:04] Speaker B: You guys would be so good together. [00:10:06] Speaker A: I agree. [00:10:08] Speaker B: All right, well, one more kind of media question for you before we dive in a little bit deeper. When you need inspiration, do you have, like, a favorite film or show or album that you listen to? [00:10:18] Speaker A: Wow. Okay. I would just say my comfort. My comfort. Like, one thing that kind of brings me back to just childhood and grounds me and brings me present and is probably Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. The second one is just one of those that I just remember. Yeah, the second one. The first one is cool, but the second one to me is like my. My favorite, but it's one of those just kind of gets me in a. My body, you know, it reminds me of my memories of childhood and just watching it and what that feeling is like and remembering why I love to do what I do. But when it comes to, I think motivation is things on the lines of, you know, like a get out from Jordan Peele or like something from an M. Night Shyamalan or something like that. Something that requires complex thinking. Big structures of storytelling, which is my favorite. Big characters that are, you know, they're deep and they're complex and going back to like a Jordan Pill or someone or like Ava DuVernay, even having them talk about things that are important to right now that can really impact how you think about where you are, who you are, and it can change the world. So I would say, you know, things like that just to kind of motivate me for whatever I'm doing. And musically, gospel music always puts me in that. That mood. Smokin Norfolk was one of my favorite gospel singers. Kira Sheard, the Walls Group. I'll just put them on a playlist. And I feel like I'm at peace. And I noticed that I put it on in the moments where I just need to be recharged I just need to be reset. So that's kind of how it motivates me to move on. Even not even just creatively, but just as a human being on this earth. It's just like. It's a lot. It's a dark world right now. Let's get it back. So great question, by the way. Thank you. [00:12:18] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, well, thank you. Yeah. I have multiple playlists on Spotify that I listened. Like, I listened to this one when I have, like, anger in me that I need to get out. And I listen to this one when I need to just. God is like, stop. [00:12:30] Speaker A: Yes. [00:12:31] Speaker B: Be still. And that's, you know, so 100%. [00:12:34] Speaker A: And it's so funny how powerful music is or even visuals in general. But because I feel as an artist, it is my job to give people an escape, whether they're watching me on TV or listening to my music or just simply, you know, reading my story. You know what I mean? It's just. It's my ability to give people a break of what this world can. Can be sometimes. So it's powerful, especially music, because it can make you cry, can make you laugh, can make you scared. [00:13:03] Speaker B: All the things. [00:13:04] Speaker A: All the things. And so it's power in that, for sure. [00:13:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, Joshua, you and I were on a zoom call together. We were doing some, like, networking things together, and that's where we kind of met. Like, our faces were on the screen. [00:13:19] Speaker A: At the same time, at least met indirectly. That's right. [00:13:23] Speaker B: That's right. I heard you describe yourself as. We were kind of going around as like a middle of the road Christian. And so I want to know, what does that mean to you? [00:13:32] Speaker A: So I think that was a misunderstanding a little bit. So when I say middle of the road, I mean more so neutral position of social things, justice things, political things. Yeah, If I had to. I'm very deep in my faith, and I'm very all in with Christianity. I think, if anything, my character, me, the person, brings me to a neutral place of that in the sense of allowing people to choose. I'm very, very big on allowing people to choose. I don't think it is okay to, you know, criticize, to discriminate, to hate people who don't believe the same thing as you. I think within the faith itself, it is based on faith. Like, faith is literally belief. It can't be proven. No matter how much we try to prove it with historical evidence and all these things, we can't prove it, and we can only believe it, you know, And I think because faith is A substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Not everyone will believe it. So my neutral middle of the road automatically says that it is okay if they don't believe it because Jesus and God gave them the free choice to decide and believe or not. And I always hate when people condemn or they judge or they, you know, like I said, all. Anything negative, they separate, they devalue all these things just because they don't believe in Jesus or they're not Christians or whatever the case may be. I don't usually agree with that type of thing. I'm love, you know, peace, integrity, fairness, equality type of person as a character of who I am. So that's, I think, the explanation of middle. I'm definitely not lukewarm, I promise. [00:15:24] Speaker B: No, no, no. And I. And let me, let me, let me backpedal and explain. I don't see that as a, As a bad thing either. Like, I wasn't thinking lukewarm. I was thinking just how you described middle of the road being like neutral position. Because truly we are living in a world that is trying to pull you. It's so polarized, like every topic. I mean, political parties, but like, stances, everything. How do you. How do you stay there kind of in that neutral spot without being pulled from one direction to the other? [00:15:54] Speaker A: I think it's a matter of just being grounded in who you are and believing what you believe. I feel my personal relationship with God has been 36 years. I got into the church when I was two. Of course, you don't understand anything until a certain age. But, you know, my relationship with God, of what he's done in my life, my success, my. My energy, you know, if someone just comes up and gives me a comment, you're so this. And it's like, that's not me, that's God. You know, I always pray every night with my family that we allow, you know, people to see God in us, whether it be favor, like, bless us so we can pour out to others, allow us to have good spirit and energy to, you know, be contagious into others. And people just ask, why are you so happy? Why are you so successful? Why are you always smiling? Whatever those things are. And it's not a constant thing, of course, but it's a. We are the example of what it's supposed to look like. I'm a walking testimony. I always tell people, right? So I think as long as I'm grounded and I know who I am and what I stand for, being swayed either way is not an issue. Now because I'm grounded in that I'm willing to listen to either side. And I've, I've gone to, you know, synagogues, I've gone to Catholic churches, I've gone to the Scientology place. I'm a person who seeks the truth, but I'm also a person who's open minded and willing to. We've let the Mormons in when they knocked on the doors, like, well, what do you believe? I want to know. You know what I mean? So being. And there's some people who won't even listen. It's like, no, I'm, you know, I'm Christian. This Jesus said, and that's it. And it's like, wait a second, you're. You're cutting yourself off from other ideas and more information and what if we are wrong and then you want to switch it? So I've, I feel like I went on this journey early on. My wife also went on it with me of just kind of researching and figuring out how to step away from the domestication of humankind that, you know, that. I don't know if you've read the book for Agreements. It's a great book. No, it's incredible books, the Four Agreements. And one of them is, talks about the domestication of humankind, of how all of us are only what we are because we were taught in our homes. And our parents are usually that because they were taught in their homes. [00:18:11] Speaker B: Sure. [00:18:12] Speaker A: And no matter how much information we get from the outside sources of that domestication, we still tend to come back to that least the foundational root of what that is. [00:18:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:22] Speaker A: Once you understand that, you have to then disarm yourself from judging other people for their thoughts and their beliefs. You also have to be open minded enough to at least understand what those foundational things in other cultures, regions, countries, all those things. So, you know, I'm a big believer on just like, let me just hear it. Let me, you know, let me know what, what is it? What do you think I'm missing? And then I can make a conscious decision for myself based on my knowledge and what I've heard to decide to stay in my path or switch it up, whatever it is. [00:18:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:57] Speaker A: I've been steadfast in this, in this walk for a long time. [00:19:00] Speaker B: Listen, I love curiosity. I love leaning in, asking questions. I'm with you. So I was not raised that way. And I think that it's because there's a lot of fear and especially in the American church, American Christianity, of like by osmosis in your brain. Like, if you hear something different, it's gonna, like, mind control you. And that's now what you're gonna believe. Can you. [00:19:25] Speaker A: It's very culty. It's very culty. And, you know, with the lack of better words. And I. I say this. I say this very. With all due respect, because my mother is still involved in the church that I grew up in, and if anyone is listening from my church, you're in a cult. I'm sorry. It's like you are sorry. But. But what that did was it shows you that people who are brainwashed or who follow the leader as opposed to God or the Word, who put. I'm going to go out there and just even say idle. It's like idling people in leadership positions and people in leadership positions taking advantage of people or pretending to be perfect when that's literally impossible because you're just a human. Or leading people astray, not educating them properly within the word or in the world. You know, the real life of. Whether it's financial literacy, you know, getting therapy, taking medicines for yourself or your mental health, these are things that I can only speak for the black church that I grew up in, but that is not something that is taught. There's a lot of broken people within the congregations, and they go to be fed, but they're being fed garbage, unfortunately. And, you know, becoming the church, as you call your podcast, is so much more than the building, and it's so much more than the people in the congregation. And I think a lot of people have trauma from that. There's a lot of Christians who are leaving the church, you know, hopefully holding on to the faith, but leaving the church for sure, because of the negative things that we can do as human. You know what I mean? Yeah. But to your point, once you believe it, that's it. And that generation of our parents, they're in deep and you can't tell them anything. They're set in their ways. And in my mother's case, for instance, that's all she has. [00:21:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:21:22] Speaker A: So whether it's dealing with verbal abuse, social abuse in the congregation, not being used to the. To the ability that she would love to be used, and she's a missionary. She's been in that church for 36 years. And there's still a lot of ceilings put over her for whatever reasons. Right. But she keeps going back. She's there right now. I'm not even kidding. She's there right now. You know, so when you give your life and you sacrifice so much for God and the People who are responsible to, you know, lead you, they neglect you. Then it becomes a very toxic situation, you know, So, I don't know, I'm hoping that people in those experiences do not judge Christianity as a whole that way. Because we are not the church, the building itself. We are the faith and the teachings of Christ. So. [00:22:17] Speaker B: So, Joshua, you must have had some moment because if that's the church that you grew up in. Right. That's the faith that was handed to you, but that's not the faith that you have now. [00:22:26] Speaker A: No. [00:22:27] Speaker B: Like what, How. How did you make that transition? [00:22:30] Speaker A: That is a great question. The faith in the foundation is something I always appreciate because that was my introduction into God, into, you know, I'm. I grew up Pentecostal Church of God in Christ. Yeah. So, you know, there's certain whole different things, but like, I never understood how you can read out of the same Bible and believe totally different things. All these different denominations always threw me for a loop. But anyway, I think once my eyes were open to see the imperfect dealings and the flaws of the adults within the community of the church that I grew up in, it kind of affected me in a way of like, wait a second, you guys are not as good as you pretend to be. All this time you're this way in church, but you're this way out of church. You're doing all these. But meanwhile, I'm a kid trying to grow up in this perfect, perfect example, you know, and, and being condemned by my actions that are imperfect or I'm not supposed to do right. But to see that everyone's been doing it this whole time, I felt tricked, I felt betrayed, I felt led astray. Yeah. So I'm not going to say I ran from God because that never happened. It's more. So it put a sour taste in my mouth about religion as a whole and it put a. Especially about church in general because I noticed, you know, a lot of the things were patterns. You know, collecting offerings from poor people and never doing what you say you're going to do. Not giving back to the community. Like, I go back to my church and there's people there who are still riding the bus to church. And the pastor is on his seventh brand new luxury car. You know what I mean? It's just little things like that or times where my mother may need help or like a ride or something. It's like you've given rise to so many people for the last couple years, but now you're burdened to people. When you need something in return, you Know, there's been a lot of that, and I think just seeing regular people be regular people and judge other people who are not believing what they believe. It was a thing of like, oh, my God, this is. This is just church. These are patterns. This is not just here. This is that church. It's this state, this country, it's this denomination. Yeah. Seeing leaders take advantage of people or abuse of people, whether it's sexually abusing or, you know, you've seen the stories where there's like, oh, they took all this money and used it for their boat. Or, I don't know. It's just. It's just. Again, it's just seeing that imperfect people take advantage of people who are trying to believe in something to change their lives for better. [00:25:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:25:13] Speaker A: There's never been my belief that we as God's children are supposed to suffer or supposed to be poor or supposed to, you know, any of the things that are negative to where a lot of. Unfortunately, the majority of a lot of congregations deal with. It's like, I just. I refuse to believe that that is God's destiny for my life and for my family. So that was a change in me. It's like, wait a second. There has to be greater. There has to be a way. I'm supposed to be blessed. I'm not supposed to be stressed out about. I'm supposed to be taken care of. I'm supposed to be. I'm God's child. You know what I mean? As long as I believe and do these things, I'm supposed to be. So that mindset switched for me of expectation. Right. And because of expectation, that's when the journey of exploration began. It's like, well, where is this being fulfilled? I've been in LA for 12 years. I moved out here in 2013, and I just found a church home one year ago. [00:26:17] Speaker B: Oh, wow. [00:26:17] Speaker A: Put in perspective. Right? And we've been to several churches, and it will always be something missing. Either the word is fantastic, but the music is like, wait, the worship is something. I'm a music. I'm. I'm a musician. It has to feed me. And it sometimes wouldn't, or sometimes the music was good, but then the people in the congregation were holier than thou. Or. [00:26:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:39] Speaker A: You know, again, just. You act in a certain way Sunday, but Monday, you know. Yes. I just. I don't like that. So the current church that I'm in, it's. It's a beautiful home. It feels like family. The word is great. The music is awesome. The congregation is equally. Yoked, in a sense of expectations and foundations of love. At least, at least love and unity. And you know, come as you are, you know, it doesn't matter what you're wearing, it doesn't matter what you were doing yesterday. Come and get this word, you know, come and get saved, repent, you know, God is, this is the way, you know, And I think that's how all churches should be, to lead people in the right direction. I'll just say that. [00:27:31] Speaker B: Well, and even what you were saying, you know, the church has to show up for each other. So yes, that's what really is getting me right now. And I don't mean the individual churches because they're limited in what their resources are or what their people can do, but as a whole. Yes, yes. If there are people that are suffering and we have the ability to help, we should help. If there are people without food, resources, whatever, and the church as a whole can provide for those needs, like that's what we're supposed to be doing. So I understand the frustration. [00:28:04] Speaker A: Yeah, yes, that's what we're supposed to do. And outside of our own congregation, of course, but our communities, our cities, our states, the world, you know, and I think the more we are reflection in a mirror to what God wants with love though, because there, there, there's this thing that I see and it happens especially when you tie nationalism to it as well and you create that as a umbrella of why you can discriminate or why you can hate or why you can divide because it's backed by scripture of how you interpreted it. I don't think that is how we are going to win this battle. And that's definitely not how we're going to help in this dark time, you know, So I think leading with love and compassion and empathy and you know, even I almost said bro, I'm just, I'm passionate about it. Just I'm like, bro, like, so I. [00:29:04] Speaker B: Have a 12 year old, she calls me bro. [00:29:07] Speaker A: My daughter called me bro all the time. Let's come on, bro. If you just look at Jesus's actions in the Bible itself is like, it's the clearest example. There was no hatred because you didn't believe. There was no judgment. You know, it was a, this is what we should do and this is what you should do. Follow me, I'm the only way, all these things. But it wasn't, if you don't, you're dead to me. You know, it wasn't that type of energy and I think we adopted that for whatever reasons I Think we have adopted that with our own prejudices and our own biases in there and it's unfair to the rest of the world, I think. Yeah. [00:29:50] Speaker B: Listen, I get passionate about this too. I wasn't going to tell you this, but just since we're here, we are. Let's keep it for real. [00:29:56] Speaker A: I love it. [00:29:57] Speaker B: I have been low key, like heartbroken this entire week. I have been in such a. Just sad place. Like, I just keep crying over like the state of Christianity right now. I've been angry and I'm sure I'll be angry again and we've got like righteous indignation, you know, and let it lead us to things. But I have just been this week so distraught and so sad and truly just heartbroken over. Yeah. The state of American Christianity and what people are doing and not doing in the name of Jesus when it doesn't look like him whatsoever at all. [00:30:37] Speaker A: At all. I mean, I'm glad it's only been a week. It's been a long time. I think it's been so polarized, which is why it feels like your heart is being pulled out. Because there are people who are impacted in ways that are literally life or death. Right. Yeah. Yes. So when you put that to the table and you realize that picking aside or making a choice, especially only in a comment section on social media or post, is not going to save someone else's life. Right. It's not going to change their. Their life in a way to where they won't be discriminated against or any of the things that are negative that are happening right now. Right. So it push you in this place of what can I do to be of service to those who are impacted by this? And because the American Christianity, you know, again, I would just say nationalism, because that is a big distinction for me, is so polarizing. It creates this shield over I'm a true Christian and you're not right, or I'm a true believer and you're. And it's like, wait a second. Like, we, we're. We're brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us, no matter what we look like and no matter truly, no matter even what we believe, we're all God's children. That is his word. Right? Yeah. So if we're treating people other than our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, it's not, it's not Christlike at all. Yeah. You know, and it's hurting other people. You know, it's so. I don't know. I think leading with love is the most important thing in Christianity. And I think, you know, the, the van. I, I'll say spreading the gospel is a part of it, but I think that comes at. People would at least want to be what you are like, you know what I mean? It's like you can't say, hey, you can't do a testimonial about something that no one is interested in because you are not given a good representation of it, if that makes any sense. [00:32:40] Speaker B: Yeah, well, you mentioned. Since you said it, I'm going to, I'm just going to echo, echo it. You were like, yo, the church I was in was a cult. And I know, I guarantee you that there are people listening who feel the same way. And maybe they don't have the exact same story as you, but they're about to go into the holidays with people that maybe they have not seen since the holidays last year, which is before we had a changeover of presidency. And a lot of things have changed since then. And you could, you can give me specifics of like how you talk to your mom because she's. You guys are in very different places. But how would you encourage people who feel like you that are like, I'm about to go be with people who we believe now very different things and I want to lead with love, but holy moly, their Christianity seems to be very different than mine. [00:33:34] Speaker A: That is an excellent question. And I don't know how to give a specific thing because everyone is different and everyone's walk is different as well. But I mean what I've come to realize with my mother and I think this comes from my own, I don't want to say trauma, but I mean, I guess it kind of is of just like working through those, those moments of. For me, that's therapy. Right. I'm just, I grew up in this and I still have to communicate with her in those ways, knowing that she said and knowing that she's in a place that is not beneficial to her. Right. Yeah. So I as a son have to realize, number one, she, she did the best she could. Of course. Yes. Number two, she's in a position of. This is all she has. You know, I've, I've contemplated so many times of like, you know, I'm sure we all have those things that, oh, I'm gonna just reveal the take the wool from over their eyes and I'm going to burst your bubble. It's like if you do that, what does that mean for the well being in the overall structure of that person? [00:34:39] Speaker B: That's really good. [00:34:40] Speaker A: I've come to realize that if I were to do that for my mom, although it's a benefit to her. She's 70 years old now. 69. Sorry, Mom. She's, you know, but I'll round up. She's seven years old. Right. What else does she have? This is all she's known for 36 years. She's in church literally every day. Noonday prayer, you know, like Wednesday choir rehearsal, Friday night service, twice on Sunday, and, you know, but daily for prayer, for sure. So if you take that away, that's our community. Any people she knows, her comfort, her place where she feels as though she's being fed something. So it's almost like pulling a lifeline from some people. So I say all that to say is we have to be willing to pick our battles and know if it is for the betterment of that person, even if it's just spiritually or as the individual themselves here on earth in this present moment. Right. I think that. And also just kind of knowing how to speak to people, I think being defensive or being combative is not good, which is why I put myself in the middle. I tend to allow them to speak and listen, and then I try to. I usually do it in a way of asking a question that they. When they finally answer for themselves, they realize, like, wait a second, that doesn't make sense. And hopefully that allows them the courage and the ability and the desire to go and research it for themselves. Yeah. So that's usually what I do as a middle. I don't usually try to take a stance personally. Yeah. I usually try to address that. There is a conflict. I'll give you an example. Like, went to Israel like, a month ago. [00:36:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:28] Speaker A: And the conflict there is through the roof. You know, I was actually on the last flight out when Israel bombed Iran, which is insane to even think about being there for a week. I was invited there as a delegation trip. Of course, I would love to go. And I told you, I seek knowledge and truth. And they're very gracious about asking questions and answering the questions honestly, even. And my experience was my experience, and I got to speak to survivors and I got to see sights, and I saw the aftermath of these attacks from Hamas. And even with that said, this conflict is so much bigger than me, so much older than me, so much more complex than anyone over here in America can even fathom. [00:37:16] Speaker B: Oh, sure. [00:37:17] Speaker A: So me deciding whether I'm pro this or pro that is not going to change anything. But what I can say definitively as a human, as a human being, as a Christian, that killing people, especially if they're innocent, is wrong. Yeah. And I did not see the justification that for every one Israeli that was killed, that 50 Palestinians were killed. I didn't see the justification for that. Of course I didn't go to Gaza or the West Bank. But you know, like, you've seen the photos and the videos, it's literally demolished. It's gone. You know, it's insane to me. But with that said, is Israel justified in retaliation in the sense of self defense? Of course they were attacked, you know, but if you go into the conflict itself of who they're attacking and why and how they got there in the land and the religion, it's just too much. So there's a lot of people talking to their people that they haven't seen in a while for the holidays, trying to prove to them, you know, to be pro this or pro that, but it's not saving any lives. So again, just choose your battles wisely, know who you're speaking to and don't be, you know, combative. Just allow them to want to get more information and hopefully it's on their own. [00:38:40] Speaker B: I totally agree with Joshua that everyone's story is different. So there isn't a clear cut answer on how to best talk with family members that you don't fully align with, especially if you do have concerns that your family is being misled by extreme views. However, I do want to recommend these two books that I just pulled off of my shelf. The first is called I Think youk're Wrong But I'm Listening by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. And the second one is their follow up book called now how to Move Forward When We're Divided About Basically everything. You can find both of these books on the Becoming Church podcast list on Amazon, along with over a hundred other books by authors that I've talked to on this show. But I'll also link up both of my episodes with Sarah and Beth right here from Becoming Church for a few more practicals to help you navigate these tough conversations. Okay, now back to my conversation with Josh. Well, like you said, everything is so much more complex than we want it to be over. Like an argument, a back and forth. Right. We're like, I make a point and then you make a point. And that doesn't leave room generally for nuance. [00:39:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:52] Speaker B: And it is like even just thinking again about, you know, your, your mom as the example or other people that are listening, their, their parents or family members. I know for people that are listening myself, a lot of our Listeners have walked through the, like, deconstruction phase. [00:40:08] Speaker A: Okay. [00:40:09] Speaker B: Whatever that means to people. We do not see that as a bad thing. To me, that just means you are questioning. You're asking, what do I believe about my faith? And whatever. But for a lot of us, it's like, we didn't necessarily. I mean, I would say even you had a transformation. Like, you have walked through changing what you believe about what you believe. [00:40:24] Speaker A: Absolutely. Yeah. [00:40:26] Speaker B: But most of us didn't do that because somebody, like, forced us into it and was like, hey, you have to choose differently about this. We found ourselves there as we started wrestling with things and asking questions. And so while we can ask questions of other people, like, we can't, like you said, take somebody's lifeline away and go, hey, like, if we start to pull that. That Jenga block out before they're ready, they're gonna fall. Yeah. And that's not gonna be good for anybody, including their relationship with God. [00:40:58] Speaker A: 100 is. And you just have to realize how important things are to people, even if they're wrong or, you know, what you perceive to be wrong. Yeah. I think a lot of people nowadays, they listen to be. You know, listen to, respond, as opposed to listening to understand. [00:41:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:41:17] Speaker A: And I think if we do understand, it creates the empathy. Right. And I think there's a lot of people who don't travel enough. They don't experience other cultures enough. They don't experience other households and traditions enough to at least be empathetic to their ideas, their beliefs, their. The way they love, the way they eat, the way they worship, who they worship. It's all open. That's one thing I will say about Israel when I went is no one tried to convert me to their religion. You know what I mean? There's Muslims there. There were, of course, Jewish people there as well, but no one was trying to convert anyone. Right. And I was allowed to pray to the God that I wanted to pray to, and. And I was allowed to believe whatever I wanted to believe. And I think that was beautiful there. I do feel as though we, as Christians, we miss that because, again, we are trying to correct and hold people accountable and convert and all these things. And it's like it comes from a place of. I mean, it's almost like a telemarketer who wants to be marketed to. You know, I've never been that guy who's like, hey, are you familiar with Jesus Christ? Are you a follower and believer? It's like, that's never been me. Right. But when you ask me I'm going to tell you all the good things and I'm going to show you constantly and make you ask me why is it? What do I need to do to get that? And it's not me. My talent is not me. My looks are not me. My mind intelligence is not me. My money is not me. It's all because of God and my walk up until this point. So when people ask, I'm telling you, I'm sure you've seen my Instagram. It's like, God, this. You're amazing, Jesus. Thank you. It's constant gratitude, because I don't want people to ever believe that just because I'm in this industry, just because they might see me at a nightclub, whether I'm performing or networking or whatever the case may be, that I am a part of all of that. I'm not. My wife always reminds us when we're speaking to other people, she say, we work in Hollywood. We're not of Hollywood. [00:43:23] Speaker B: Okay. [00:43:23] Speaker A: And it's a very big distinction. Right. Because it can be a dark place, as any employer or place or industry. I'll just say, right, yeah. So my current walk is having purpose. So intentional, to where we as Christians need to come together. Not just even Christians, we as good people need to come together to put light and positivity and love into this dark world. And, and I think this is the, you know, I've just, this is a recent call in that I'm sharing with you, and it's just. It's never been more clear. It's like, wow, this is where, why you're here. This is. This is what you're supposed to do. So just kind of giving light and leading by love and example is something that's missing in a lot of people, not just Christians, but a lot of people in general. No matter what you believe, it's like you believe that, okay, you still can be a good person, you know? You know? But, yeah, it comes with it. It comes with it. [00:44:20] Speaker B: How does that call or how does your faith in general affect your work? Like when you do, when you show up on a set because your lines are obviously scripted for you, you're going to say what you're told to say for the most part, you know. So how does your faith kind of impact working in Hollywood? [00:44:35] Speaker A: It's a great question. I. I grappled with this for quite some time. So did you. There's a lot of things. One is, I don't. I don't swear in, in real life. I haven't said cuss Words or bad words since probably 8th grade. It was my transformation. I noticed that in my friend group in. In middle school at the time, I was a leader of my little clique, right? But I was doing things to impress them. So was I truly the leader or was I following or acting outside of my character to impress them and make them follow me? Right? When I discovered that every time I said a bad word or did something wrong, it was that. It was just. It was in the back of my head, like, you know, if your mom knew if the church anything, right? I was just correcting myself. So I decided at the time to do a cuss jar and was like, anytime you say a bad word, you have to put a quarter in the jar at the end of the school year. Whoever said the least amount of cuss words gets to take the whole jar. [00:45:32] Speaker B: Okay. [00:45:33] Speaker A: I walked away with about $15 that year. Right. But I trained myself to stop saying bad words. Right? So going back to now in the industry, I was against saying bad words or, you know, any type of profanity for a long time until I realized, like, hey, you're accepting this role as an actor, like, this position as an actor, it is your job to mirror and reflect real life. There's going to be homosexuality in real life, there's going to be drug dealers in real life. There's going to be all the things that I'm not. But. And you may be for it or against it, right? I don't swear in real life, but this, you know, this gangster that I'm playing does. So I need to. Right? [00:46:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:18] Speaker A: So I developed and I developed an open mind and open heart to know that I myself am different than the character in the roles. And it's tough because, like, when I did play gay role and on the Rookie, actually, I was a gay officer. There's people who, you know, either judge you or they automatically assume that you're gay too, because you're playing that role. But I'm like, wait a second, you've seen people who are serial killers and you're not assuming that they're serial killers because of role they're playing? You know what I mean? So it's selective outrage and the selective things like that, but I am 100% an ally to the LGBTQ community, so why not be able to tell their stories and live their lives as well? [00:47:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:47:02] Speaker A: Why not be able to say bad words? Because this is a side for me. I know I'm, you know, my vessel, my human form is saying it, but it's not Who I am as a character. So I think as long as I was able to separate myself from my roles, I felt comfortable. But I'll add to that in other circumstances. As far as networking, things like that. There are certain things in this industry that are. I don't want to say standard, but are expected. Like, if you go to a networking event, people are probably drinking. If you go to recording studio, sometimes they're smoking. And I don't smoke. I still have never smoked weed or cigarettes my entire life. But because of that, people will separate themselves from you because it's not a part of the overall activity. It's part of the thing. It's almost like playing golf. It's like, if we're gonna do this deal, we gotta play golf together. And it's like, well, I don't play golf, or you're not getting this deal. So it became that, which, you know, it was like, okay, it's not for me, then I need to go a different way because I didn't want to step away from myself when I'm not playing a character. Yeah, that makes any sense. [00:48:14] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, that's integrity. Those are very. In my brain. Those are very different things. And I completely can see how. Yeah. Sometimes you're doing. You're playing a role. You're doing your job versus who Joshua Triplett actually is as a human person. It's so funny. I was talking to Elizabeth Tavish, who plays Mary Magdalene on the Chosen. [00:48:36] Speaker A: Oh, nice. [00:48:36] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. She's amazing. Like, she is an incredible human being. [00:48:41] Speaker A: It's a great show, too. But a lot of those actors are awesome. I worked with a couple in my film 47 Days with Jesus. I worked with a couple of the chosen actors on there. Did you? Yeah, the two leads of that one. Because my film was. It was present day and it was also biblical. So the two leads in the present day portion were from the Chosen. And then I was a lead in the biblical portion, the flashbacks and stuff. But it was cool to meet and work with everyone. [00:49:09] Speaker B: Yeah, we're going to come. [00:49:10] Speaker A: We're. [00:49:10] Speaker B: We're going to get to that. Because you were Peter. But yeah, I was talking to. When I was talking to Elizabeth. Elizabeth. We're besties now. We had the same conversation of, like, people would criticize what she was wearing on their teal carpet, like, for their, like, award shows. [00:49:28] Speaker A: Right. [00:49:28] Speaker B: Because it wasn't like, full covering. Like, it wasn't what Mary Magdalene would wear. And I'm like, she's a. She's a. She's not Mary Magdalene. [00:49:38] Speaker A: She's a person, she's actress. Yes. I'm telling you, the unrealistic expectations of what we do as entertainers is. Is mind boggling. And I think too, the perceptions of what we have to present and all those things, it just, it's a constant battle. You know, for instance, being on the red carpet, it's like you have to wear a certain dress and you have to be styled and you can't show without hair and makeup. You got to pay out of pocket for that. And you can't pull up in a Prius, even though that's your car. You need to get a limo or a driver. So it just kind of creates this pedestal that people would love to knock you off of anyway. So I've always tried my best to not put myself on that pedestal. That way no one can knock me off of it. You know, the fall will be a lot shorter, but there are certain expectations and I think as a brand, which I'm sure she can relate to, as an actress, as a brand, you want to present yourself a certain way to get other work or to be received by talent scouts, casting, or even fans, you know, but you can't please them all. You can't. [00:50:43] Speaker B: Right, well, talk to us real quick. You mentioned 47 days with Jesus and it's so cool that you got to play Peter. Talk about just that. Like, what was that experience like? [00:50:55] Speaker A: It was incredible. So this was during the strike? Actually, it was one of the films, one of the few films that got permission to be made during the strike. It was, I forget what they call, like an interim agreement or something. Okay, so when I tell you it was God's timing, because the strike was about, call it six months long. The writers first and then the actors. I was on my last dime. I remember brushing my teeth like, oh my God, am I gonna have to sell the house? Am I going to have to get a regular job outside the industry? Because I've done this full time for over 10 years. I mean, 12 now at this point. So at this time I was like, what do I need to do? And I get the call that I booked the role of Peter and. And it would be to the penny exactly how much I needed for the remaining of the year. October, November, December. It was insane. And it was a quick turnaround. One of the big things was it was a singing role. And I remember they said lip sync for the audition for the Self tape. And I was like, I'm a real singer, so I'm a really sing. So they got my tape, and my manager was able to negotiate that I would actually sing my part. I wouldn't have to lip sync. But I was like, this is great. So then it was a quick turnaround. We went to Dallas to film on, I believe it's called Capernaum Studios. The Chosen actually shoots there as well. Yep. And we shot here in LA for a couple of weeks. But it was like four weeks of work, which is unheard of as an actor. Usually, like when I do commercials. One, maybe two days, and you're unemployed again. But it was like, during this hardest time of our industry, as a shutdown, God gives me four weeks of work and I'm like, oh, my God, this is crazy. And then the role was so fulfilling because it's like, it's Peter. He is the foundation of Christianity. He's the, you know, he's the reason why we know about Christ. If you think about it, right. And then you start to think about how imperfect he was and how, you know, Jesus didn't give him the. That. That task because he was perfect. It was because he was capable and he was willing. Right. And I think that was a testimony of who we are. Now, as long as you're capable and you're willing, like, God will use the imperfect to bless you. He will use the imperfect to give you a message, like. But just. I don't know, it was just fulfilling because Peter, to me is the rock. He's. That he doubted Christ, just like some of us probably doubt as well along the way. But I think it was just. It was cool. It was a big wait as an actor to play all of those different levels. But the journey, walking on water with Christ as Joshua, I was like, this is cool. I'm walking on water right now. But it was just. It was all God. It was 100% God. The timing of it, the opportunity of it, and the, you know, the delving into who Peter was, even more so than what I have read over the years. It was just. It was great. I loved it. [00:54:06] Speaker B: Well, I will find where people can watch it and I'll link it up in the show notes so they can. Yes, please check that out for sure. Listen, you are so fun to talk to. I could talk to you for another hour, but I will. I will give you our last question. [00:54:19] Speaker A: Sure. [00:54:19] Speaker B: Which is this. And you did kind of touch on it already because the podcast is called Becoming Church. How can the listeners become the church to the people around them? [00:54:28] Speaker A: Wow. I think the more we realize that we are the church, you know, they say our body is a temple. So that's a matter of taking care of yourself, your health, your. Your mental health, you know, all those things. I think the more we can lead with integrity, as we talked about, and lead with love and fairness and not be, you know, be so quick to condemn those. I think we become the church. We are the church. We each one of us is. Is the church. I don't think it has anything to do with the building. I don't think it has anything to do with the specific denomination. I think it's a matter of walking as closely as we can in God's word and in his perfect will. You know, people will see. See him in us, and I think we are the church for that reason, and becoming the church is just more of that. [00:55:24] Speaker B: That's right. That's right. Right. That just means we're going to wake up tomorrow and choose to do it again. That's pretty much all that is. [00:55:30] Speaker A: Just like Peter. When we doubt it and we. Things get hard, we have to then come back to it. We always get caught back. Yeah, we always get called back. [00:55:38] Speaker B: Oh, well, thank you so much. Listen, I'm gonna have you on the podcast again, and just for my own, you're gonna do magic tricks for an hour, and I'm just gonna sit here and watch. [00:55:48] Speaker A: We can arrange it. We can arrange it. [00:55:49] Speaker B: Excellent. Thank you so much. [00:55:53] Speaker A: Of course. Thank you for having me. It was a great time. [00:56:00] Speaker B: The world is heavy right now, friends. And while we get to be the light in the darkness and we get to be the church, it can just be hard sometimes. And I want you to know with full confidence that that's okay. If you're doing the things that you're supposed to do, if you're reading your Bible and you're praying and you're listening to worship music and you still just find yourself in a day or a season where you can't seem to shake the despair. Please know that you're not alone in it. While it's hard. I'm trusting that. That God will use even our uncomfortable emotions to grow empathy and compassion in us that will spur us on to not give up in doing good. I'll leave you with these few verses from Psalm 37 that have brought me comfort and hope this week. For those who are evil will be destroyed. But those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land A little while longer and the wicked will be no more. Though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. Keep hoping in the Lord friends. He is not surprised by any of it. And please reach out to a pastor, a therapist or a friend before things get too heavy. You can always reach out to me as well. Hristenmuchler Young on Instagram until next time. Thanks so much for listening and keep becoming the church to the people around you. [00:57:19] Speaker A: Sa.