Voting as an Act of Faith with Rev. Naomi Washington‑Leapheart

In this episode of The PlayFull Podcast, Kristine Michie talks with Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, a Black queer preacher, teacher, and justice advocate, about integrating faith, politics, and joy into social change. They discuss how voting and engagement can be acts of faith, how reclaiming spiritual language and imagination fuels action, and how play and creativity sustain resilience in challenging work. Naomi shares lessons on moral courage, whole-self leadership, and community-centered activism, offering a hopeful vision for sustaining long-term work toward justice.

Key Takeaways:

Hope grows when expressed in public action. Acting toward the good strengthens discipline. Faith matures when tied to shared responsibility.
Prayer and imagination sharpen courage. Spiritual practices steady us in tension. Using them wisely redirects harmful narratives.
Aligned thought, emotion, and action create stability. Wholeness supports clearer leadership. Unity inside fuels impact outside.
Where we invest energy reveals our commitments. Embodied choices shape fairness and access. Action is a form of ethical care.
Grief enlarges compassion for others’ pain. Honest sorrow softens reactive harm. Practicing grief deepens moral clarity.
Stillness sharpens discernment in chaos. Listening expands prayer and presence. Attention becomes a grounding discipline.

"Voting is an act of faith." — Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart

"The tools of faith – first of all, imagination. Somebody has to conceive of it first in their minds before it is concretized." — Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart

"Much of my ministry has been concerned with how we manage grief and loss. I really think if we knew how to grieve collectively… then maybe we wouldn't hurt each other so much." — Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart

Episode References:

Political Research Associates https://www.politicalresearch.org
Religion Dispatches https://religiondispatches.org/
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries https://www.radicallyinclusive.org/
United Church of Christ https://www.ucc.org
Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit https://mosaicdetroit.org/
Detroit Public Schools https://www.detroitk12.org
Villanova University https://www.villanova.edu
Swarthmore College Black Cultural Center https://www.swarthmore.edu
Octavia E. Butler Graphic Novel Series:

SAGA Comic Series https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/saga

More about Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart:

Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, a daughter of Detroit, is a Black queer preacher, teacher, strategist, and justice advocate. She is an adjunct professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University and Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates, where she supports research and strategy advancing democracy and justice. In 2021, she founded Salt | Yeast | Light, and she serves on multiple boards and advisory councils, including Pride in the Pews, SIECUS, and Americans United for Separation of Church & State. During 2025-2026, she is Theologian-in-Residence at the Black Cultural Center at Swarthmore College.

Connect with Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/heartleaps

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEs50323Yr8sW9_nQBSzqww

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oholyshift/
Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/

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