Michael McCord

Where I Come From

I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas, went to a Christian college, and earned a degree in theology. I understand a lot of the folks in red states — their values, their concerns, what keeps them up at night. For the last twenty-five years, I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco, in communities on the left and far left. I've been a resident of San Francisco Zen Center since 2009 and was ordained as a Soto Zen priest in 2014.

What I've found is that most people want the same things: safety for their families, meaningful work, a sense of belonging, and the feeling that things can get better. We're motivated by remarkably similar things, even when our politics say otherwise.

That conviction shapes everything I do — whether I'm teaching at the Zen Center, coaching leaders through difficult transitions, or hosting conversations on my podcast about the topics that divide us. I believe the gap between red and blue America is narrower than it looks, and that understanding starts with listening.