Growing up, the Crusades felt like a black mark against Christianity for me — the perfect example of how religious zeal can spiral into suffering and persecution.

What I’ve come to see, though, is that the Crusades had little to do with the teachings of Christ. They were not about His gospel of peace, or a reflection of early Christian communities, but instead they were about human power, greed, and suspicion. That’s what failed.

What troubles me today is that, instead of learning from this, some voices are trying to twist the story and portray the Crusaders as heroes. In this episode, we’ll step back into history to explore the real origins and impact of the Crusades, and why separating Christ’s message from human misuse of His name matters now more than ever.