I have an idea that I haven’t fully fleshed out yet. Writing and processing with someone else both help me in that process though, so here goes…I realize that “authenticity” is a sort of buzzword nowadays, but it seems to me that there are huge limitations in what “authenticity” is encouraged and what is squashed down in most circles. As long as whatever negative thing you are saying about yourself is not criminal or terribly perverse, then people often applaud others for “opening up” about themselves. There are times when the effect reminds me a lot of the reason why people loved “freak shows” and why many rubber neck for car wrecks. Other times, it seems to me people feel either validated or comforted by their own superiority in hearing about someone else’s negative life situation or character traits. (I am not trying to discourage anyone from sharing. I think there can be some beautiful things that come out of being open about your brokenness too. I've even blogged about that b
It's been a while since I've blogged. In that time, I have struggled with a couple autoimmune diseases, moved twice, grieved with my husband over the loss of his father, and wanted to bail on my faith. It wasn't my physical pain, the stress over big life changes, or the loss of a family member that rocked my faith though. It was the words of my fellow believers. The last election cycle brought surprises for many. What surprised me were the words of my fellow believers. I saw people I had gone to church with whitewashing sin to justify their political choices. I saw people held up as leaders of the faith suddenly supporting stances that seemed to say "The end justifies the means." I saw people who posted memes about God's love also posting comments that ridiculed those who were afraid. Frankly, I wanted nothing to do with any of that. My heart was shattered. My mind was racing. How could I call these people my brothers and sisters in Christ? I didn't wa