I’M GOING TO be real with you. I experienced a good bit of religious trauma in my ultra-evangelical, fundamentalist upbringing, and I’ve spent decades healing. What has shocked me, though, is the harm I have experienced and witnessed inside progressive faith circles—places where, in theory, we shared theology and values. It turns out people of any persuasion can fall prey to the temptation of superficiality rather than depth, performance rather than sincerity. It was a rude wake-up call, but hopefully the kind of disillusionment that keeps a gal genuine.
February’s texts draw us into humble evaluation of where we are and challenge us to a depth of commitment that can’t be faked or flaunted or rushed. Imagine you’re driving somewhere in a big hurry when (with the worst luck!) you’re forced to stop for a passing train. You impatiently tap on the steering wheel until you look up and notice that each passing boxcar is painted with a word. “Take. A. Breath,” say the train cars, “Go. Ahead. You. Have. Time. The. Lesson. Is. Now. Not. At. Your. Destination. Now.”
So, you take a deep breath. And then another. Because what else are you going to do? The train is no longer wasting your time. It’s become your teacher. My prayer is that these reflections function like those imaginary train cars, slowing you down just when you were running on urgency.
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