In the military, when information needs to interrupt the current dialogue over radio communications, one holds the push-to-talk button and proclaims, “Break, Break, Break!” Then they proceed with the message.
I am interrupting the discussion on Ephesians, as well as all of the revelation, spiritual formation, and transformation received over our annual holiday break, in addition to responding to the crisis in our news cycle from a Biblical and Human Dignifying Christian worldview1 to talk about why I write.
How I’m Showing Up In This Article
My writing is rooted in trying to understand my lived experiences from a biblical lens, while trying to balance work, family, and life. These days, I usually only have time to write when I can’t do anything else but get the thoughts out of my head and energy from my chest written down. I finish the Friday workday writing down all the things I didn’t get accomplished in my online task manager (I’m a certified trainer and advocate for the GTD methodology) so I can focus this weekend on the family.
Despite my best intentions, being present with the family mentally, is a consistent challenge. I set out to give Johnna the undivided attention she deserves before she heads out for the night. When she gets distracted, I use it as an excuse to try to handle a few personal items – unanswered messages, making plans to facilitate community, and writing down the tasks I’d forgotten about.
I promise to focus on the kids, yet something keeps coming up: just one more text, five more minutes with this thought. Eventually, I recognize the slope I’ve half-way slipped down and put my phone away. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help because my mind is still racing. I’m physically present - playing blocks with my two-year-old playing blocks, holding my three-month-old – yet I’m mentally elsewhere. I’m sure I’ve missed questions and moments being so consumed by the thoughts that my body and mind have been unable to release.
Family movie night starts and I’m determined to be mentally present. Notwithstanding, I know passively watching TV won’t help so I decide to take the little ones to the salt room. Its not perfect mindfulness; however, we pour salt on each other, built salt mounds, and drive toy trucks. Now its bedtime, I can release some of the energy I’ve been holding for weeks into this article. I try to give myself grace as the other writings groan from being pushed back yet again.
Why I Write
Writing is both personal practice and prophetic2 necessity. It is my mental gym-workout on the topics I get to choose. The exercise of compiling my scattered thoughts, organizing and clarifying them works my mental agility. I wish I could do it more, thus feel free to become a paid subscriber!
I write to find my community. I know you’re out there! People with a deep conviction for community, a resolve for spiritual formation, and a commitment to biblical justice. Those living life authentically, abundantly, and in community - despite the pull towards the status quo or societal norms.
I am seeking to engage in a conversation with others and help make sense of the world in which we live. The pull to conform, the traps to ensnare you in worldliness are everywhere and it will take a community to keep us sane and growing.
Writing is also therapeutic for me. It is my form of resistance against injustice. It is a way to leave a legacy for my children. It’s a participation in the divine opportunity for ‘wording.’
I write prophetically. I write to call out idols. I write to hold myself accountable and those within my community. I hope my writing challenges your systems, faith, and worldview. I hope I’m shattering the cognitive dissonance that allows people to materially benefit from economic and theological systems that overlook and destroy image-bearers. I am trying to make it very clear how I’m moving forward in the world. Yet, these multiple purposes can create tension for my readers. What I communicate as healing may challenge you. What is often a call for community may require boundaries from folks who have no intention of incarnating and coming along on the journey.
Quite practically, I also write to avoid some repetitive conversations. I will definitely have to recycle much of the conversation in this current article! Nonetheless, community, justice, and spiritual formation are ongoing conversations in my life and written articles serve as catalyst for conversation or filters the preoccupied.
Invitation to the Conversation
First thank you for reading! Substack is an online space for community and conversation. You can of course unsubscribe at any time. However, if you stay, I invite you into this public conversation for mutual accountability, clarifying communication, and necessary push back. Like, share, comment, and subscribe! Even if we disagree, I appreciate your willingness to process my words and respond with your own perspective. So far I have been really consistent to engage with folks who choose to participate in the public discourse. My strongest desire is to have these conversations with those in my in-person community and encourage you to do so as well.
In my experience, the following guidelines can be helpful to keep conversations constructing and accessible.
To respect my responsibilities and commitments, I must limit myself to the platform for discussions. I’ve encountered several folks who leave the Substack platform in order to like or comment on a post in a off-platform mediums. To be clear, I am not committing to multiple in-person discussions about information that is readily available. Conversely, no one is entitled to a response at all. Part of the benefit of engaging with your written response is it empowers you to work through your own triggers internally before bringing them to the public.
You can start the conversation on your own by having read credible sources you disagree with and being able to accurately articulate their point of view. Go beyond surface-level critiques of viewpoints that have been marginalized, mischaracterized/ weaponized and ignored.
Agree on what words mean (ex. “free will” “election” “oppression,” “justice,” “capitalism”) so no one can twist definitions mid-conversation.
Avoid false dichotomies, thus acknowledging that multiple options are viable. This is rejection framing that limits the conversation to extremes. You don’t like capitalism so you must be a atheist, Marxist, communist, genocidal leftist.
Engage the arguments, not made up caricatures. Don’t assume each others beliefs and set a boundary that personal attacks or labels are off-limits. Focus on arguing ideals not labels (see #4).
Avoid Whataboutism! Engage the arguments, acknowledge the inconvenient scriptures, engage the Biblical texts and rely on comprehensive historical realities. If someone introduces “what about socialism?” when the topic is capitalism’s failures, then agree to redirect back to the issue at hand.
Use scripture in context. Read and use passages in their full biblical and historical context, not as isolated proof-texts.
Truth-telling is not always “polite.” Repentance and reconciliation may need to occur across multiple fronts.
Name Idols Explicitly. Keep the focus on identifying and resisting idols (Mammon, nationalism, racism) rather than abstract debates.
Maturity, grace, and self-work are necessary components for being in conversation, even more so for being in community with people.
If you’re part of my in-person community, we’re likely already having these conversations face-to-face, and those interactions may follow a different rhythm. For everyone else, I thank you for your patience as I try to navigate these intricacies, acknowledge my own feelings in this world, and communicate all of it appropriately. I look forward to engaging with those who want to incarnate on this complex journey.
Blessings!
I hate that I need to add so many qualifiers to ‘Christian,’ but there are a lot of people out here using the name with no apparent desire to be made new in Christ. Looking very Pharisee-like out here.
Truth-telling, confronting injustice and encouraging change even when countercultural or uncomfortable.