I am not deconstructing.

I am not deconstructing

I had a lot of childhood trauma

But none of it came from the church

When people talk about the way they were wounded by religion

I am sad for their experience but can’t relate at all

And realize how fortunate I am and rare my experience was

I feel moved to say thank you to my parents, and grandparents, for …

Putting in me in spaces where children weren’t scared into Christ via the threat of fiery pits of an imagined Devil

Where the acts of Jesus far outweighed the emphasis on the laws of the Old Testament

And the words of Jesus were never twisted to abuse power, especially the power of men

I was raised to believe we are loved - not wicked and ugly, not forever striving to be worthy

I am not burdened by an ever-present sense of guilt or self-loathing

Images of Bloody Jesus do not haunt me

I don’t know a war-fighting, jealous, battle hungry Rambo Jesus

And my songs are sung with gratitude and wonder, but not to a Boyfriend Jesus that expects me to bow before him

I am grateful to instead fueled by the joyous and exceptional gift of the opportunity to live into the beauty that God sees in all of us

To do as Christ (and other spiritual teachers) did - Love

Period

#unitedchurchofchrist

#ucc