Today I am excited to share with you a blog post that has been on my heart for quite some time now, but is just now being formed into words.
These thoughts revolve around the plethora of taboo topics that exist in our society and sometimes define our interactions and relationships with ourselves and others.
One of the biggest things my soul learned at college was the importance of being intentional and vulnerable, with each going hand in hand. Taboo topics that avoid being shared at all costs slam the door to being intentional and living vulnerably with one another.
I admit it is not the easiest to confess the time I disrespected my boyfriend Monday night and talked down to him, or share with you the overwhelming amount of student loans I am swimming in, or clue you into the embarrassing number of times I check my blog stats a day. Having these conversations are certainly not easy and usually not in the slightest bit fun however I have found them so vital to living and learning in community.
We automatically put our guards up when it comes to topics like death, income, our spiritual lives, sexuality, weight.. the list lingers on.
But why? Why are we so fearful of having conversations on these subject matters? What will we lose? What prohibits us? Are we driven away by fear of someone knowing us at a deeper level? Embarrassment of where we have been and what we have done? Too uptight to let loose of our control and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us?
I am afraid I could admit to all three of those reasons and probably come up with a list of 20 more off the top of my head. My dear friends, how foolish we are for living our lives haphazardly and pretending to know one another but not truly tearing down the walls that neatly envelop our honest, vulnerable, and raw souls.
How absolutely beautiful would it be if the Church was filled with known and out right liars, thieves, greedy and lustful followers of Christ rather than guarded shallow 'Christians' who pour out their religion to the Lord on Sunday mornings for an hour but fail to pour out their authentic heart to their fellow brothers and sisters the other 167 hours in the week.
Jumping into these taboo topics is a starting point to demolish boundaries and live into true communion with ourselves, others, and ultimately the Lord.
See when I hide my weight of 133 pounds so dearly to my heart and don't let others in on it, I get this notion that if they truly knew that number I would be manipulated. Or if my youth group students knew that I struggle to read the Bible on a regular basis, they would no longer see me for the youth intern I am. Or when I keep to myself my deep fear and struggle with death, I am actually creating an idol out of that idea and letting it hold greater power than it has.
If I am being true to myself and who the Lord created me to be, then I must also remain true to others.
I dream of the day when all believers will share in the holy and perfect communion of Christ Jesus together as one unified body. But until then will you work with me to live a life of genuine intention and vulnerability in the community around you?
One of the parts of blogging I love most is the vast audience that comes together via the internet to read my blog posts, it is truly humbling. With that in mind, if you would take these ideas to your part of the world and demonstrate them in your own lives? So many people could be touched and convicted of living a deeper life for Christ and one another if it first started with us. Hey, it's worth a shot, eh?
As I have been writing this post over the past few weeks I have prayed over each person who will read it. My hope and prayer is that you specifically have been encouraged and will remain steadfast in the Lord living true to yourself, others, and our triune God.
Labels: Church, community, faith
