One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship a God who would rather die than lose relationship with us.
Rachel Held EvansThe Proverbs 31 woman is a star not because of what she does but how she does itโwith valor. So do your thing. If itโs refurbishing old furnitureโdo it with valor. If itโs keeping up with your two-year-oldโdo it with valor. If itโs fighting against human trafficking . . . leading a company . . . or getting other people to do your work for youโdo it with valor. Take risks. Work hard. Make mistakes. Get up the next morning. And surround yourself with people who will cheer you on.
Rachel Held EvansMy friend Adele describes fundamentalism as holding so tightly to your beliefs that your fingernails leave imprints on the palm of your hand... I think she's right. I was a fundamentalist not because of the beliefs I held but because of how I held them: with a death grip. It would take God himself to finally pry them out of my hands. (p.17-18)
Rachel Held EvansBut if the world is watching, we might as well tell the truth. And the truth is, the church doesn't offer a cure. It doesn't offer a quick fix. The church offers death and resurrection. The church offers the messy, inconvenient, gut-wrenching, never-ending work of healing and reconciliation.
Rachel Held Evans