Welcome to Conscious Curiosity, where we break down concepts & insights from experts for normal people. Basically cliff notes for grown-ups!
Here's this month's "zoom out" edition, where we think about how we think with bite-sized wisdom from experts & thought leaders.
On sharp discernment, but soft hearts
May you never confuse a critical spirit
with being a critical thinker:
stay generous, stay open, stay breakable.
May your discernment be sharp even as your heart remains soft.
May the love of Jesus, that real unconditional empire-upending love - not the brand,
not the spectacle,
not the headline,
not the dominant voice of empire claiming his name -
be your compass, your comfort, and your sanctuary.
Your faithfulness,
your insistence on grace and love,
your dogged relentless insistence that
the Gospel is good news and God is here,
and every small bit of holiness and care matters,
is also a sign of God’s presence in this world.
In the name of the One who overturned tables,
washed feet,
forgave enemies,
welcomed outcasts,
and called us friends,
go in peace and do likewise.
Amen.
–Excerpted from "A Benediction for the (Stubborn) Ones Still Holding On" by Sarah Bessey
***Note from Ansley:***
It's wild times out there, amiright? Every week seems to bring a new level of chaotic and contentious discourse over every topic under the sun. Echo chambers are getting more echo-y, tribalism is getting more extreme and there's no permission to hold nuance or complexity—only black and white, "you're with us or you're against us," line-in-the-sand certainty.
For followers of Jesus, this moment in time feels especially disorienting, polarizing and a little isolating. Very loud voices and groups are wrapping their positions & platforms in the banner of Christianity, resolutely claiming higher moral ground than their opposition—yet at least for many of us, there's a dissonance. If we're all singing a song of praise, something about the notes sound off-key, even if the words line up.
How do we discern truth amidst the chaos?
How do we know where Jesus is when so many competing voices claim to know him better than anyone else does?
If anything I'm saying resonates with you, I want you to know you're not alone. And neither am I. If you feel disillusioned, discouraged, even some grief over the state of things, don't lose heart. That's what the enemy wants.
Beau Stringer says: "You can quote Scripture all day. But if you treat people like trash, no one is listening."
The call for followers of Jesus is to be His light, grace, love, truth and mercy to those around us.
We are no one's savior, but we know the One who is.
His love can flow powerfully through his people to a hurting & broken world.
As N.T. Wright says in "Surprised by Hope":
People who believe in the resurrection, in God making a whole new world in which everything will be set right at last, are unstoppably motivated to work for that new world in the present.
Let's be people who steadfastly believe that God is a God of New Creation.
May His kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,
and may we be agents of New Creation who participate with Him in bringing His kingdom on Earth in the here and now.
Stay tuned for the next edition (zoom in) dropping November 1st!
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November |Topic Preview:
- {relationships}: How do our relationships get happier & healthier?
Imago Theory of Relationships, explained.
Up Next |Topic Preview:
- {faith}: As a Christian, do you have to pick between believing in Creationism & Evolution? Evolutionary Creationism, explained.
What to expect from Conscious Curiosity emails:
-
on the 1st of each month: "zoom in" editions with useful tidbits from the experts on relationships, faith & psychology.
- one "deep dive" + two fun facts, rotating spotlight between topics (relationships, faith & psychology)
- sneak peak of next month's content
- on the 15th of each month: "zoom out" editions with quick insights from experts & thought leaders to help us think about how we think.
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