What if I'm wrong?

For a long time I’ve been thinking about that question:  What if I’m wrong?  I try to ponder that possibility now and then because I think it is so important and it requires a little humility.

When I’m feeling a little cocky and wondering why other people can’t understand…

Seems like a good time to ask that question.

When I notice that I’m angry about some injustice…

That might be a good time to pause and ask again.

When I hear friends spewing some ridiculous dogma…

Okay; I admit I really want to ask THEM that question: What if you’re wrong?

But maybe it’s not my place to ask them or maybe it’s not the right time.

Then again, maybe it is.

In the meantime I will continue to ask myself: What if I’m wrong?

Asking myself questions

and 

Remembering Rachel Held Evans

June 8, 1981 to May 4, 2019

Rachel Held Evans was one of the first bloggers I ever read. Her words gave me hope in really difficult weeks and months.  Rachel dared to ask that question:   What if I’m wrong?  In fact that might be where I picked it up.

What a delight to watch and listen and read as Rachel wrote more and more stuff. 

I began to think of her as a little sister, but with big-sister wisdom, helping me figure out things that life threw at me. It was like I was growing along with her - or maybe a little behind her.

When I found ourselves suddenly outside the walls of religion and trying to figure out what I really believed, it was obvious that lots of things were man-made and less than noble.  With other things, it took a little longer to sort out those that were really true and worth clinging to. Rachel’s words and generous wisdom were invaluable during that process. 

Then suddenly, on this date three years ago, at age 37, she was gone.

...

Rachel's dear friend and fellow writer, Sarah Bessey, posted some great words and memories today and a wonderful photo.  Here are a few of her lines about Rachel:

Who kept the faith,

Who needed the Church enough to speak truth,

…

Who gave permission to a generation,

Who made origami out of hate mail,

…

Who was wickedly smart and hilarious,

Who always chose integrity and courage over making a profit or being palatable to the gatekeepers,

…

Who pulled up more chairs to the Table and scooted over to make room,

Who made us laugh and made us think,

Who was bold and courageous and kind,

Who would not be budged from her conviction that this Gospel is Good News for everyone,

Who moved to the margins because she knew this is the centre of God’s Story…

I am so grateful to have found Rachel’s words when I may have needed them most… and to continue to learn from them even while grieving over her being gone too soon.

I hope to follow her example to chose integrity and courage, to speak truth, to pull up more chairs at the Table, and scoot over to make room.

And may I always be willing to ask myself that question:  What if I’m wrong?