Out of Sorts: Making Sense of an Evolving Faith

by Sarah Bessey

sometimes our most holy calling is to listen, to bear witness.

If our theology doesn’t shift and change over our lifetimes, then I have to wonder if we’re paying attention.

I hope we change. I hope we grow. I hope we push against the darkness and let the light in and breathe into the Kingdom come. I hope we become a refuge for the weary and the pilgrim, for the child and the aged, for the ones who have been strong too long. And I hope we all live like we are loved.

Perhaps that’s the problem with cherry-picking Bible verses for our personal lives: we miss the bigger and more beautiful story of what God is doing in the world. We make the story about ourselves instead of seeing ourselves as part of the big story.

To the world, it’s foolish to choose peace instead of war. It’s foolish to forgive. It’s foolish to be kind. It’s foolish to hope. It’s foolish to offer grace and conversation. It’s foolish to care for our weaker brothers or sisters, let alone change our own behavior to accommodate their growth and discipleship, their freedom and their journeys. It’s foolish to live without legalism and “clear boundaries.” It’s foolish to make it our business to pursue a quiet life. It’s foolish to lay down our power. It’s foolish to be silent and listen to others instead of rushing to make our own point. It’s foolish to recognize our own privilege and walk softly. It’s foolish to honor one another. Foolish things will confound the “wise” of our world.