Losing My Religion

When I have the opportunity to share with a new friend about our family’s journey into creativity–particularly, how we left everything behind in one place and went to a new place with no guaranteed income, determined to try and make a place for ourselves by doing what we love–a common response is, “Wow. You guys are so brave!”

I generally chuckle under my breath. Bull crap, I think to myself.

This week, the world lost a treasure.

Richard Twiss, beloved speaker, author and teacher, passed away this week from a massive heart attack. His sudden passing sent shock waves through the Christian community, evoking expressions of condolence and grief across the Internet.

Twiss was perhaps better known in Christian circles than outside of them. As the head of Wiconi International, he was largely recognized as a bridge-builder among cultures, helping believers (and especially American believers) see a larger worldview past the American Christian bubble, and being an agent of reconciliation among the First Nations people.

I have to admit–I still cringe a little bit when some Christian I meet asks me where I go to church. Not that I’m ashamed of my journey, or anything–it’s just that a decade-long journey can’t be justifiably shoved into an explanation of a couple of sentences, and I can be reasonably certain that any attempt to do so will result in the person judging me. (I know I shouldn’t care about that–don’t judge.)

So typically, I just answer with “Nowhere, right now,” or “I’m between things at the moment.” At which point I usually get an invitation to go to church.

I generally don’t make New Year’s resolutions–mainly because they are promises that almost nobody keeps, and I’m not inclined to add regrets to my existing list. Not to say I’m underachieving or am committed to mediocrity–I just prefer to set goals for myself as opposed to making promises to myself. Sort of a “let your yes be yes, and your no be no” kind of thing.

However, I do think that a new year on the calendar is a good time to take inventory, to clean house, to acknowledge the good and bad of the past year and look ahead to the next. So you kind of get to sit on this while I do that in this post. Aren’t you privileged?

Due to both personal and professional deadlines I was trying to meet, I quietly missed posting on Sunday, Dec. 30, which also happens to be the five-year anniversary for this here blog.

Five years. Where has the time gone?

Anywhoo, just a quick check-in to mention that, pat myself on the back a couple of times, and let you know to expect a full-blown what’s-up-for-the-new-year post soon. In the meantime–Happy New Year.

*Sigh* We’ve had to talk about this far too much this year.

As a people, we’re still in utter disbelief, shock and horror at the news coming out of Connecticut. On Friday, a lone gunman shot his mother dead in her home, then went to a nearby elementary school and executed 20 first graders and 6 adults before taking his own life.

As the reports began to emerge and we started to get a clearer picture of what had happened, the picture grew worse and worse until it became literally unthinkable. How? and WHY?