A rainbow … from Australia
A reader writes …
Up until recently, I held out no hope for the Church and wondered if my own faith would survive the stagnation of being boxed-in and chained to a system of thinking that was exclusivist, dogmatic, and fear-driven. Then I started reading your books ‘A Generous Orthodoxy’ and ‘The Secret Message of Jesus.’ I couldn’t believe what I read. It was such a joy to be able to step out of the box and loose the strangulating chains of what had been my old way of believing.
Since your latest book isn’t widely available in Australia yet, I ordered a few copies from Amazon. I’ve read it and have really appreciated your perspective and courage to challenge the status quo in the Christian Church. I also really enjoyed hearing you when you visited Adelaide and was blessed and encouraged by the loving and gentle way you engaged with those who were quite vocal in their opposition.
A small group of us from the same church have been meeting regularly to engage in conversation about ANKOC and I have found this so enriching and refreshing…. Unfortunately this gathering has brought some severe criticism and accusations from other church members and the pastor … This has only made more evident what you say towards the end of your book when you write about the spectrum of Christians who all have their own systems of understanding—and this also has given us a better understanding of how to work with such people without disregarding, demeaning or devaluing them or their perspectives. Truly the rainbow that makes up our Faith makes life in the Church interesting!
So ‘Thank you’ for challenging our way of thinking, for confronting our fears and helping us have the courage to believe again. You have opened doors to us that we never knew were there. We are not backing down, but are continuing our fantastic journey together—not in fear or pride, but in love and hope, looking forward to where this new kind of Christianity will take us. Thank you again for the part you and the gift that is your writings have played in our lives.
