On being Christian again
A surprising journey to a place I thought I'd never be
Context A: Our current political landscape has filled more of my mental and emotional space than I care to admit. My heart has been moving back, forth, and between disdain, disregard, and despair with each new blow to what I once held up as these resilient U.S. institutions. It’s heartbreaking, honestly. I have many more thoughts on this, but they are not ready to be shared yet. I will be writing my slow take on the political situation in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Context B: I wrote the following piece many weeks ago. I’ve been holding it close, unsure of if or when to share it. Like many of us, my spiritual journey is always evolving. It feels untrue to plant my flag here or there and to pretend like it will never move, never waver, never change. Our spiritual lives are like the seasons. Only the test of time will grant insight to what’s lasting, to what remains. I’ve chosen to go ahead and share this piece because I want to honor the version of me who wrote it. I’m experimenting with saying what I know to be true right now, trusting you all as readers to hold my humanity as a changing person right alongside me. As usual, I hope this mini-essay meets you with connection and grace. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
“Write from where you’re at,” my priest said.
“There’s a lot happening where you’re at right now.”
I’d expressed to my priest that being in the process of conversion had disoriented my relationship to writing. He encouraged me to write from where I’m at, right here and right now. So today, that’s my goal. I’m writing to let you into the messy middle of my process. Welcome.
First things first: yes, I have a priest.
Weird, right?
Well, it’s weird to me.
Over the past nine months or so, I’ve been converting to Orthodox Christianity.
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