by Jen Aldrich
May 12, 2022
For those of us who have been reading the sacred texts for a long time, it’s so super easy to skim parts thinking “ok yeah I know that one” and we jump to the “conclusion” of it. A conclusion that we maybe came to years, decades ago. In fact, on Sunday JD shared from the “feeding the 5,000” story and we all know the punchline. But he had us slow down, early on, and look at the exchange between the disciples and Jesus. We saw some new things together…we challenged some assumptions and engaged our brain and applied some logic came to a new punchline that, for me, ended up more powerful and poignant than the one I learned on the Sunday School flannel board growing up.
Here’s one of my fave passages that I have internalized and so often dig into the bag to pull out the punchline, to soothe me. But today I’m reading it again, slowly, bit by bit. And I’m finding that every 3-5 words speak something I need to hear more deeply. And some action steps to take. And ultimately, a better conclusion than just being soothed.
One last thought: Maybe the true landing place of growth isn’t a landing place at all but getting comfortable knowing there’s always more to unpack and discover. Don’t get comfortable with conclusions, get comfortable asking more questions.
