read this first
INTRODUCTION
First of all, thank you for visiting my website. I believe that your time is invaluable. The thing with time is that once you spend it there is no getting it back. So I have two purposes for this introduction. The first is to give you information that will help you to decide if this website is 'worth your time'. I'm hoping you conclude that it is. If so, the second goal is to orient you to how this blog is organized so that you get the most out of your experience.
WHAT IS THIS WEBSITE?
It's a space where I can share my own personal takes on matters of faith and religion, social justice, and popular culture along with other life-inspired musings. Basically it is my personal 'social commentary' intermingled with some life journaling.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS
A few important disclaimers to begin with...
Let me be clear from the beginning that the views and perspectives expressed here are solely that of my own and NOT of my family, friends, or employer.
I reserve the right to express opinions AND emotions. Some people are uncomfortable with the latter but I've decided I can't really be honest without sharing both thought and passion. This includes the occasional curse word. If you can’t handle that, this site isn’t for you.
As far as my opinions, I also reserve the right to change them. So whether on this website or anywhere else, please know that I don't write or speak ex cathedra. Each piece reflects my understanding and opinion on whatever it is I am talking about at the time it is published.
a little relevant background (short bio)
Premise: I think it’s a good thing when you can get to a place in your psychological health when you can say what you like about yourself! So while it might seem a bit self-aggrandizing, let me tell you a bit about who I am when I am staying true to my true self, especially as it relates to the majority of the content you will find on this website.
After spending the first 42 years of my life as a member of the American evangelical cult, I believe I have established myself as a bright, humorous, compassionate, and courageous voice on the realities of religious trauma and recovery. I’m also passionate about…
individual and societal emotional health
sexuality
environmentalism to include veganism
anti-war peace advocacy (I’m a combat veteran and I have no problem saying, fuck war!)
being a true ally in advancing economic equality and human rights for historically oppressed, predominantly minority communities (mostly at the hands of the church, state, and/or big business).
When it comes to being a cult survivor, I bring perspectives to this conversation as not only an insider adherent to a sect of religious fundamentalism but as a leader in the church. In preparation for this role that I felt “called” into, I graduated from two evangelical academic institutions (Multnomah University and Western Seminary). I eventually worked in a number of Christian vocational leadership roles from 1999-2017, to include being a Youth, Associate, Interim Senior and Senior Pastor. I was on staff at a variety of evangelical churches, mainly American Baptist, an independent charismatic congregation, and a Christian and Missionary Alliance fellowship.
But I particularly made my mark in Christian ministry in the realm of ‘faith-based’ social justice and welfare, especially in working with refugees. I directed what was at the time the second largest refugee resettlement agency field office in the nation with World Relief, an organization that has served as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals since after World War 2. There I led our staff to mobilize over a thousand volunteers from many mostly evangelical churches to support over 6,000 refugees arriving into the city and county of Sacramento, California. During this time with World Relief, I also engaged with the refugee crisis more broadly with the Refugee Highway Partnership, a global network of Christian churches and ministries working with forcibly displaced peoples. I served as the Co-Facilitator for the North America Region and member of the Global Leadership Council for the RHP.
I left the church the end of 2017 and publicly announced my departure from the Christian religion in 2019. Since 2018 I have shifted professionally to work with secular humanitarian organizations, with a particular focus on advancing economic equality through programs providing free professional financial coaching (with International Rescue Committee) and guaranteed income (with United Way).
In a volunteer capacity, I have sought to be an ally to marginalized communities, participating and supporting other movements such as Black Lives Matter and advocacy for the LGTBQ+ community, women’s reproductive rights, and the Palestinian cause. I also participate in The Clergy Project and other conversations and passion projects centered on advancing the cause of recovery from religious trauma.
Most importantly, I am learning to love and grow up into my authentic Self along with my two beautiful daughters, a loving and supportive partner, a warm but moderately crazy tabby cat, and a lively and wise senior Mexican Chihuahua.
WHAT'S THE FORMAT and style?
The format is mostly a blog that includes a podcast option where you can listen to me reading the blog post (when I have the time to record and edit the audio). Just know that if you are listening to a podcast you are likely missing out on some important links, so make sure to go back later to the text version to explore those resources. Note that in addition to podcasts being embedded in some blog posts, they can also be found on I-Tunes.
Beyond the blog articles with the audio option, there are some pieces that are purely a podcast or a vlog. More on this in a minute.
What about the style? So much of the 'news' we digest here in America is nothing more than a glorified sound-bite. We've been conditioned to consume fast information, with the average local or network story running between forty-one seconds to two minutes and twenty-three seconds. My goal is to engage my audience at a slightly deeper level, hopefully inspiring further research and conversation. So the style of the content you will find on this website might be similar to a piece you would hear on NPR's Morning Edition and The Osgood File, with most pieces taking between five and nine minutes to listen to or read. A few pieces, especially interviews, go a bit longer but never more than 20 minutes.
A brief comment on comments: Did you find something so interesting you really want to have a conversation about it? Feel free to comment. I’ll try to reply when I have time, but don’t assume I always will. I will give little time if any to trolls. I have a life outside of this. My recommendation is that you also seek out someone you personally know who you think would want to talk about something my writing stirred up. I guarantee you that the outcome will be vastly better than time wasted on eternal internet threads. Bonus points if you know they come from a different background and perspective than you do.
WHAT'S THE CONTENT LOOK LIKE?
As I shared earlier, I write on four broad subjects: Faith and Religion, Social Justice, Pop-Culture, and Other Life-Inspired Musings. Under each are some categories that narrow the focus a bit.
On Faith and Religion
Writings/podcasts found here are dedicated to the big questions we all wrestle with in our attempt to discover and live out our purpose on this planet. I organize my writings around the following categories…
Faith v Religion
Here I give my take on the best (I'll refer to this as "faith") and worst (what I will call "religion") that the quest for spiritual understanding has to offer. Much of what I share will be related to my journey as a "recovering evangelical". So whether you are actively a part of that community, have left it or are just interested as an outsider to hear my perspectives on the pros and cons of this tradition, then you might find these articles of interest.
Theologians in Cars Drinking Libations
In my own shameless adaptation of Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix series, this vlog features myself talking with another student of ‘God’. I should note that ‘God’ here is used in the broadest way possible and that this will include leaders in a variety of traditions that may not even make reference to the term. Either way, these are individuals who brins a passionate heart, a compassionate spirit, a keen mind, and a witty tongue to this all-important and mysterious conversation.
As we randomly cruise the streets of Sacramento, California—or whatever city we happen to be in--we talk about our liquid of choice for our drive, hear from our special guest on his or her spiritual journey, give them a few minutes to 'preach it!' on something about which they are particularly passionate, and conclude with some practical advice for our listeners as they explore ‘the meaning of life’.
Have a spiritual leader you think I should talk with in a future piece? You can recommend them to me via the Suggestion Box. Basically, I am looking for thought and life-provoking spiritual leaders (pastors, priests, monks, rabis, gurus, imams, shamans, etc.) who are not intolerant assholes and have a sense of humor.
Help Me Understand
Ever meet (in person or virtually) someone who is just fascinating to you? I'm like you, especially when those people come from a radically different background than mine which I would describe as American, white, male, suburban, middle-class, and (formerly) conservative Christian. Help Me Understand is like my own home-grown version of Humans of New York or StoryCorps. First, I find someone who fascinates me. It might be someone I have a personal history with but it could be someone you suggest via the Suggestion Box! Then I record a podcast interview with them, seeking to understand them by asking a series of questions that surfaces their meta-narrative.
On Social Justice
We as humans seem to excel at creating systems that enslave. I'll define 'slavery' as anything that violates an individual or community's agency. The criteria for determining who is the slave and who is the master are largely based upon factors such as level of education, economic class, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, nationality or a combination of several of these traits as an identifiable ethnicity. The end result is some pretty messed up shit, some injustices being painfully obvious with others being oh so dangerously subtle. My writings on social justice are organized under the following categories...
Rage Against the Machine
Here I either share more broadly my thoughts on social justice or I'll drill down on one particular injustice to include who is driving it, what are their root motivation(s), how they have systematized and most likely monetized this particular form of oppression, and more importantly what you and I can do to disrupt the system and fight for a more free and equitable world in the great tradition of nonviolent resistance.
Profiles in Courage
In a nod to the JFK work, I highlight courageous but likely lesser-known voices who have challenged the status quo, representing in my opinion the best of civic and economic resistance.
Though each piece is unique, some are designed to compliment one another and run in a series. On occasion, a Rage Against the Machine piece sets the table by introducing a particular issue. Then in one or more Profiles in Courage posts we explore a more personal angle by listening to 'freedom fighters' who are seeking to address that particular injustice.
Have an injustice you think I should cover in a future Rage Against the Machine piece or someone that you think I should highlight in an upcoming Profiles in Courage podcast? Again, you can suggest names using the Suggestion Box.
On Pop-Culture
The term 'culture' is extremely broad with multiple nuanced definitions and as such has become a source of great confusion. I'm using the word here to refer to common activities which express the beliefs and values of an identifiable group of human beings. Enter, American pop-culture. My writings on pop-culture are organized as follows…
Pop Goes the Culture
If "laughter is the best medicine" then I think that these days we all need an extra dose. And what better source for comedic material than that of American pop-culture, especially in T.V., music, sports, advertising, news and social media! (Movies, I'll come back to you in a minute.) Pop Goes the Culture reviews one of the infinite number of absurdities recently excreted from these mediums, while drawing attention to the rare bright spots when reason, creativity, and basic human dignity managed somehow to squeeze through.
Buttery Fingers
I love movies and yes I love the popcorn, though I know that each bucket is likely decreasing my days on this planet. So on occasion I post my review of a movie I recently saw (on the big or small screen).
Here is my scoring system for Buttery Fingers...
The Dog-Eared Review
This is where I review a book I recently read, from classics to recent popular "best-sellers". Don't expect a comprehensive examination of the book, but rather a brief overview, my take on its relevancy to contemporary life, followed by a rating according to how many 'dog-ears' I give the book.
The scoring is as follows...
armchair imagineering
Most sports fans, especially here in America, know the meaning of the idiom, 'Armchair Quarterback'--that is, "a person who offers advice or an opinion on something in which they have no expertise or involvement." Hey, we all do it because it is fun to pretend like we know what the hell we are talking about!
Well, I have a major lifetime obsession with Disneyland. Unfortunately, I'm not a skilled graphic artist nor am I an accomplished engineer, so a career as a Walt Disney Company 'Imagineer' is likely not in the cards. Is that going to stop me from telling them what to do next with the Disneyland Resort? Hell no! So in Armchair Imagineering I will both update you on what's happening at the Happiest Place on Earth as well as share my own crazy ideas on how they can make it even happier.
Other Life-Inspired Musings
This is essentially a personal journal and is organized features under two categories:
My Life So Far
Each piece highlights reflections on the people, places and plot of my journey to date.
Fatherhood
I've observed it as a son since 1974. I've personally lived it since 2009. In this open-ended series, you will hopefully hear hard-earned wisdom and simple joys from my life as both a son to a father and a dad to two girls.
Featured on…
On occasion I get the opportunity to share with other great content creators (blogs, vlogs, social media broadcasts, etc.). When I do, I post a quick intro to the opportunity with links where you can enjoy these specific conversations and learn more about these great people and their voices.
What's the schedule?
After a pretty rigorous first nine months of writing in 2018 (averaged 7 posts a month), I decided to temporarily suspend my regular schedule. Now I just write as I have time. For those of you who are new to the site, take the time to get caught up on previous posts.
WHAT'S MY "ENDGAME"?
I essentially have two goals with this website. One is selfishly therapeutic--that is, there are just some things I've got to "get off my chest". Second, I hope that what I publish here genuinely helps others in their own navigation of this mysterious and fleeting thing we call "life".
IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT FROM THis website, I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU took a few minutes to share it with them.
Respectfully,
Kirt E. Lewis.