Messy

 But if the world is watching, we might as well tell the truth. And the truth is, the church doesn't offer a cure. It doesn't offer a quick fix. The church offers death and resurrection. The church offers the messy, inconvenient, gut-wrenching, never-ending work of healing and reconciliation.

Rachel Held Evans

I can't claim to be fully conversant with all of Rachel Held Evans' work, tho I aim to rectify that a bit. She died yesterday, at the age of 37, and it feels important to share her wisdom and insight that so many of us need.

I particularly relate to this quote at the moment, as I am grateful for folk in the church who stay alongside when things are messy. I also know it's what I'm called to, to keep on loving even when it's inconvenient, feels never ending, and is the kind of love involving pain and doubt rather than flowers and sunshine. Gifts of growth rather than jewellery are far more my thing.

Healing and reconciliation are not simple actions but ongoing processes. Endings are not the end but an integral part of development. It's not a sanitised, easy to digest message. It's one that gives genuine hope tho.