Unexpected Encouragement

It has seemed to just get harder and harder to be who I am in my particular context. As controversies arise around me, it gets harder to translate myself in a way that some people can understand and accept. Indeed, I've been walking a fine line between translating myself and masking myself. I sometimes feel like it's just a matter of time before I'm asked a question to which my answer would alienate me from the folks in my church, in my network, and in my community.

I've been feeling it more lately than ever, but today I received unexpected encouragement. About a year ago, or so, I wrote a letter to Shane Claiborne (if you've been living under a rock and you don't know who Shane is, he's the author of a few books including Irresistible Revolution). Well, today I got a letter from him. Hand-written in the margins of a more generic typed letter, which is great on its own, are some words to which I'm sure I'll return again and again. Among them were these words:

"...keep living in the triumph of grace. Indeed mercy triumphs over judgement. Be free. Live with joy and winsomeness like the lilies and sparrows, my friend."

As I said, I received unexpected encouragement.

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