In December, we had the gift of welcoming our friend Peter Rollins back to Central Avenue Church in Pasadena. For those who have been part of our community for a while, Peter’s presence felt familiar, like a conversation picking back up rather than a one-off event. For others, it may have felt disorienting, challenging, or even unsettling. And honestly, that’s part of the grace.

Research shows conservatives and liberals exhibit different patterns of brain activity, evidence that our political leanings have real biological roots. Since we can’t rewire each other’s brains, let’s instead choose compassion over contempt and curiosity over combativeness as we head to our next family gathering (even when we can’t agree at all).

If you’ve ever wrestled with faith, if you’ve questioned what you’ve been told, if you’ve doubted the stories you grew up with, then congratulations. You’re in good company. Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it’s the doorway to a deeper kind of spirituality.

Deconstruction is a lot like chemo-therapy . . .