Episode 05: Not A Safe Space

In a Part 1&2 combo, Christa and Sarah discuss Christa’s ‘deconstruction’ blogpost that she wrote and posted during the pandemic. They discuss the problem of institutions v. individuals, and how difficult it can be to address systemic issues when there is a gap between good intentions and actual result. Problematic is the lack of recognition and space to discuss that scripture is contradictory and therefore individual interpretation and out-workings of faith vary widely. Church inadvertently creates an insulated “safe space” for itself by not addressing conflicts, contradictions, or discomfort; yet what would actually be safe for processing life would feel unsafe: a place that allows room for processing these discomforts, contradictions, and conflicts without the intent to control, correct, and dominate.

Additionally, they address how the continuous messaging of “God is always present/God is always clear” drives believers into secrecy about the struggles they’re having when God isn’t present and isn’t clear, and how they often feel blamed for God’s absence. Because of many pat answers and sayings and this aversion to “division”, deep issues remain undiscussed and therefore unacknowledged and the grief of losing community because of this gap is potent. Christa proposes that what is needed is kind, humble, “unsafe” spaces that allow for pointy edges, friction, and sharp ideas.

Christa’s Blog for reference and further reading: The Despicable Church