Sunday, a fresh start and the beginning of a new week. May we expect God to move some things around that have been stagnant or dormant in our lives. While we wait for His hand to shift circumstances, I believe we’re also being called to shift how we show up for others. We need to do a better job of meeting people where they are, at eye level, and seeing them as human first, not projects or problems. Too often, we lead with judgment, our beliefs, or a desire to fix, instead of listening with compassion. I want to be a better human to those who struggle with their own humanity, those coping through vices, wrestling with anger, or living with more questions than answers. I’ve heard it said, “The church does not handle the prodigal well.” That’s stayed with me. We’re called to heal with our mouths and hands, not use them as weapons to tear others down, especially those within our own community. And yet, we often treat titles with more grace than we offer our own children, our neighbors, or the person sitting quietly in the back. We need to put compassion into practice, not just learn it. We need to ask why we meet curiosity and questions with offense. Maybe it’s because we’re afraid of the questions ourselves.

I’ve wrestled with my own. Why is my prayer request this week’s gossip? Why does church sometimes feel like its own clique, where only certain colors, beliefs, or lifestyles are accepted, and you’re shamed if you step outside the lines? Why are women told to stay in their place, only to be ripped apart by those who stayed? Why are younger women judged by the same women who once carried their same questions? Maybe I’ve always been asking. As a child, I remember wondering why the pastor sat on a throne, with men on either side of him. Sometimes, I still ask God why. I’ve seen how many people are seeking refuge not from the world, but from the beatings they received inside the church. I know people who flinch at the word “church” itself. People who need therapy to unpack what was done to them in the name of God. Church hurt. Why are those two words married? Still, I thank God for those building something new. People who are creating real community and safe spaces for honest faith. My prayer is that we have the courage to tear down religion where it’s caused harm and rebuild relationships where God can truly dwell. We can’t undo all that’s been lost, but we can be part of the healing. I’m not here to dismantle faith, I’m here to ask for deeper compassion. For spaces where questions are welcome, not silenced. Where change is embraced, not feared. Where love is the loudest voice.

‘“So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. ‘

John 13:34 TPT

It is impossible to cast out darkness with more darkness. So let us be a light, be the light that helps someone else see. Show the love someone yearns to experience.