My deconstructing blog post from earlier this week brought some interesting responses. Some in the “Deconstruction crowd” concluded that I was (pick your favorite):

Ignorant

Arrogant

Pompous

Naive

Four Letter word

Another four letter word.

Still another four letter word.

And many other responses that would make my mama blush.

They may be correct on all of the above, but I am not so obtuse that I am unable to discern that they didn’t like the blog.

I get it. I haven’t walked in their shoes. They are right about that. I haven’t had their experiences. I don’t know their struggles. All true. 

But I do have friends who have walked away from faith. “Deconstruction” is a new term, but I know folks who thirty years ago (and many since then) walked the same path. People I love and have (contrary to the deconstructed crowd’s opinions of me), talked hours and hours concerning their journey. When you pastor for thirty years, you talk to people a lot at all different places in their spiritual journey, believe it or not. 

I get it. The deconstructed crowd have walked their path and concluded something in the form of “Jesus is not for me.” While in my journey, I have concluded, “Jesus is everything to me.” Everything. The Deconstructed crowd and I don’t agree. But please know, that doesn’t mean that I don’t care for you or want to be a friend. I’m sorry if you concluded otherwise.

My friends walking through this deconstruction path, I don’t mean to minimize your experiences or discount your hurts. If that post did so, again I am sorry. Admittedly and without apology my prayer for you is Paul’s prayer for the Romans: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

I want you filled with joy, peace and hope. For me, that has come from Jesus. He is my source. This is not condescending or flippant. My prayer for you is for you to truly can come to a place to trust in Him. 

That is all.