This Is the Faith I Claim
A Better Ground to Stand On
I’ve said what I no longer believe.
I’ve pulled back the curtain on the performance.
I’ve named the idols—of empire, celebrity, nationalism, and fear.
Now I want to show you what remains.
The better ground I stand on.
The faith I still claim—not because it was handed to me,
but because I found it again in the ashes.
This is not the faith of fear.
It is the faith of fire.
Not built on fear of judgment,
but on the joy of justice.
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This is the faith I claim:
God is not a belief system.
God is the source, the spark, the love that holds everything together.
Jesus is not a religion.
He is the way of compassion, courage, disruption, and mercy.
The good news is not a ticket to heaven.
It is liberation—here and now—for the poor, the weary, the outcast, and the wounded.
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Church is not an address.
It’s wherever love gets real.
Wherever justice gets born.
Wherever two or more gather and say,
“We’re in this together.”
The Bible is not divine dictation.
It’s a living library of struggle, poetry, trauma, liberation, and hope.
It’s sacred not because it’s flawless,
but because it tells the truth about us—and about God with us.
Heaven is not eternal Disneyland.
It is justice and joy and jubilee breaking into the here and now.
Not escape, but transformation.
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Community is not a meeting.
It’s belonging.
It’s weeping together, showing up,
And refusing to give up on one another.
Ministry is not a program.
It’s foot-washing.
Wound-binding.
Truth-speaking.
System-breaking.
It’s a life poured out.
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Questioning authority is not ungodly.
It’s the prophetic tradition.
It’s Jeremiah.
It’s Jesus.
It’s every voice that ever cried out in the wilderness.
Woman is not inferior to man.
She is the full image of God—
Preaching.
Leading.
Birthing.
Resisting.
Creating.
Healing.
Being human is not a curse.
It’s a calling.
Flesh and spirit, woven together in divine breath.
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Hell is not real.
At least not the way they told you.
But we do create hell for one another—
And God calls us to end it.
Being gay is not the unpardonable sin.
It is a beautiful way of being.
Love is never a crime in the eyes of a just God.
“Sinner” is not your name.
Beloved is.
And beloved you remain.
Salvation is not eternal fire insurance.
It’s the unbreaking of what’s been broken.
The healing of wounds.
The homecoming of every soul.
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Conformity is not discipleship.
Discipleship means following a path that costs comfort,
Not one that earns applause.
Sexuality is not filthy.
It is sacred.
Tender.
Full of mystery and grace.
Tithing is not giving to God.
God doesn’t need your money.
But the vulnerable need your solidarity.
That’s where giving gets holy.
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Depression is not a lack of faith.
It’s a reality of life.
Faith walks with it.
Doesn’t deny it.
Pastors are not divinely untouchable.
They’re human.
They need accountability too.
Prayer is not a magic wand.
It’s presence.
Honesty.
The long, slow work of becoming real with God.
Theology is not the same as truth.
God is always more.
More than our categories.
Bigger than our boxes.
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Loving the earth is not satanic.
It’s stewardship.
It’s Genesis.
It’s reverence for the sacred soil we came from.
Self-actualization is not self-worship.
It’s honoring the image of God within you.
Becoming who you truly are.
Faith is not the enemy of thought.
Faith welcomes thought.
Wrestles with truth.
Embraces wisdom.
The heart is not wicked.
It is the wellspring of life.
Protect it.
Trust it.
Heal it.
Self-denial is not holiness.
Love is.
Justice is.
Flourishing is.
A holy life is a whole life.
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This is the faith I claim.
Not the faith of fear and fire insurance.
Not the faith of white supremacy and spiritual abuse.
Not the faith of empires built in God’s name.
But the faith of Jesus—
The barefoot rabbi.
The table-turning truth-teller.
The friend of outcasts.
The challenger of kings.
I believe in a faith that lifts the lowly,
Heals the hurting,
And tells the truth—even when it costs everything.
I believe in a faith that breaks chains instead of forging them.
I believe in a church that doesn’t aim to reclaim dominance,
But to reclaim love.
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So if you’ve been burned—you’re not alone.
If you’re hungry for something real—come closer.
If you’ve been told you don’t belong—you do.
There’s room at this table.
And the revolution Jesus started?
It’s still going.
So let’s rise.
Let’s walk together.
Let’s believe again.
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📖 This post is part of the series In Spite of It All
→ Start Here – Series Index
← Previous:
Prelude: I Am a Believer (In Spite of It All)
The Gospel Is Not A Performance
Selective Prayer Is Not Prayer at All
The Idol of Personal Authenticity
Controlling Access to Spiritual Certainty
Jesus Didn’t Come to Start a Religion
What If Jesus Came Back Today?
→ Next: When the Lie Becomes Law (Coming Soon)