Deconstruction isn’t sexy

by Zach Lambert
Reposted with permission.

People aren’t deconstructing because it’s “sexy” or because they want to sin.

People are deconstructing because many of the folks who first told them about Jesus have stopped living like him.

I’ve talked to hundreds of people about this and never met a single person who chose to start deconstructing, myself included.

Deconstruction is involuntary; it happens when something we’ve been told to believe comes into conflict with something we experience.

For example… We were told Christians value ethics and morals, but then we watched them give full-throated support to Donald Trump.

We were told Christians welcome everyone into God’s family, but then we saw LGTBQ+ folks diligently following Jesus be kicked out of the church. We were told Christians fight against abuse, but then we watched church leaders at the highest level cover up abuse and enable abusers time and time again.

We were told Christians are called to be generous, but then we saw pastor after pastor get caught embezzling money. We were told Christians believe everyone bears the image of God, but then we saw historically marginalized groups being further oppressed in the church.

We were told Christians hate racism, but then we watched them post “all lives matter” after George Floyd’s murder. We were told Christians abhor violence, but then we read polls showing they support war and torture at higher rates than any other group.

We were told Christians strive for peace, but then we watched an insurrection led by people carrying signs bearing the name of Jesus. We were told Christians care for the vulnerable, but then we watched a church discipline a woman for trying to leave her pedophile husband.

Ironically, this happened at The Village Church under Matt Chandler’s leadership. He now decries deconstruction.

Man confesses to child porn; church disciplines his wife

After all that and much more, we are left with either blind loyalty to a broken system or deconstruction.

Thank God so many folks have stopped pretending nothing is wrong!  Thank God they refuse to enable these abuses and power-grabs any longer! 

My prayer moving forward is twofold:

1. I pray that more and more folks will break free from toxic religion by doing the hard work of deconstructing and reconstructing their faith.

2. I pray that pastors will stop shaming deconstructers and start listening to them instead. 

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Originally posted Twitter. Reposted with permission.

Zach W. Lambert @ZachWLambert Native Austinite. Former mediocre athlete. Pastor @RestoreATX. Pursuing justice, equity, and the way of Jesus.