Like a lot of you, I feel a heaviness from all the news and noise. The news is bad and the noise is loud and it can make me think it’s easier to tune out entirely. But I don’t think tuning out is the answer.
This edition of Just For You is an invitation, not to agree with everything we read or everyone we hear, but to listen and learn. To let ourselves be a little more curious than comfortable. Because being informed isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about being the kind of citizens, neighbors, and human beings who want to better understand one another.
I’ve gathered a handful of resources and I believe these are voices and tools that can help us make sense of things, engage thoughtfully, and even hear from people who see it all a little differently than we do. Some of these may stretch us. I hope so.
No Longer Fringe
I just finished reading Tia Levings’ memoir and the only thing I can say about it right now is that I’m relieved she got away. She married at nineteen believing she was fulfilling her Baptist church’s highest calling, but as her husband embraced unhealthy Christian patriarchy teachings, she found herself governed by increasingly controlling rules, all framed as obedience to Christ. Her memoir, A Well-Trained Wife, recounts her years in an abusive fundamentalist marriage and her eventual escape. She makes the point that these teachings have been normalized across a wide range of evangelical circles.
As a homeschooler for ten years, I was around some of the teachings and interacted with moms who read the authors and leaders Levings mentioned in her book. It’s hard to imagine that some of my friends might have experienced this kind of abuse.
Thank You, Ladies
Melissa Dalton Bradford is a necessary voice for our time. She is a teacher of democracy in the truest sense, and believes an informed citizenry is not a political statement but a civic responsibility. She brings clarity and conviction to conversations about what it actually means to participate in the democratic process. Her work has been one of my more recent discoveries, and I’m glad I found her. She’s in the middle of writing a book titled How to Save Democracy: The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook. You can pre-order her book now most anywhere books are sold. Her videos on Instagram are short and insightful. Find her here.
I’ve been reading Diane Langberg for years, and she is one of those voices that has quietly shaped me. She’s a psychologist and theologian whose work on trauma, power, and the church is some of the most important writing I’ve encountered. She writes and speaks about people, about systems, about the ways power can corrupt and harm. In a time when I’ve been trying to understand the rise of Christian Nationalism, her work has been both clarifying and convicting.
Amy Hawk is an author and Bible teacher whose voice I’ve come to appreciate for its thoughtfulness and grounding. She brings her faith to bear on the world around her in ways that feel honest and bold. If you’re someone whose faith shapes how you engage with culture and current events, she’s worth your time. She posts frequently on Facebook here.
Take 5
Learning is one thing. Doing is another. If you’re ready to take what you’re learning and turn it into action, 5Calls is where I’d send you. It helps you contact your state representatives, register to vote, and find concrete ways to make your voice heard. It’s simple, it’s practical, and it matters. I’m making my voice heard over and over by using 5Calls. Find 5Calls here.
When the headlines feel too heavy and the divide feels impossibly wide, take a break. Then choose one of the resources above and learn something new. Hear from a different voice. Sit with what you read, hear, and learn. If something challenges you – great! That’s a sign of growth.
Photo by Alexander Zvir on Pexels
