File #2

“What do you think about [INSERT ANY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC] - is it a sin? What should we do about it?” - sincerely, 60 percent of subscribers.

Would never have believed you guys would just dive right into the deep end like you have! Thank you! I’m going to amalgamate all of these separate questions that share this same spirit into one batch because I think my response is the same.

There is only one subset of sins or potential sins I concern myself with - the ones Jesus has let me know I’m committing or am tempted to commit. Everything else is a game of distraction where I avoid dealing with my own crap by pointing fingers at other easy targets.

These type of questions (well meaning and genuine as they are) come with an assumption : the assumption that one of our jobs as Christians is to collect stances on hot button topics. That we always have to have a position on everything. But what if sin management and categorisation isn’t what Christians are really here to do?

I see my job very differently.

Billy Graham said it like this:

“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.”

I’m not called to point out specks in other people’s eyes. Every time I position myself as an expert in someone else’s sin, I’m way out of my depth. I happen to personally know the Expert in these things. But I’m not him : I’m a clueless amateur.

At least half the time I JUST DON’T KNOW…and when did that stop being an acceptable thing to admit? Isn’t that what “walking humbly” looks like?

All I’m here to do is simply love the people around me and introduce them to the one who actually is qualified to convict people of their sins.

I’m just a here as a signpost to Jesus and the words of scripture - the things that have transformed my life, in the assumption that they will probably transform yours too. But I’m going to give you the dignity of letting you have your own journey of discovery rather than just giving the summary of mine.

Of course, I have my opinions. It’s not like I believe anything goes and all ideas are equal. That’s nonsense. That’s a version of being a believer that doesn’t allow me to have any beliefs. And we’re all entitled to those, right? I just have some pretty specific ideas about where and how I’ll share about these sensitive matters.

I have a wonderful friend called Chris who loves to talk about the complex spiritual matters and he’s an open book…as long as you agree to meet with him for a prescribed number of dinner dates (I think it’s 4). There’s wisdom in this.

You probably wouldn’t wouldn’t break up with someone over instagram.

It’s not an appropriate venue for hosting such an intimate conversation.

So when it comes to matters of the soul, it’s probably even less appropriate, right?

It’s all about context.

Some people cling very tightly to the idea that love requires us to speak the truth. They’re right. But the loving version of truth-telling only lives inside the context of an intimate relationship. And very likely exists exclusively in response to actually being asked what you think. In other words, no relationship: no right to comment.

Also not to get all “Pontius Pilate” on us, but “truth” is complicated. It’s not that I don’t think it exists - I do - it’s just that most of the time what we call truth is more honestly our opinion. And when we start believe in the infallibility of our own opinions, we become very difficult to talk to.

I feel like I’ve started writing a book rather than an email so I’ll wrap this up for the time being.

In a departure from the slightly non-committal tone of this email, I will leave you with something I believe to be unflinchingly true.

Paul said “ Nothing can separate us from the love of God.”

Im not the authority on whether or not x, y or z is a sin. Sorry. Above my pay grade.

But I am convinced that whatever it is, it can’t separate you from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ.

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New Music video!

Loved getting the opportunity to strip back this song and play it just like I heard it the first time it was written. LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE WHILE YOU’RE THERE!

Mother’s House Acoustic Live video

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Things I’m into:

New Hozier record. Sweet lord.

Strange Planet on Apple TV. I followed the creator, Nathan, for a long time on Instagram. These cute, quirky aliens gave me and Gabby a lot of belly laughs in 2020. The show is just as good.

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A small request…

You’re already part of my inner circle - this newsletter is filled with the people who are championing me and are the lifeblood of this whole “Honest” project - and I’m SO grateful.

If you want to be EVEN MORE helpful, would you consider doing the following EASY, 100 percent free things?

FOLLOW ME ON SPOTIFY

FOLLOW ME AND PRE-ADD THE ALBUM, “HONEST”, ON APPLE MUSIC:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/honest/1694391403

LISTEN TO IT ON REPEAT ALL NIGHT WHILE YOU SLEEP.

(That last one’s a joke…unless you want to!)