What’s next? Reimagine
I often meet with people who have left their churches or religions. Many have grown weary of these places’ climate and disillusioned by the belief systems. Whether they made a big exit or slowly stepped away, they now find themselves no longer intertwined with the religious communities that once served as their refuge.
I am typically the first pastor they have talked to in this “post-evangelical and beyond” churchland. In many of these conversations, folks mourn the certainty they used to have in their faith, share some of the questions they’ve wrestled with, and then ask the question. It’s a question I hear regularly. One I used to ask desperately. “Where do I go from here?”
In that question, I feel their aches of the unknown, the instability and loneliness of uncertainty, as well as the little twinkle of hope that there is more to discover.
In one of these Zoom calls recently, the person looked at me earnestly and then asked a follow-up question: “What did you do when you experienced this? What got you through it?” I shared my story, which included moving across the country, discovering faith communities that embraced me and pushed me to embody a more inclusive liberation-focused faith, learning to manage anxiety, and finding respite in new and diverse theological resources. There were various relational, psychological, and educational components that grounded me, held me, and spurred me forward into a new type of faith. All of these various components taught me that while many of the things that used to feel certain and secure were falling down, I needed to reimagine what was next.
So, we ask: “Where do I go from here?”
We need to reimagine.
I first learned about reimagining as a faith modality from womanist theologians. Many black women found reimagination to be a powerful way to resist oppression and create a new pathway forward—one that their immediate world wasn’t providing. I have been so tremendously inspired by this way of doing faith, and I see how transformational it can be for many of us. We need to use our imaginations. The world we have seen and experienced isn’t good enough. The way forward is not one of the paths we are familiar with. So we choose to imagine and create the world we want. The world we—and all those in the margins—need.
We need to (and get to) reimagine so much: who we are, who or what God is, what healthy spirituality is, how to engage the Bible, how to be in community. We do this work of reimagination in communities, communities that embrace creativity. In this type of environment, we are invited into the child-like adventure of spiritual life.
So what are the results when we reimagine these important ways of engaging faith and community? Each community, and each person in that community, will dream up new paths, answers, questions, practices, and ideas! But to give you a picture of what this work can look like, here are some reimaginations I’ve explored in the last few years:
I used to think connecting with God meant reading my Bible and praying, but now I am learning and discovering spiritual formation happens in all types of ways: going on a walk, mindful breathing, exploring nature, eating meals in community, doing art, etc.
I used to view God as a Being who ruled over the universe with a definite plan for each person and situation, but I have reimagined God as a force of mystery, life, love, and creativity who exists in, among, and within all of us.
I used to feel like I needed to give my all to the church communities I was a part of, but I have reimagined and experienced the healing and flourishing that happens when we cultivate pressure-free faith communities.
