My wife, Stephanie, has just published a post titled My Husband is an Asshole. I don’t think I deserve what she says about me in this post. It is all much too kind. I love her very much and am very thankful for the fact that she understands me. I think that she gives me a little more credit than I deserve, but, hey, I’ll take it!

Our experiences with fellow Christians over the last few years have exposed in a real life (and might I add, very painful) way, a lot of the problems that I had been working through in a more theological mindset prior to that. I would hate to think that my anger and frustration are solely fueled by our personal experiences, but that, on the other hand, those experiences gave evidence to the things that I had already been thinking. The structures and false authority that other believers claimed over my wife left her feeling guilty and burdened by their words in a time when she needed strength and encouragement. It was disappointing, but fortunately we had each other. If we didn’t, it could have been very easy to walk away from our faith during that time. This is what ultimately got me thinking: how many people have gone through this and have walked away from Christ because of the false witnesses that claim his name? You wanna know why I’m so angry and bullheaded about this? It is because not everyone is as fortunate as Stephanie and me, and they are left empty and alone when they throw God out with the wretched mess that falsely calls itself his church. I hurt for those people, I hurt for my wife, and I hurt because I cannot imagine how infuriating it is to God to see people misuse and defame his name and cause people to walk away from him without ever truly knowing him.

I don’t think I have everything figured out. I don’t think I know everything. I don’t think I know much at all. I don’t think any of us do. So how about we stop acting like the experts, and stop hurting people with false and destructive teaching and false and destructive authority. Give the throne back to Christ. Let us all go to him for answers, and walk beside each other in that journey.

Thank you Stephanie, for loving me and understanding me, even when I can be a major asshole!