One of my pet peeves is when a movie or show of some kind resolves in a "too convenient" way. The story can be great up to that point, but the ending ruins it because it's either not believable, not genuine to real life, or simply feels forced into some kind of happy resolution. You know what I'm talking about?
This is why authenticity is such a crucial aspect to any story worth its salt. Authenticity, simply put, is telling the truth. And the truth is: life is messy; being human is complicated; and our world is complex.
If we apply the principle of authenticity to the story God is telling through our lives, that means that we need to expand our communal vocabulary to something beyond "fine," "good," and "how 'bout that weather?" None of us has everything all together! Being honest about the painful and broken parts of our lives lends credence to the power of God's presence in us.
The work of Jesus to heal, save, and redeem us is an ongoing process. Along the way, we will certainly stumble, fall, get lost, get up, and find our way again. But there will be struggle and conflict; inciting incidents that move the plot forward; and challenges that we didn't foresee. The grace of authenticity is that all of that belongs in our story. None of it is out of place! And we are not the only ones going through the same kinds of trials.
So as we seek to be a community of truth-tellers, of people who live honestly before God and one another, let us encourage one another by the ways we live authentically together. In the most discerning and safe ways possible, let us practice bearing witness to the dark places of our lives, so that God's light might shine through us all the brighter.
The truth is, people don't want to be part of a "perfect" church (if that's even a thing). People want an honest church. People want a church that is real, not fake and "fine" all the time. May we have the courage to live authentically, so that we can place ourselves in love's redemptive path.
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