Deconstruction

This is a word and idea that gets a lot of airtime in our current cultural moment with a plethora of knee jerk responses from leaders and lay alike. My observation has been that deconstruction is a symptom of bigger experiences and concerns at the Church and not about, as some have suggested, “church hurt,” bad teaching, a desire to sin, or a desire for “street cred.” These reasons and terms are simply pejorative. People who find themselves in a deconstructing space are asking questions about what was taught throughout their Christian life and challenging assumptions that were simply handed to them. They might have encountered hypocrisy and incongruence between Scripture and what they saw or experienced at the hands of the church leadership or the Church body. Trauma happens in the Church. This often becomes extremely disorienting and can feel like the very fabric of the universe is tearing apart. When there is no space within the church to explore these things it makes it even worse and leaves one feeling misunderstood. Deconstruction is a search, and not necessarily a process of abandoning the faith. For many it is about becoming more faithful while allowing room for questions and doubts. It can be about grabbing onto Jesus and leaving behind the elements that they find masquerading as him. It can be a place where someone finds deep beauty. All that said, there are times when it can simply be about, “I don’t even know if Christianity is real.” All of this is worth exploring, allowing for change, and finding healing where healing needs to happen.