The Naked Journal
Thoughts, musings, and meanings behind NakedPastor Art.
The Naked Journal
Embracing Self-Love after Religious Trauma
Let’s talk about self-love.I was taught that it was bad. It was drilled into me that the only one I was to love was God. Then others as myself.Wait! What? As myself? I was young when I saw the discrepancy and guessed a solution: There’s a connection on how well I love others to how well I love myself. Cartoon description: A woman says, “I’m ready for love. Where do I start?” Jesus says, “Yourself.” Immersed in a religious culture that condemned self-love, I secretly started loving myself. I fell in love with Lisa.Then our kids. What does self-love look like? It’s more than feeling good about yourself. Love is actionable. Here’s what my love for my kids looks like: I want to be with them.I’m comfortable with them.I think the best of them. I believe they can do what they put their minds to.I know they’re winners who can fail rather than losers who can’t succeed.I trust they have good hearts and will make the world better.I listen to them when they struggle and give them space to grow.I think positively of them and speak to them in encouraging and motivational ways.I nurture a caring culture where they are free to become their best selves and succeed. Now, apply all the above to yourself! Are you comfortable being with yourself?Do you think the best of yourself?Do you think you can do anything you put your mind to?Do you consider yourself a winner?Do you trust you have a good heart?Do you give yourself space to struggle?Do you think positively of yourself?Do you nurture a caring culture for yourself? This is how you can love yourself.
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Challenging Assumptions About Single Women
As promised, we’re talking about all kinds of love leading up to Valentine’s Day. Including the love of being single. Or at least the appreciation of it. And self-love. In this cartoon, a woman sits in a church surrounded by people wondering: Why is she alone? She doesn’t look half bad. Must be her personality. She needs to meet our Joey. She must be gay. Maybe. She’s probably too picky. Must be a widow. Sad. Poor thing not to love or be loved. Maybe if she lost a few pounds. A bitch, likely. I wonder what’s wrong with her. Poor thing. How does she manage? Well she IS wearing a pantsuit and we all know what that means. I know and have known many single women. (Even this is a funny thing to say!) Sure, some of them wish they were in a relationship. But most of them were happy with themselves. Loved themselves. And none of them would ever settle. They’re strong, independent, compassionate, and inspiring people.Who don’t need a partner. Even though many would be happy with one. A good one. This goes for men too. But in my experience women are the primary targets of this kind of thinking. Any women here agree? I intend to keep drawing cartoons that call out misogyny and sexism prevalent in our society and the church. Power to all women! Long may you rise and shine… in religious circles and beyond!
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Things I Would Say to People Who Are Deconstructing Their Beliefs
It’s often traumatic to deconstruct your beliefs. Here’s some comfort. Don’t worry about the past, the future, or the present. You may have regret or shame for how you believed and behaved in the religious culture you were deeply enmeshed in. Accept your roots and integrate the earlier chapters of your life into your present self. This is not to say you must believe or excuse your earlier beliefs. You just learn to write the past into your story. You wouldn’t be who you are now unless you were who you were then. Like an alchemist, transmute the dross of your past life into the gold of your present one. Don’t worry about the future. There’s no condemnation, judgment or punishment for questioning, changing, or losing your beliefs. Just like I would never reject my children for believing differently than I, neither do we live in a vengeful universe that retaliates for a different wisdom sought with integrity. Relax. Be at peace. Do not fear. It is well. Don’t worry about the present. You’re now liberated from a life of constant monitoring and measuring. You’re free to be here now. Space and time are concepts; we live in an infinite chain of “now”s. All you have is now. This is the fulness of time, the infinite and the eternal, and you can be in it just as you are, authentically, honestly, vulnerably, and joyfully, right now. You are not alone.You are not crazy.You are not backsliding.You are growing.As you should.Enjoy it.And love yourself for it.I do.
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Angels, Shepherds, and Taylor Swift
Angels sang to the shepherds tending their flock. A shepherd says, "That was great but can you do anything by Taylor Swift?" ANGELS, SHEPHERDS, AND TAYLOR SWIFT I love music. As soon as I get up in the morning I turn it on. And it's the last thing I turn off when I go to bed. I listen to all kinds of music. All kinds. All day. I love music.
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God, Privilege, and the Uncomfortable Truths We Avoid
A little while ago I drew a cartoon and wrote a post on “Privileged or Disenfranchised”, and I was surprised by the kickback I got on it. You see, I assume that what is true is accepted by everyone everywhere. For example, when I claim the God of the gospel is a God of justice and is preferential towards the poor, cares for the downtrodden, and defends the weak and disenfranchised, who brings down the mighty and lifts up the lowly, I don’t expect an argument. But I’m always wrong. Cartoon description: Mary and Joseph are in the stable. Joseph delivers a very white baby Jesus and looks angrily at Mary who looks back at him with dismay. I’ve come to discover, much to my dismay and disappointment, that many people don’t want a God whose eye is on the sparrow. They want a God whose eye is on all sparrows. Why? Because it excuses them from personal responsibility and the burden of particularity. It’s easier to love all people than to be responsible for and love that certain particular person. That certain disenfranchised person. I always suggest reverse engineering a theology to see where its roots lead. If we portray Jesus as always white (I sometimes do but not always), then are we suggesting his father is white? In other words, is God white? Sure, your God is invisible. Your God's not literally white. But does your God exemplify all that it means to be white? Does your God favor and center the white race? Does your God empower the white race to be the caretakers and leaders, the principalities and powers of this world? And does your God just feel pity for all other races and peoples or maybe even treat them as accursed or less advanced because of their religion, their heritage, their history, their color, their geography, their whatever? This is a huge problem. If you can’t see that there are the privileged and then those who suffer beneath them, then your ignorance is as ridiculous as this cartoon. And you have no idea what the social and political ramifications of Jesus are.If you enjoyed this blog post check out my Images Of Christ drawing collection which captures the idea that there are many interpretations and reconciliations of Christ.
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Holy Saturday: Jonah, the Elder Brother, and Resentment
HOLY SATURDAY: JONAH, THE ELDER BROTHER, AND RESENTMENT Today is Holy Saturday. It reminds me of the sign of Jonah. This got me thinking about resentment. Why was Jonah swallowed by the great fish?Because he resented that Nineveh would experience God’s love. Why was the elder brother disturbed when the prodigal son came home?Because he resented that his brother would experience the father’s love. Jonah felt Nineveh didn’t deserve it. The older brother felt the prodigal son didn’t deserve it either. The wicked Ninevites, like the sinful brother, should not enjoy the same privilege Jonah and the elder brother do. It’s not fair! It wasn't just the love, but what it looked like: No punishment. No payment. No promise of permanent change. Instead, parties and celebration! They both resented that they received love anyway.They both resented that they were welcomed anyway.They both think love is a deserved privilege and not a gift. But love is always a gift!It has nothing to do with whether or not it is deserved. I want to go deeper. Resentment may first present itself as a refusal to allow the other to experience love. The fact that Jonah and the elder brother resented the other being loved motivated them to prevent the other from experiencing it. Jonah ran away and sulked.The elder brother sulked and refused to join the party. Resentment. If you resent certain people being welcomed, you will try to prevent them from being welcomed. Resentment is a bitter root beneath the rejection of others.
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Was Jesus a Straight White Evangelical Male?
Was Jesus a straight white evangelical male? The way Christianity has gone in the West you would think so.
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Keep Christ in Christmas
Those who scream the loudest to keep Christ in Christmas also seem to scream the loudest that they don't mean exactly that.
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