Pretzels and Two True Things

 "We tend to see resurrection only in the long run. In the short run, it often just looks like death." Richard Rohr

Yesterday, after a tough appointment, I took myself to Sam's to pick up a few things.

My favorite thing at Sam's is the pretzel and drink. It's less than $2 and makes me happy.

They never have the pretzel. It's a running family joke. I can see it in the case. But you have to order in the app. The app won't let me order because it says they are out. The employee couldn't possibly make more. The excuses are endless.

Yesterday they had the pretzel. The drink machines weren't working but I digress....

I've given up hoping or expecting the pretzel will be there. I've resolved to expect it won't.

This is less frustrating right? I'm not disappointed because I have assumed it won't be there.

I was recently criticized for posting something "political." I've been wrestling with that.

The current climate has muddled the waters. The things happening around us are no longer in neat columns. Social. Political. Spiritual.

It's all a big muddled mess.

The way we treat people. The way we speak about people. The way we treat the "least of these." The way we approach freedom of speech.

Political is no longer what's happening on the Senate floor or in rooms in Washington, DC.

Jesus was not partisan but he was most definitely political.

He had opinions about the way the leaders treated people.

And so should we.

One of my favorite parenting resources is Dr. Becky (if you have young kids, go follow her on some platform). She has this approach called "Two things are true. "

She uses it to validate feelings but also hold boundaries.

"Two things are true. Screen time is over AND you are frustrated that you have to stop playing your game."

We can validate a feeling and hold a boundary.

Two things can be true.

I feel like we've forgotten that as a society.

We feel like we have to stand firmly in a red or blue camp.

But two things can be true.

I can have empathy for the death of a husband, father, friend AND disagree with the way he spoke about groups of people.

I can dislike something someone says AND respect their right to say it as freedom of speech.

Two things can be true.

I don't know how to exist in today's world and never cross the "political line. "

I don't know how not to be soul heavy about the way we talk about people, treat people and the hate that is breeding on both sides of the fence.

Much like my feelings about the Sam's club pretzel, I've realized I've lost hope that we are going to be a "two things are true" society.

That we can be people who say "Two things are true - I respect you as a human being created in the image of God AND I feel differently on this issue." With no name calling. No hate speech.

But yesterday there was a pretzel.

And so today, I'm going to choose to hope that we as a country, a community can find our way back to "two things are true. "

Mama Warriors, two things are true today.

You can disagree with me AND you can stay my friend.

Or you can unfollow me.

In the hope of being part of the solution and not the problem, I'm going to continue to write about kindness, about seeing the good in people, about church trauma, about hope and more.

And I can't promise that is no longer considered political by some.

I'm going to continue to remind you that two things can be true.