Brenna Blain

“When I recognized myself in Mark 2, I saw that Jesus invites everyone to experience Him. To sit down and have a meal with Him. To ask Him hard questions. And to do so before He requires our obedience. The church hasn’t done this well. I haven’t done this well. But Jesus’ example to us is to leave room for everyone. Jesus did not call Levi to the standard of being His follower before Levi got the chance to know Him. Therefore, I am not calling you to the standard of following Christ before you have gotten to know the person of Christ. What I am doing is extending an invitation to you to step into the room Jesus is offering you as you turn the pages of this book. I am saying, come inhabit this space, but not with gritted teeth or your fake, on-guard smile or “right” answers. Come with your mess and your unedited language flowing. Dare to be your full self, like the tax collector who shared a meal with the God-Man. Be willing to say that thing and ask that question. Be okay with causing the religious leaders to question, “What is happening?!”
― Brenna Blain, Can I Say That?: How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God

“All I ever wanted was to be known. Jon came to know me and didn’t demand my perfection. As he allowed me to wrestle with Christianity inside a Christian circle, rather than outside of it, I had room to take one step closer to knowing Christ Himself. Not the version of Jesus the Westboro Baptist Church painted, nor the version the metal-chair Baptist church drew . . . but the Jesus who eats with prostitutes and tax collectors. The Jesus who creates safe spaces because of who He is. The Jesus who invites you, just as you are, to step closer to Him.”
― Brenna Blain, Can I Say That?: How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God