What Is Deconstruction?Deconstruction is the method of taking what you’ve learned, pulling it apart, asking yourself and God what’s real, then reconstructing a new structure from which to conduct your relationships.

It’s the process of figuring out who you are, where you stand, what’s important to you, why it’s important, and owning that truth without offering apologies.

Richard Rohr says this about deconstruction: “In general, deconstructionist attitudes are only helpful for initial clarity and focus. Of themselves, they provide no positive or creative foundation upon which to build for the long term,” and “Truth is never actualized until it becomes my truth—suffered, owned, and internalized.”

Deconstruction and the Evangelical ChurchWhen you grow up in the Evangelical Christian church, you’re not told or shown what faith is, but rather what it isn’t. It isn’t being sexually impure, it isn’t being a Democrat or Liberal, it isn’t dancing…I’m sure each of us has an example to pull from.

Deconstruction is all about asking questions. Is Jesus real? Is the Bible true? Do I feel the Bible is true for me, or is that just what I was told? Can I do my research? Does God care about my pain? Does God still love me if I’m gay? Will God still heal me if I'm not a virgin anymore? 

Some of the questions I always wanted to ask was: “If Jesus is the Man we follow, and we’re supposed to act like Him, treat others the way He would, why do we make His love look a specific way? Especially when that specific way does a better job alienating people than it does beckoning them in?”Using Deconstruction to Heal TraumaWith age came life experience. Suddenly the faith we built up, and the dependence on the church as our representative, our guard, is shattered because on top of an already painful situation, we’re made to believe that our circumstances were earned.

In the name of upholding the perfect image of Jesus, the church has made it clear that deconstruction is something to fear rather than something to embrace.

Reconstruction and Compassion As I sat down to record this episode, I wanted to make something clear. Deconstruction is valuable, but reconstruction is what we’re chasing.

Every single person is on some part of the structure, deconstruction, reconstruction journey. Richard Rohr calls these stages Order, Disorder, and Reorder. But the key component in all of this is compassion.

To deconstruct is a fearful endeavor. To take your faith, your religion, your childhood—things you hold in your heart as sacred and largely untouchable—and start figuring out if it’s true is scary.

We must have compassion for ourselves and others, regardless of the mile marker at which they find themselves.

Of the reconstruction leg of the journey, Richard Rohr says this: “Remember, the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better,” and “We go through the deconstructive stage without the reconstructive gift of vision and hope.”

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There are parts of my story I’m not proud of. These parts held me back and kept me from stepping into my purpose and living a healed and wholehearted life. But as soon as I embarked on the journey toward owning my story and took my first step, I knew it would be worth it regardless of level of difficulty. Do you want this too? Let me lead you on this journey of OWNING YOUR STORY! Download your FREE 5 Steps to Own Your Story TODAY!

~~~~~Helpful Links:“The Wisdom Pattern” by Richard Rohr

“A Contemplative Look at the Bible” podcast episode by The Bible for Normal People

*Note of empowerment: If you enjoyed this episode, a full-length blog article extending this topic (and many more) will be coming next week, and every Tuesday.