Kathryn Lynn Cieniewicz
Love Is The Long Game
Salvation, justice, equality, the bible, and the unconditional transformative always good Love of God, in this insightful interview, Kathryn talks about her spiritual deconstruction and the journey of rethinking God. She brilliantly addresses the sin of certainty, her newfound feminism, and a Love that casts out all fear.
QUOTES
“The bible absolutely (can be) an idol, but even more than that (its) the idol of certainty.”
“If God is love, I couldn’t see him doing what I read Him doing in the Old Testament.”
“Does Love even need covenants?”
“Self-deprecation is not humility…You are here for the betterment of yourself and humanity, embrace it!”
“Shame is never attached to love, love is not attached to conditions, justice is restorative, not retributive. I knew this in my spirit but now I could go to God with it.”
“Love was speaking to me…Lies were replaced with truth.”
On God as perfect love.
“OK, you (God) are way bigger than the constructs I have been taught about you. I can have confidence that you’re good, you’re loving, I’m good, everyone is good, we’re OK, we’re gonna be alright.”
On feminism.
“It’s about finding a common ground and equality and walking arm in arm. Exerting control over another is not power. True power is about walking in the truth of who we are, and the truth of who others are. And that counts for gender too; who we really are as women who we really are as men. And if we are secure in that, there is no need or feeling of having to have control over that other person or gender.”
For more on Kathryn Lynn, Cieniewicz
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Podcast intro and outro music by Wilde Assembly
Thanks you so much for this interview, Kathyrn, Jason and Derek! I have loved getting to know you through facebook over the past few months, Kathryn! I have really enjoyed your thoughtful, deep and probing questions.
One thing that really stood out to me during this podcast was the part about covenants. I just love how God begins to birth an idea in me (and in discussions with my taco girls) and then confirms it through others. That was really insightful.
On the topic of certainty, I thought it was interesting to think back on my own journey and be reminded again that while I let go of certainty about doctrine and theology, what I gained was absolute certainty of God’s goodness and love for me. That was a trade-off that I would make a million times over. Back when I thought I had all the answers, I did not have security in his love for me, because the God of the Bible was unpredictable and willing to hurt his children to glorify himself. Let’s just say, I’d rather never know another thing about theology ever again if it means I have the deep inner knowing of his good love. Thanks for the beautiful reminder and all of the great points of discussion you had in this episode!
YES! The certainty of the love and goodness of God is the foundation of everything. And a safe place upon which to build solid doctrine.
I’m with you, the deep inner knowing of His good love is the non-negotiable from which I approach scripture and every other form of instruction and information about God and humanity.
And yes, it was amazing connecting with Kathryn this way – she is incredible!