If you give a girl a book....

 I have long been a BIG FAN of books. Since I learned to read, it's always been my chosen form of entertainment. Books are great for all kinds of things; learning, entertainment, ruining a movie, swatting flies, ignoring people. Books are one of the most versatile items. Books are even dangerous. 

Did you know that in any country that isn't considered democratic, one of the first things they do is limit publications? They make books against the law to read. Refusing to allow any form of a book to come into the country. Some books are considered so dangerous that it is punishable by death to bring them into the country, let alone for a citizen of that country to own a copy. I'm not talking about in the past, either. I mean right now, as you read this there are people reading illegal books with fear and trepidation. Or even being punished for having the book. Limiting non-government approve communication, media and literature is one of the easiest ways for a country or organization to control their narrative. 

This happens even in America. Our great land of freedom and opportunity is just as careful within it's organizations to control the narrative. Growing up in a conservative church, my exposure to the world was somewhat controlled. There were shows and music I wasn't allowed to listen to. There were also certain books I shouldn't (but did) read. Movies to not support, etc. etc. I did get exposure at public school and through friends. I knew by the age of ten that there were things to which good Christian girls did and did not expose themselves. Political parties that were allowed and others that were frowned upon. People that had there things together because of the blessing of the Lord and others that did not because they were choosing poorly. Mine was a privileged middle-class upbringing with some solid boundary lines. 

Fast forward from 2002, when I graduated from a college that affirmed a lot of my beliefs, to 2008 when I started on social media. I began to see messages from women that were really different from the narrative I had heard growing up. I was part of a church that let women lead. Encouraged people of color (POC) to share their stories. I heard words like social justice, marginalized, systemic poverty and gender equality for the first time without a sneer behind the words. I began reading blog articles that were written by people that voted for the Democratic party. I considered, for the first time, whether or not I was privileged? 

The year 2008 was the year that I began to see that world did not fit into structures of carefully built boundaries. I joined a book club offered by the blogger, speaker and author Sarah Bessey. I began to read things written by indigenous people, African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic authors. I read books by people from the LGBTQ community. It all felt radical and slightly sneaky to be learning about subjects that had been taboo or unknown for so long. 

Oh how the reading has and continues to challenge me. It has forced me to really look at my life. To take off my rose-tinted glasses from the status-quo and replace them with glasses of focus and clarity. I have had to apologize to people I have made assumptions about. I have had awkward and uncomfortable conversations with people. Owning my own part in issues like racism, homophobia, bigotry, purity culture and victim-shaming. All while walking the line of obeying God's word and the Holy Spirit's direction and ignoring the cultural stance I so firmly built my first thirty years upon. 

If I can do this, you can to. If you are starting to hear sermons at church that feel a little icky, do some
research. If you have co-workers that make jokes leaving you uncomfortable, say something about it. Call them out. If you are curious about terms and initials like POC, AAPI, LGBTQ or Indigenous it only takes a Google search to find out their meaning. When you get to the point that your questions outweigh your ability to keep the boat still, read a book and find some answers.