Kathy Escobar Quotes

Heroic acts aren't just about running into a burning building to save someone. It's also rising up and saying, "No, I will not let my brothers and sisters be treated this way or the community that I live in harm the vulnerable.

New life, hope, and change aren't going to magically drop on our doorstep because we wish for it, long for it, pray for it, share memes on Facebook about it.

Our invitation to community, which we read at the beginning of our gatherings, includes this important line: "At The Refuge, everyone gives, everyone receives.

I believe in every part of my soul that one of the most world-changing practices of love is to help create corrective experiences for people - to have them experience, in the flesh, something different than the damage they received in their family, life, or church.

In its essence, the transitional stage of Shifting is when we wonder if maybe there is much more to the spiritual life than we've ever been taught, if the wild ways of Jesus are even really possible, or if we could possibly find life outside of going to church. We start dreaming of a place or way we could use our creativity and gifts without being controlled by the church or someone else's leadership. We long to engage in more meaningful relationships instead of superficial ones. We want to spend time hanging out with our neighbors instead of only church people (and without any kind of evangelism agenda). While desires look different for each of us, Shifting is about no longer feeling comfortable in our spiritual skin.

Without healthy avenues to process loss, people fragment their experiences, neglect their real stories, numb out, and try to cope on their own, which often results in anger, depression, and anxiety.

I think if Jesus was here teaching in the flesh again, he'd be turning over tables, clearing out churches, and raising some serious ruckus over how we are not only missing the point but are continuing to damage far too many people in the name of God.