Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out ahead of time.
Rachel Held EvansRead
My friend Adele describes fundamentalism as holding so tightly to your beliefs that your fingernails leave imprints on the palm of your hand... I think she's right. I was a fundamentalist not because of the beliefs I held but because of how I held them: with a death grip. It would take God himself to finally pry them out of my hands. (p.17-18)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle between rigid beliefs and the flexibility of faith.
In this quote, Rachel Held Evans discusses how fundamentalism can manifest as an intense grip on beliefs, suggesting that when individuals adhere to their convictions too tightly, it hinders personal growth and understanding. She emphasizes that it's not merely the beliefs themselves that are problematic, but rather the attitude of holding them so fiercely that it becomes painful and restrictive, indicating that true faith may require letting go of such grips.
Themes
FundamentalismBeliefsFaithGrowthRigidity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith and belief systems, this quote can illustrate the dangers of rigidity.
More from Rachel Held Evans
All quotes →While the word charity connotes a single act of giving, justice speaks to right living, of aligning oneself with the world in a way that sustains rather than exploits the rest of creation. Justice is not a gift; it’s a lifestyle, a commitment to the Jewish concept of tikkun olam—‘repairing the world.’
Rachel Held EvansRead
Evangelicalism is like my religious mother tongue. I revert to it whenever I’m angry or excited or surrounded by other people who understand what I’m saying. And it’s the language in which I most often hear God’s voice on the rare occasion that it rises above the noise.
Rachel Held EvansRead
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