I come from a VERY big family! My dad was the last of eleven children and although my parents only had two children, my sister and me, my other aunts and uncles had A LOT of children. By the time I was a teenager, I had 50 first cousins. That number has increased over the years and today I am becoming acquainted with some of my more outspoken second cousins. One of those second cousins is Kristine Andrews. She has a podcast that takes on controversial topics and she interviewed me recently. I thought you might enjoy eavesdropping on our conversation.
Here’s a little background before you tune in:
Our family of origin was and is steeped in religion. Christian religion to be specific. Whether that has taken the form of Pentecostal churches such as the Assembly of God or Christian cults like the World Wide Church of God, we had the Bible preached to us on an almost daily basis. Even today, some of my uncles and cousins quote Bible verses and share religious videos to my Facebook feed.
How do I feel about that?
Well, I read the Bible from cover to cover when I was twelve. I hoped for a spiritual awakening but by the time I read the last sentence in Revelations (which is the last book of the Bible), I felt nauseous. I really could not figure out why. I was after all, only twelve. But I thought it meant there was something wrong with me. Why didn’t the “Word of God” inspire me?
All these years later, I have a lot of clarity on “what was wrong with me.” You can listen to the podcast to find out what I know now!