rebelling against low expectations
“We don’t know how to say goodbye.” I discovered the poem during a Zoom class in April. We’d been studying Russian literature since the cold darkness of January. Now in the middle of spring we’d exchanged the long wooden desks and late morning light of our classroom for video calls and suddenly vibrant group chats. Instead of whispering with friends to either side, I made lunch during class with...
If you follow Christian Twitter, you’re probably familiar with Jackie Hill Perry. Her pithy theological tweets and advocacy for justice make her a leading voice in the church today. She’s also written on her conversion to Christianity in her book Gay Girl, Good God. However, I first became acquainted with Jackie’s work through her music. She’s a hip-hop and spoken word artist with an incredible...
The first time I listened to an Arcadian Wild album, I think I was cleaning a bathroom. Maybe that’s why that album (and eventually the rest of their work) became my cleaning music. When Saturday rolls around and I need to clean so I don’t drive my roommate crazy, I put on the band’s self-titled album and sing along. At the end of every break, when I have to pack up the suitcases again, the...
“shaping our minds in the moment” This isn’t another article about how to use all the extra time you have during quarantine. Because honestly, many of us don’t have any extra time. In fact, ever since my college went to online classes, I felt like I had less time to spare (and I was taking the equivalent of nineteen credits this semester!). There’s a multitude of reasons for this. The...
We never wanted to live through a pandemic, but here we are. Maybe you’re annoyed or grieving because it feels like life has been cancelled. Maybe you’re genuinely afraid for yourself or others. Fear. Worry. Panic. Anger. It seems like that’s all we hear and everything that surrounds us. But right now, of all times, is when we need to be remembering truth and focusing on what is good. Maybe we...
It’s a new year, and among other resolutions and goals, you’re probably hoping to read the Bible more. Maybe you’re planning to do an in-depth study, or memorize a verse every week, or join a Bible study at your church. But one question we rarely ask is, “Which Bible translation am I going to use?” Maybe you grew up, like me, using just one translation. Or maybe you’ve hopped around between...
Editor’s Note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles every Thursday. May they encourage...
Lately, my evening reading has been a linguistics textbook. I’m sure you’ve already figured this out: I’m taking summer classes, getting some extra credits so I can keep up my GPA and maybe graduate early. Except, I’m not. Words are fascinating to me: the way they work, how you can string them together to form sentences and create meaning, and especially how they relate to certain branches of...
What hard things do you want to do this summer? If you’re still in school (even homeschool!), you probably view summer as a time to take a break, rest, relax—and pursue some goals. There are lots of goals we can make for our summers: reading more, getting a job, starting a business or a new project. But one of the most important goals you and I can make for the summer—or anytime—is to know God...
What if? Few phrases in English are so full of possibility, fear, and anticipation. What if I finish that project? What if I don’t? What if I achieve that goal? What if I fail? What if everything somehow goes right? What if something terrible happens tomorrow? Tomorrow—it’s all in the future. And with all of tomorrow’s possibilities come all its fears. Tomorrow everything could be wonderful...
rebelling against low expectations
