Marty Troyer, The Peace Pastor, asked if I would write a blog entry about self-differentiation in the Mennonite Church, specifically in relation to the work I do with Our Stories Untold. Though I had never thought about my work in terms of self-differentiation, I realized that that is exactly what allows me to do this work. The following is the post I wrote for his blog. I recommend checking it out on his site, too, as there is a lot of great discussion going on in the comment section. I would love to hear your thoughts, too. I really have an issue with labels. Sure, I use them. My Twitter bio has labels up the wazoo: “Tweeting & Social Media Power of @WomenUndrSiege, Traveling Freelance Writer goo.gl/e4XvQ , Sexual Abuse Blogger, Spiritual Seeker, Feminist.” In five short statements, making a total of less than 140 characters, I’ve seemingly given Twitterverse the labels they need to “know me.” But why do we need these labels? And, particularly, why do I have such a gut-wrenching reaction to the “Christian” label? This is something I’ve been working out since I was 18 and deliberately stepped away from the church, while still being engaged in a Mennonite community. […]
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