Rum and Cola for the Soul

My bitter reflections on church abuse, personal trauma, suffering in the world, the gospel of Luke, and my search for hope and peace.



"You need to shut the eff up. I do have faith. As a matter of fact, I've been praying every day. Guess what? It still sucks and it's probably going to keep sucking the rest of my life " I yelled this at a sweet elderly gentleman in my church, while I was working as a church greeter one Sunday morning. He had heard about a traumatic issue my family was facing. He expected his comment of "You just need to have faith" to be encouraging.

That was the day I quit being a church greeter.

I was at a breaking point.

After experiencing church abuse, personal trauma, and feeling the weight of suffering in the world, I searched for answers in the Gospel of Luke, because it is the account of Jesus where he spent most of his time with people who had been ostracized, hurt, or used by the religious system.

In Rum and Cola for the Soul, I share the stories of ancient and modern people who were ostracized, abused, or just plain used by religion but accepted and empowered by Jesus. Stories from the gospel of Luke. And stories people have shared with me over the past twenty years.

These aren't romantic stories of living the American dream. They are messy, gritty, stories about wrestling with trauma, disappointment, and evil. Ultimately, these are stories filled with peace and hope for all of the struggles of our real life.



In Rum and Cola for the Soul, I share stories of people in my life alongside stories from the gospel of Luke. Stories of people who were overlooked, abused, and used by religion but accepted and empowered by Jesus. Stories about wrestling with trauma, abuse, disappointment, and evil. Stories filled with peace in the middle of the mess and hope with enough grit to see beauty in it all.