Well folks, sometimes life hands you a bad hand. This blog post was supposed to be a recap of a trip I had planned for months, but NYC transit flooding meant that I stayed home. So instead of sharing with you the wonder of a new place (the trip is now set for next spring, so stay tuned!), we’re going to talk about people whose thoughts I love.
I’ve talked about social media before and how it can be used negatively, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about how it can illuminate new thoughts and ideas in you because of what someone else posted. So much of how I think now and why I gravitate towards the books I do is because of what the people I follow recommend.
Disclaimer: I’m a Christian and what I believe follows what I think about, so these people don’t always speak on faith (although some do), but they very much have faith in mind when writing.
So grab a cup of tea and curl up because this is a very chill post, and we’re all here for a good time!
@GoingGodward
I know that everyone believes that Twitter has gone down the drain (and it kind of has), but the one thing that keeps me holding on is the people I follow there. I just follow people from a variety of backgrounds, mostly believers across a spectrum in the Christian tradition, and I love to hear what they have to say on how we should live.
@GoingGodward is one of my favorites! She’s a Southerner living in the north. She’s a firm mama bear and she values intellectual inquiry. If I go weeks without being on Twitter, when I return, I end up scouring her tweets for what I missed. She is just that good!!
She has talked about physical labor vs. mental labor, Western culture, theology. She values community and asks questions of what would make us better to one another, and I think that’s worth following, even as Twitter burns increasingly like a dumpster fire.
Paul Kingsnorth
I found Paul Kingsnorth on Twitter. It wasn’t a tweet from him, but discussions about his works led me to his book Savage Gods, which is part-memoir and part how-he-found-God-story. I do enjoy his words. His Substack is one of the things that are worth following. Yes, you shell out a few bucks. But Kingsnorth really has dissected culture to its historical roots and he is good at peeling back the layers of why we act the way we do.
Kingsnorth is also interesting to follow as someone who was once a climate activist, but now sees a fundamental way we disregard the earth and how that actually reveals how disconnected we are spiritually. He’s fascinating to me the way RFK Jr. is.
Kingsnorth’s current media interviews have been with more traditionally “right” leaning platforms (not that he’s super political). Although RFK is now running as an independent, so he’s one to watch for sure. Side note: I LOVE when people break the mold politically, being really honest about the way they don’t always fit neatly into one party.
Lori Harris
Lori I first found on Instagram. I think it was a case of following the same people or she was just recommended to me via someone else’s IG story. But I love her words. She and I have been in a similar season for a while. She describes it as being a sheep led out to pasture, being led out to the wilderness. She knows that the old season no longer has a place for her, but the new season isn’t quite solid yet. So there’s this liminal space. I get that. Maybe more than I’d like to.
She writes about the wilderness and trying to listen to your desires and following your vocation. I love her words, and I mostly love the way it sounds like a friend who understands. And maybe that’s what I long for in my heart: someone who doesn’t just care, but really understands.
Hilary Yancey
I’ve mentioned Hilary on the blog a few times. Her husband’s book Tables in the Wilderness (do you sense a theme?) is one of my favorites, but Hilary’s own words on her blog are wonderful. She writes with such a connection to her body and movement that I honestly envy. I am an Enneagram 6, and I fully live in my head. Like my body could up and disappear and for the most part, I wouldn’t even notice.
But when you read Hilary’s words, you feel like you’re with her, in the car, or on the horse, or in the pew on Sunday morning hearing the liturgy. She writes and her words come to life.
If you’re struggling with God, I highly recommend reading Forgiving God. It’s challenging but it’s honest and real.
Also, she recently wrote something, so check it out!
John Mark Comer
If you know me, you know I love JMC. Like I actually dreamt I met him at a Target and he was so humble, and that’s likely the only time I’ll ever meet him :/.
I’ve read all his books and have pre-ordered the one that’s coming in January. I follow his podcast, Rule of Life. I am a fan of his work because I think he is the Dallas Willard of my generation. He synthesizes culture and spiritual formation in a way that we can receive and understand it.
If you’re starting anywhere, start with the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. But if you’re interested in what it means to follow Christ, I’d pre-order Practicing the Way. And if you want a heavier but so well written read on fighting lies, you should pick up Live No Lies (which I’ve read twice!).
Phylicia Masonheimer
If I have to recommend anything of Phylicia’s, I want to recommend her Tuesday newsletter and her Monday AMA’s. She is full of wisdom and Scripture. She’s taught me a lot about how to walk by the Spirit, which was not my spiritual upbringing.
A lot of us younger Christians (depending on denominations or how young you are) don’t have mentors that have the time or desire to teach these things. Phylicia is someone who is growing and teaching others. She’s a mom so her content is also about revealing Christ to her kids. It makes me wonder how my parents could have done this differently. All in all, I look forward to when she posts!
These are some cool people I enjoy reading!
I can’t promise a fun travel post, but I will try to do something fun and share it here with you!
Signing off,
Gigi
Any thinkers you recommend?
Studying Life with Gigi 