Rachel Held Evans- What Can We Learn From This Life Gone Too Soon

"No longer satisfied with easy answers, I started asking harder questions." -RHE

Today the world woke up to the news that Rachel Held Evans (known simply by the acronym of RHE), a popular progressive Christian author died at the young age of 37!  I literally gasped then cried for a solid hour as my husband watch and asked, "Liz, what what happened?" I couldn't even get it out. Eventually I explained, "a woman who impacted my life greatly is dead."
It was just a few weeks ago, on April 14th when she sent a tweet out into the twitterverse that she was at the hospital with a bad reaction to antibiotics and she was bummed she was going to miss Game of Thrones. Today, I had to re-read the statement her husband had posted on the medical update blog that was started to keep her fans and followers abreast of her condition. Reporters have already tried to encapsulate the life and impact that was RHE...Washington Post, Religion News Service, and others.
RHE had a profound impact on my spiritual journey. She was there when I was asking the questions many others were asking and made me feel welcomed in a world of uncertainty. Troubling for a person who was told all her life that when it came to her theology x equaled y with certainty. I don't remember how I found her but I remember that I was grateful I had.  Finding her helped me find another tribe that have kept me believing in God even while in deconstruction. Additionally, I was honored to be on book launch team for her last book, Inspired. But this post is not written to do what others are already doing.  They are much better qualified for that. What I want to do is ask a question.
What can we learn from this particular life gone too soon?
We are all used to talking about the great impact of people after they leave us. It's what we do and yes, it is honorable to do that. But as I reflect on the life of RHE, I believe we need to reflect on what she did that moved us so and then commit to doing the next right thing, in this way, we keep her legacy alive.
One of the biggest things I admired about her was her guts. I didn't know her personally, so I can't speak to the characteristics of her persona that someone up close could. But as a distant observer of her life, as a reader of her books, I can say this young 37 year old woman had the guts to go up against the machine that we know of as white evangelicalism without flinching. She was going to battle before any of us know there was a war going on. She was writing fighting words before anyone even knew she was there. But then one day, everyone noticed. Who is this RHE? She's fighting for truth. She's fighting for inclusion. She's fighting for the right to ask questions that we were told should never be asked. She was saying it is ok to leave what you have always known because it no longer feeds your soul and makes no theological sense. We found in her a champion. We found in her a warrior. We found in her a person who was willing to take the hard hits for US so that the dialogue could stay open. So that the "machine of evangelicalism" could take notice that she was not merely speaking for herself but many.
Here's what I think we can learn from her life gone too soon...

1. We can learn to use our voice. Rachel started using her voice before anyone ever acknowledged that she was a voice. So let us learn from her that in this day and age, we can speak our convictions to love everyone, include everyone and spread love everywhere even if the only ones that know our names are our families. Our voice matters and who knows who else will resonate with what we have to say.
2. We can learn that we were made for this. This being whatever you feel driven by God to do. You can walk away from the institutional church as you know it. Walk away from your credentials because those giving it to you don't fully affirm you in your totality. OR you can stay. But whatever you feel called to do, you can do it without having to "kiss the ring."   She obviously wrote about many of things she walked away from, things she challenged and still became the person we are all mourning today.
3. We can learn that when we walk in our call, people will be impacted. People we will probably never meet. Imagine if Rachel had been afraid to walk in what was driving her to write. As a matter of fact, she might have been doing some things afraid but did it anyway. People might be changed by the words you write. People might be changed by the words you share in that small group, on the pulpit, on whatever platform God gives you access to.
4. We can learn to shine the light on others. One of the things I have read about RHE is that she used her influence and platform to give voice and visibility to others who had not yet reached that level of influence or where not exposed to the people who followed her. She whispered the names of people of color to those looking for speakers who may not have considered a person of color for their conference. She shared the light with others. She bent down and gave a hand to others who probably would have never had an opportunity to speak at a given event had it not been for a white woman doing the inviting. We can learn not to hoard the blessings but spread access around like confetti.
   
5. We can learn that there will always be opposition to do the next right thing.  As we reflect on her life, she stood up against the religious bullies to do the right thing as she understood it from her theological point of view. How can we now pick up where she left off to do the next right thing? 

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There will never be an RHE. That is the beauty of the way God creates us. Unique in design. Distinct in our contribution to the world. But now as we mourn the incredible, courageous life of this life gone too soon, as we sit with our feelings trying to understand yet again, how this fits into God's story for our world, we have to ask ourselves what part of Rachel will I take with me as I continue to walk the path of Jesus as people of the way. What part of her work will I pick up and add to?  How can I in my own simple way honor her memory?
What would you say you can learn from this life gone too soon?