But DO YOU ever feel like a plastic bag?
a semi-public semi-apology to Katy Perry
This week chilled then thawed then iced us out completely. By Tuesday, it was abundantly clear - I could not watch a singular moment of national/political news. It was grinding me into dust. That voice. That face. Those headlines. All of it, too much. As luck would have it, a brand new gem of a book arrived. I powered my phone off and let myself fall in.
Y’ALL. (I’m allowed to say that now because I’ve spent the past 3 days “with” a certified southerner, Erin Moon.) I’m exactly halfway through and I am here to say, this is a book for many of us.
Yes, I am a rabid reader. Yes, I recommend books constantly (and honestly.) I will never stop! You can take my sanity but you’ll never take my freedom to read five books at the same time! This one is extra special.
Evidence:
It’s about deconstructing/disentangling/making sense of/grieving/modifying our faith. I have a hunch that if you’re here, you’ve been doing some of that work in real time.
It’s funny. And what I mean by that is: it’s insane. Respectfully. It’s like drinking from a fire house of wit and wisdom and lunacy. Erin’s writing style is punchy and dramatic. It’s cussy. The best kind of weird. Something you should know: I value humor too much to cheapen it. I say this pridefully. Forgive me, God. When it comes to media of any kind, I’m a tough laugher. I just don’t give it up easily. A lot of humor feels forced or mean or just…not good enough. This isn’t that. It hits. The combination of relatable humor and theological depth is something I didn’t even know my heart craved. It’s the entire counterweights metaphor! Heavy. Delightful. We get it all.
Back to “the best kind of weird.” The opening line of Katy Perry’s Fireworks is, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” which has bothered and intrigued me on a soul level since 2010, but I never knew where to file my complaint. Who signed off on this lyric? Erin not only addresses this madness in the introduction, she calls back to it when the reader has almost forgotten. By the third reference, I found myself reconsidering Katy Perry as possibly one of the heavyweight philosophers of our day. (THE PLASTIC BAG IS FEATURED IN THE COVER ART.)
I feel I’ve made my case, but just to be sure, here are a few quotes, mostly devoid of context:
“…the idea of Jesus is excellent, no notes, but the reality of following Jesus is a cluster of epic proportions.”
(Yes, checks out.)
“I don’t know how to have faith in humanity at large…but sometimes small tender moments of authentic humanization flit across my vision and I’m reminded that there is still real warmth in the world.”
(More counterweights!)
“…the thing about being pickled in the brine of religion is you hear and absorb things so deeply, you almost forget they have the potential to not be true.”
(PICKLES!!!!)
Dragging my highlighter across the first half of this book1 has been my main source of sustenance2 this week. I will leave you with this:
“Beloved, you have a strong faith because you wrestle, not in spite of your wrestling. It is a gift. Don’t believe anything to the contrary.”
(sob)
As you know, I strictly use Bookshop affiliate links, but Erin’s book is currently on backorder on Bookshop, and we don’t have time to mess around. We need some relief! For that reason ONLY, I’m linking to Amazon, and begging you to grab your copy and read along “with” me.
I’ve Got Questions: The Spiritual Practice of Having it Out with God by Erin Hicks Moon
You can also follow Erin’s popular Substack (for reasons ibid) titled, The Swipe Up.
Last thing:
PS - Come see us next month! I’ll be the one who looks roughly 10 years older than the above photo.
That’s all for this week, homies!
Hope you have an extra-breathable weekend.
XO
Covering my arse in case the second half tanks. JJJJJJJ/K
My second tier sustenance for the week has been Joanna Gaines’ After School Banana Bread. Extra pecans. Don’t skip on the sugar crust. Warm in the microwave with a pat of butter on top for 25 seconds!
“You can take my sanity but you’ll never take my freedom to read five books at the same time!” Same! And I always take the time to look up the books you recommend (and often buy them). In the absence of a church community over the last couple of years, books have been the strings that pull together community for me.
I now know two things:
I gotta get my priest this book so she can read it while she recovers from knee replacement surgery, AND
I need to acquire over-ripe bananas asap. Just reading the recipe is a counterweight.