08/09/2025
I’ve been in two minds if I should post this but I’ve decided to share an experience I had at the Vale Show a few weeks ago...
The irony was not lost on me that our pitch at The Vale Show was opposite the church tent.
A man from there stood and stared from me to my banner sign for a good hour. I knew what was coming next.
He strode over to me, Bible in hand. He said my sign listing healing and meditation were "big warning signs" to him. He asked to share a Bible passage with me.
Acts 16:16-18 which talks of a slave girl who had "the spirit of divination"
I told him I was familiar with it. I went to a Catholic school taught by nuns, I grew up Christian and I used to be a Sunday school teacher (that last part confused him greatly!)
He did his best to try and save me from hell. He wasn't aggressive as such but was very forceful.
I pointed out that Christians have "laying on of hands" as a form of healing but he argued that that was power from the "one and only true God Almighty" I told him my healing came from the divine too, the same source. I have never claimed to heal anyone, I'm just the vessel.
I also told him I believe Jesus existed and that he was a healer. He asked me who I thought Jesus was? Was he a man? Did I know he's not just a prophet? He tried to quote more Bible verses at me and I cut across and said "Jesus is love" (another thing that confused him as he couldn't disagree!)
I said that everything I do as a healer is grounded in love. My life's calling is to provide a safe space for those who have never had one.
I think he would have argued all day, determined to try and save me from hell. But I told him we had common ground, we both believe Jesus existed and that he is love. But beyond that, we would have to agree to disagree.
He admitted defeat and walked away and said "God bless you" and I said "you too" (the third thing that confused him!)
I didn't see him again for the rest of the day but there were always at least 3 men staring at me from their pitch all day.
I could have got angry, I could have told him to f**k off. But what would that have achieved? From his perspective I was going to hell and he wanted to do everything he could to save me. He thought he was acting out of love. He is unfortunately unable to fully understand who Jesus was and what he was all about.
If I'd have met Jesus today, we would have hung out eating donuts, drinking beer and talked about spirituality and philosophy.
Jesus hung out with s*x workers and people society shunned. I think we would have been good friends! I don't have a problem with God or Jesus. It's religion I object to. I have lived through religious trauma as a q***r woman growing up in a born again Christian Church. I was taught women are less than men and gay people would never be welcome. I was taught I had to spend my life asking for forgiveness just for being born. I have also seen countless clients with religious trauma on my sofa.
I think Jesus would object to how his words have been taken by men and twisted to condemn women, LGBTQ+ people and anyone who doesn't conform to their narrative. I think it would be a modern day parable of when he turned the tables in the temple.
Jesus didn't like religious scholars, he wasn't calling us to obey loads of rules (many of which have been mistranslated and misinterpreted over the years) He's asking us to be Christ-like. "Do to others as you would have them do to you"
There's a wonderful country song with the line "I've heard Jesus he drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine. He can calm a storm and heal the blind and I bet he'd understand a heart like mine"
Despite what it may seem, I've never turned my back on the divine. It is woven into my life both personally and professionally. I've have however, turned my back on religion.
I wonder who was more Christ like in that moment? The religious man coming over uninvited telling me I was living a sinful life or the q***r witch who fought bigotry with love.
If you've experienced religious trauma, I'd highly recommend the book 'How to Be a Bad Christian and A Better Human Being' by my dear friend Dave Tomlinson. It will nourish your soul.
