On Saturday, May 4th, 2019, we lost a hero of the Christian faith.

Rachel held Evans. happens. I'm lucky enough to have called Rachel a friend and to have known her personally.

And I found out about her passing on my way to the Los Angeles International Airport.

And that was a tough flight.

And in the days that have passed since we lost her, there have been some beautiful and moving

tributes.

Really, really beautiful tributes and I don't know if I have the talent and I

definitely know I don't have the emotional capacity to create a tribute worthy of

who Rachel was,

although if you'd like to read some of those tributes,

I'll put them in the show notes this week

on ass science mic.com.

But I have this sense as I watch people mourn online that Rachel meant a lot to so many people, but a relatively small number of us had the opportunity to know her

personally.

And so my offering this week would just be to tell you a few stories of what it was like to know Rachel held Evans.

And if that's helpful for you as you process your grief and your sense of loss then this

this episode is for you if that if that makes you more upset to hear that. Just stop this episode or if you don't know

who Rachel is. Now is a great opportunity to go back and read through her immense catalog of work because Rachel was a profound generational

generational voice for Christianity.

I know of no one who did more

to fight for equality and inclusion for all people in the Christian tradition and in society at large than Rachel.

But because she was so brilliant and because she was so witty and because she was so effective at making a point, it seems like many people are

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