Imago Voices Q and A
Hello, my name is Seth Noland. I currently serve on the Formation Team here at Imago Dei Church. I chose to do some Q and A questions centering around the concept of friendship as that's something that's been on my mind a lot recently.
What does friendship mean to you?
Friendship is hard. It's something that sounds incredibly easy and simple on paper. 20 pounds doesn't sound that heavy, but if you hold it above your head you will be tired in a matter of minutes. It's hard to be present and open in a friendship that's older than anything in your pantry, or countless times older than that. Friendship is listening to the same bad joke for the 50th time, or watching their favorite movie or show for the 100th time. It's being a shoulder to cry on during times of unexpected grief and finding the grace to not say, "I told you so," after repeated mistakes. Friendship is late night beers to celebrate and to mourn. It's helping someone move for the fourth time. Friendship is the price we pay to know others and be known ourselves. As long as it's returned in kind, it's always worth it.
Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
If I could save one physical item I own, I would save a drawing my best friend made for me in junior high school. It's fairly spartan and not the best showcase of his artistic talents. However, he made it with me in mind, so that meant a lot. He recently passed away and prior to that was in an accident where he was paralyzed from the neck down. As a child I was pretty bad at preserving things. That piece of paper is my primary artifact from our friendship, one of the few things I still have from my teens, and also the only piece of art I own. It's my most prized possession.
What are you looking forward to right now?
At this point in the year I am looking forward to some summer fun. I'm looking forward to going kayaking and taking weekend trips with my wonderful girlfriend, Grace. I am excited to drink some cold beers on some warm patios and eat my weight in pulled pork BBQ nachos. I'm glad to see things moving from the pandemic and back to a sense of normality. I've been working as a contact tracer for the past 2 years. I'm tired of recommending people stay inside. It's time for some fun advice. Go on a trip, see your people, and have some fun. We've all earned it.
As this is an Imago Voices Q and A, I feel like I should answer at least one prompt relating to God.
What is one way your view of God has changed?
I feel like my internal relationship with God has been shifting over the last few years. I feel like my entire perception and awareness of what God is has expanded. I no longer see things from a lens of "what did I do" and feel more comfort and certainty in God's capacity for love and understanding. I've also been working to decentralize my own perspective and beliefs from how I see God moving in the world and in people's lives. I'm beginning to place more significance on the experiences and beliefs of others as a lens in which I can experience God. For a long time that felt like a step back for my personal relationship with God, but I'm coming to see that as a step forward.