When asked why she shares so openly about her struggles, our friend and author Nadia Bolz-Weber says she hopes to help create a space for others to step into and feel safer admitting things about themselves. It's a form of leadership that she refers to as "Screw it, I'll go first." And she has certainly gone first in a lot of different areas.
In addition to having written three New York Times bestselling memoirs, Nadia is a woman in long-term recovery from substance use, an ordained Lutheran pastor, and founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, Colorado, which is described on its website as "a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice-oriented, queer-inclusive, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient/future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination." It's hard not to be inspired by Nadia and her work, and I like to think we have a few things in common. I have also embraced the "Screw it, I'll go first" idea—by being the first person in my family in generations to embrace substance use recovery.
And although I didn't establish a church, I did—along with my daughter Taryn—create a pretty amazing recovery community. I doubt I will ever be as cool as Nadia (did I mention her tattoos?), but I'm incredibly honored to know her.
Somebody has to go first, but let's take turns. How have you gone first?