We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandan Robertson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brandan, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
All resilience comes from facing our fears, challenges, and struggles head on. One of my favorite Bible verses comes from the Book of Job 23:10 which says, “When I have been tested, I will come forth as refined gold.” The idea is that our challenges are like a refining fire, and when we run towards them and through them believing in the power within ourselves, we are refined, strengthened, and come out stronger than before. This enables us to be prepared for the next obstacle for us to overcome- and there will always be a next obstacle.
My life has been full of challenges I’ve needed to face. I grew up surrounded by addiction and abuse, and I had to rely on my faith and my sense that through the Spirits power, I could forge a different path than the community that surrounded me. When I faced severe mental health challenges due to the abuse, with the help of therapists and mentors, I discovered that I didn’t have to be limited by my challenges, but could use them as fuel to keep moving forward and improving myself. When I was publicly outed as gay in TIME magazine at 21, I had to dig deep in my soul to believe that even when the religious community that raised me had rejected and demonized me, if I allowed myself to be guided by love and truth, I would find a new community to be a part of.
Time and time again, regardless of the challenges I’ve faced, its been faith that God has a plan for my life and that I have everything I need within me if I only take the leap and trust, I have been able to overcome the obstacles in front of me and move further along my path. And each challenge has left me wiser, more compassionate, and more equipped to help others on their own journeys as well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My mission is to help people flourish through overcoming their fear based beliefs and embracing the power of love. That might sound very woo-woo, but it’s actually very real. So many people have grown up in religious environments where they were taught to believe things that are rooted in fear- fear of God, fear of difference, and fear of themselves- and these beliefs often weigh heavily on them and prevent them from living a full and meaningful life. My goal is to help people deconstruct their fear-based beliefs and instead adopt a posture of love for themselves and their neighbors, and when they do, they create meaning and purpose in their lives and in the world around them.
I do this in a variety of ways: I am the pastor of a local church in New York City, I write books that help expand peoples minds on Christianity from a progressive, inclusive perspective, I make content on TikTok and Instagram confronting fear-based religion and teaching the message of transformative love, and I work with organizers, activist, political leaders, and faith leaders to confront bias and bigotry in the United States and around the world. Much of my work focuses on the LGBTQ+ community, sharing my story of reconciling my own faith and sexuality, and helping them heal from the rejection and trauma that so many have because of their toxic religious environments.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First, I would say, get to know the people who are doing what you want to do with your life. So many people admire professionals in their field from a distance and think that such people would never be interested in talking with them. But time and time again in my life, I have worked hard to reach out to the people I admired to ask for advice or mentorship, and I’ve been surprised and blessed to have gotten to learn from and become friends with so many incredible religious and political leaders around the world. Their wisdom and friendship has helped me make my sense of calling a reality.
Second, you’ve got to surrender. Whenever I have tried to force my dreams to come true, I usually get nowhere. But virtually every time that I have stopped trying to force things to happen, and instead focused on doing the work in front of me and trusting that I would move forward, doors have opened for me that I could have never imagined. You’ve got to work hard, to be sure, but you’ve also got to trust that the universe is on your side and wants you to reach your full potential. As Paulo Cohelo wrote in The Alchemist, ” “When you want something, the whole universe conspires in order for you to achieve it.” I see the truthfulness of this statement almost daily. This is not about obtaining wealth or fame- it’s about living out your own sense of calling in your own unique way.
Lastly, I’d say listen to and learn from lots of voices and perspectives. To this very day, I spend a lot of time listening to a wide array of voices on religion, politics, sexuality etc. that I do not viscerally agree with, but I know that there is something to learn from everyone. Don’t silo yourself, and don’t cut off people because they think differently than you. Engage with them, allow their perspectives to challenge and refine your own, and your own personal well of wisdom will grow in depth and breadth.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
The challenge I am constantly facing is comparing myself to others. Again, I know this sounds basic, but the truth is that the moment I start looking at other people who are doing the kind of things I want to be doing and I feel jealous or resentful, I set myself back. Whenever I look at others and feel like an imposter, I know I am stalling my growth and progress. My daily work is to trust in my unique perspective, voice, and offering in the world, and to work hard to give my best to whatever task is in front of me, while I also celebrate others who are achieving success in their own unique calling, and in that space, there is tremendous potential for flourishing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brandanrobertson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandanrobertson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandanjrobertson/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandanrobertson/
- Twitter: https://x.com/BrandanJR
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@revbrandanrobertson
Image Credits
NA
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
