How to Confront Hard Truth in a "My Truth" Culture with Grace, Humility + a Little Sass
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You guys—I slid into Cavanaugh James's DMs and now he's on the podcast—the power of Instagram!! We got to chat about faith, loving others well, and confronting hard truth in a "my truth" culture with grace, humility, and a little sass. You probably know him from his incredible Instagram videos. In one video he made up a song about the real reason he goes to parties and I have never felt so seen. (I may or may not have gotten him to sing it on the podcast!!). He also recently released his book, "Higher Power Has A Name."
Finding His Platform
He discusses where those IG videos began.
"I started doing them just out of boredom and irritation for bad Christian comedy."
He talks about how it took him a while to feel comfortable in his skin. Now, he's not afraid to laugh at his own jokes.
He moved to LA in 2015 to join the Groundlings improv program. He noticed that scenes would quickly turn dirty or perverse. He wanted to be funny without falling into that.
"I had a bone to pick with darkness."
He wanted his comedy to be uplifting rather than divisive.
Holding Faith
Cavanaugh talks about living his life fully with others who don't share his faith.
His faith is born out of relationships and friendships. He reflects on being lonely until he went to college and started meeting new people.
"I don't change in whatever environment I'm in."
"I'm not about trying to change people's minds—I'm trying to love."
He doesn't tone down his beliefs and he doesn't expect others to either.
"We're called to actually walk in hand with other people."
Loving Others + Speaking Truth
"We're supposed to be loving people and letting the Lord do the rest."
He talks about loving others without an agenda.
"A big chunk of why there is such a divide between mainstream culture and the church is the agenda of the church."
He challenges others to think about the golden rule—how would we feel if we were in a certain situation.
"How would I receive it? What is the way I could hear this that I would know that I am loved?"
We discuss enneagrams, of course, and talk about the price we pay for wanting to be right all the time.
"There is no reason- not one- for someone to walk through this life feeling alone."
Keep up with Cavanaugh on Instagram at @cavanaughjames and his website CavanaughJames.com. (P.S. You should buy his book!)
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Hey, single ladies— are you frustrated by the dating world? This episode is brought to you by my free guide called "6 Tips to Activate Your Dating Life with Intention and Clarity." These resources helped propel me from sitting on the couch to out on a date. Head over to Bit.ly/trwdating to check it out! With you on the journey.
XO,
Kat Harris