the cost of conversion - thoughts from Rosaria Butterfield

Last year (2012), I read Rosaria Butterfield's amazing autobiography, The Secret Thoughts of An Unlikely Convert. I should note that I strongly disagree with some of her theological convictions (on baptism, corporate worship, etc.) and some of her personal opinions. But overall I think the book is profoundly insightful and challenging in ways that overshadow the things I disagree with.

Here are some of her reflections on the nature and experience of conversion:

"Conversion put me in a complicated and comprehensive chaos. I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the 'lost,' if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers."

"Making a life commitment to Christ was not merely a philosophical shift. It was not a one-step process. It did not involve rearranging the surface prejudices and fickle loyalties of my life. Conversion didn’t 'fit' my life. Conversion overhauled my soul and personality."