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Give Me Shelter: Adolescence Steeped in Church Left Me Seeking a Safe Space
I ended up questioning my beliefs and the very concept of belonging.
Cramped in the closet behind the pulpit, I was crushed against two other teenage girls like sardines in a can. We giggled with our hearts pounding as flashlight beams cut through the dust kicked up by thunderous running across the sanctuary’s red carpet.
In this space, within these sacred walls, I came of age.
Years later, I would trace the roots of my outsider identity back to this church.
After our game, we reconvened back in the youth room, a cavernous space spanning two old classrooms at the corner of the top floor of our church’s community building.
The youth room was as far removed from the church sanctuary as physically possible. Teens were allowed to be themselves here. The walls were bright green with a yellow stripe (very edgy). We flopped on decrepit couches, engaged in wrestling matches, and challenged each other to fierce foosball battles.
The winner of Sardines was crowned, and we briefly tussled over the prized seats on the sofas or floor before relaxing. We scarfed down another serving of pizza, guzzled more soda from warm two-liter bottles, then settled into our…
