Stay Around Dysfunction Long Enough, and You’ll Start Calling It Culture…

Main message: Staying close to dysfunction or power can normalize harm and deceive you about your situation; creating distance is necessary to see clearly and recognize when shelter, concern, or proximity are actually unsafe or exploitative.

Key points:

• Long exposure to dysfunction makes it feel like normal culture.
• Control often masquerades as concern; exploitation can feel like being needed.
• You may need to get away from a thing before you can accurately assess its impact on you.
• Distance allowed Hagar to see that a house could provide shelter without being safe.
• Being near power or authority does not mean you actually possess power.

Scriptures mentioned: Hagar (Genesis)