About this site

Welcome. I’m writing from the edge of empire.

This blog is an act of quiet resistance, an attempt to follow Jesus in a time when much of the Church is chasing something else: influence, platform, political power, and cultural dominance. I believe we’re called to a different path. A narrow one.

I write under the pen name R.A. Fen, not to hide, but to protect space for honest reflection. We are entering a time when naming certain truths may come at a cost, especially for those with public spiritual responsibilities. I want to be free to speak clearly, compassionately, and faithfully, without dragging others into the fray or compromising my call.

This space isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about recovering the Way of Jesus: cross-shaped, upside-down, Spirit-led. It’s for those who feel politically homeless, spiritually restless, or quietly alarmed at the compromise they see in the American Church. It’s for those who believe Jesus is Lord, and that matters for how we live, speak, and love.

Here, I’ll wrestle with:

• What it means to follow Jesus when the road is costly and countercultural
• Why power almost always distorts Christian witness
• What history and Scripture can teach us about life under empire
• How the Church can bear faithful, public witness in our time

You won’t find partisan talking points here. But you will find conviction. Scripture. A call to repent and return. And maybe a bit of hope.

If you’re longing for something deeper than culture war Christianity, you’re not alone. I hope these letters from the borderlands find you where you are, and point you toward where Jesus is going.

For more information on the origin of the site, check out the intro post here.