Westervelt continues:

…What I sacrifice along the way is meaningful relationship. I could term all light-hearted conversation “shallow,” labeling small talk as the enemy here, but it’s not. “Small talk” is a lot of fun, and it’s the normal person’s way to transition into more serious matters. It’s my attempt at acceptance– to please or appease those around me– that sends my conversations awry.

We need people to both know us and love us, but the grace they will need to deal with our faults will also only come from God. They will be able to forgive, but only because in Christ God has forgiven them much. The Gospel provides a fertile ground for community and for the kinds of conversations that community tends to be grounded in. It’s tragic that this is often the opposite of our experience.

… to be continued in Part III…