“Saving Face” with Aimee Byrd

Have you ever felt unseen in a place where you were supposed to
be known? Or like the more you tried to bring your true self
forward, the more you were asked to hide it?


Today on the podcast, author Aimee Byrd joins Dan Allender and
Rachael Clinton Chen to talk about her new book, Saving Face:
Finding My Self, God, and One Another Outside a Defaced
Church. 


It’s a deeply personal and theological reflection on spiritual
abuse, identity, and healing—especially in the wake of church
systems that no longer reflect the face of Christ.


Together, they explore what it means to reclaim your face—your
personhood, your story, your sacred calling. Aimee draws on the
rich insight of philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, who wrote that the
face is not merely a physical feature, but the place where we
encounter both God and one another. To truly see another’s face
is to take responsibility for their dignity and to recognize
Christ’s presence there.


Aimee shares her story of how a system that promised reform
instead left her mocked, erased, and dehumanized. In that
disillusionment, she came to a painful but powerful realization:
we don’t just need reform. We need resurrection. A death to false
forms of power, toxic moralism, and spiritual posturing—and a
return to humility, presence, and love.


This conversation offers an honest look at the loneliness of
holding onto your God-given identity when others turn away, the
courage it takes to seek the face of God in others, and the deep
hope that emerges when we begin to see—and be seen—face to face.


Listen to this week’s episode about “Saving Face” with
Aimee Byrd, and be sure to pick up a copy of her book at:
https://aimeebyrd.com/saving-face/