Aura Farming vs. Spiritual Formation, Hiddenness Over Hype, Slowness Instead of Spectacular + Childlike Dependence

In this episode, we explore the growing “aura farming” movement — the cultural pressure to project effortlessness, curate our image, and step into our “main-character era.” While the world urges us to amplify our greatness, Jesus invites us into something entirely different.

We look at Jesus’ call to become like children in Matthew 18:1–5, a posture marked by humility, dependence, and openness. Aura farming pushes us to present ourselves in a certain light, but spiritual formation pulls us into honesty, groundedness, and a truer way of being. Drawing from Henri Nouwen’s reflections on the Church’s long struggle with relevance, power, and success, we examine the deeper tension between cultural curation and kingdom transformation.

From there, we walk through five practices that help move us from aura farming to the way of Jesus. We choose hiddenness over hype, leaning into quiet righteousness rather than performing for others. We pursue honesty and vulnerability, acknowledging that beauty and pain often coexist. We embrace slowness instead of the spectacular, allowing our souls to catch up with our schedules. We cultivate childlike dependence by asking for what we need rather than proving we can manage everything on our own. And we trade curation for authentic presence, resisting the urge to hustle for attention and choosing instead to simply be where we are.

As we navigate new seasons — in which the old ways of striving may no longer work — we return to Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 (MSG): “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.”

Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 6 + Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

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