I was raised Protestant Christian, but as I grew older, for many different reasons, our family began to drift away from going to church regularly on Sundays. Then I went off to college. I was looking for something in my life—something that would give my life meaning.

I tried mathematics at UCLA, marriage, kids, a job, more money, but I always felt there was something missing from my life. There was this nagging feeling that something was just off. We had two children, and I often joke that that made things even worse, because now something was off and I was tired.

What I began to notice was that the week after I went to church on Sunday, I did better. I was calmer. I was at peace. I was more relaxed. I was more grounded. And if I missed a Sunday, I didn’t have that feeling. That became enough to keep me coming—it was those benefits that I was able to experience.

What I’ve been thinking about is that what makes our tradition really unique compared to other religious traditions is that everybody is accepted just as they are. That’s something you don’t see in other traditions. So I’m thinking the title would be, “You’re accepted just as you are,” and the tagline might be, “Living a life of gratitude.”

For the LGBTQ community, for people who don’t feel accepted, who feel marginalized or othered, to be told that you’re accepted just as you are, that there’s nothing you need to change, and that everyone’s welcome—I think our culture and our American political environment right now are really hungry for that message.