I don't like blogs. They're a symptom of the hyper-individualism that pervades our culture and I have staunchly apposed getting one for just that reason. I've read more than a couple of capable Christian thinkers question the idea that every topic in existence needs my opinion affixed to it before it is complete. In general, I think the Church as a whole would be greatly served by asking itself "WWJB, when would Jesus blog?"
Would he blog to stroke his own ego? Would he blog to belittle his opponents? Would he blog to pontificate about things he knows nothing about (if such a thing existed)? No, yet time and time again we see people within the Church doing exactly these things.
Worse, we could ask if Jesus would blog opinions against Scripture, if He would use a blog to rebel against the authority over him (the Father in His case), or if He would blog without doing so through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and at the calling of the Father. Again we must answer that He would not but we often do.
But as I have considered the issues of blogs I have come to realize that Jesus would certainly blog for some reasons. He would blog to combat the Adversary, to evangelize, to heal, to comfort, and perhaps even to provoke joy among other reasons. Certainly these are amicable ends and well within the calling of every Christian to accomplish by any effective means available, including a blog. But my calling is also to ministry and leadership as much as it is to these other Christian ends. I must also endeavor to teach, to correct, to protect and guard, to shepherd, and to model a Christian life for any and all Christ places under my leadership. A blog can perform these functions as well.
But I am not currently in leadership. Can I teach when I still need instruction? Here a problem is exposed. Some things (like teaching) are too important to be left entirely to the abuses of the novice, but everything takes practice to move from novice to expert. How shall I learn to teach if I can not teach? This is a place where a blog, rightly defined, can be of great help. This blog will not be a place where the height of human reasoning is brought to bare on topics. Rather it is a place where I can stumble around, trying my hand at employing rhetoric and logical structures with just enough exposure to be critiqued but not so wide that some error on my part is likely to be followed by many or at all.
As the title implies, my purpose is to arrive somewhere near perspective, perhaps even land on its shores occasionally. So read this blog with a grain of salt before you apply anything within to your life. I do not intend to mislead. I intend to put forward biblical truth, but I am still a novice. So if my writings influence you take them to your pastor and God before you apply them, the latter will certainly protect you from error. However I do implore you to impart to me nor any other sympathy if we err. Neither I nor the Church will be served by being allowed to continue in error. If you say nothing how shall we be corrected? If I am not on perspective's shores nor within site of it feel no hesitation to say so. I will likely respond, and together we will move toward those golden shores.
Setting Sail,
Mason Callaway
No comments:
Post a Comment