Why, God? Why?
Like many artists, I had the requisite reticence when considering creating this site. This is because my goal for it is very clear. I wanted an outlet for my own questions, as well as the questions of others, about how the Christian faith affects, and should affect, our lives; and I wanted a place where I could share the wisdom that I have come to learn I do in fact possess.
The problem: these questions and answers are both quite messy. And some might call their discussion, which necessitates the inclusion of some ugly stories, sensitive subjects, and confessions of indiscretions, “un-Christian.” What will my fellow church members think? What about the middle schoolers I volunteer with? How can I reconcile a Christian life with the myriad contradictions within my own mind, the doubts and fears, the music I listen to?
My inner perfectionist, a very prevalent portion of my psyche, calls this impossible. My Will, however–that inner core of reason with the power to stifle the silly whines of the Perfectionist and the ungrateful whimpers of the Coward–knows this to be not only possible, but absolutely necessary to my own faith. Nothing grows unless it first dies. So here I put to death the fear of retribution, judgment, and rejection. These are nothing in the kingdom of God and of his Christ.
What is obvious by now to the reader is that I am a practicing Christian. A very imperfect one. One further goal of this site is to disassemble and debunk the major misconceptions about Christianity in contemporary American society–and not only those held by those of other faiths or of no faith, but those many Christians themselves hold to, often like an alligator to a dying chunk of prey. Christ is so much more than we allow ourselves to believe him to be. Americans see Christians handing out tracts on the street, and having Sunday dinner, and going on bus trips, and those are a part of some churches, but they are only the outer rind. If the church is truly the body of Christ, it’s the relationships that are the true core, the fruit of the mundane little game nights and pizza parties.
Am I critical of traditional church activities? Perhaps, but only because they remind me of the oppressive church experiences I’ve had. We all have our bad associations. If bingo night furthers the Kingdom, hey, I’m all for it.
Finally, I need to state that this is not a blog. In my opinion, blogs are places where people post snippets of interesting things they find on the web or in life, usually badly written. I’m aiming to make this something more: intelligent posts to provoke intelligent responses about issues I believe have eternal impact.
Enjoy the read.