Over the past few weeks I've become increasingly convinced that the time has come to say farewell to the blogosphere. The reason is simple enough. Some years ago Francis Schaeffer wrote a fine little work entitled 'The Mark of the Christian', opening up in a beautiful way Jesus' challenging words about how our love for one another is the evidence that we are his disciples.
Those words have come back to me again and again as I've read some of the blogs I check on every day or each week, noting the often very fine contributions, and then the more often than not horrid comments left by their readers. If there is a place of Christian community marked most especially by a distinct lack of love it is the blogosphere, and I just can't stand being part of it anymore. There are more important things to do than worry about whether or not something published on the web is more mugging than blogging - and that's just the Reformed blogs!
The comments and articles in that scene have degenerated into some of the worst cases of rabid, vitriolic, accusatory nonsense, with people behaving online in ways I can scarcely imagine them behaving in a bus line or in a normal conversation.
Sure, I could simply blog and disable comments, but that doesn't really extract me from the whole scene. Maybe someday I will discover a way to share some more jokes, sports news, sermon outlines, book recommendations, and prayers with my friends. Until then I just don't have any desire to take part in the gutless and pathetic world of drive-by bloggeristas who comment under the name of anonymous while making the most outrageous of remarks to the hurt of many for whom they show not the slightest consideration. Ah, then some of the writers themselves: self-appointed theological police who troll the net on seek and destroy missions. Just awful and awfully sad too. What? They have no widows or orphans for whom to care?
The intoleristas have been few and far between here, thank God. Mostly they show up when you quote someone they think is a heretic, like CS Lewis. They imagine that they must agree with everything someone thinks in order to learn anything at all from that person. Which means they won't learn very much.
Thanks to all who came by from all those different places and walks of life. Keep the Faith, and stay in touch.
Pax vobiscum.
18 comments:
I'm truly sorry to see you go. I've very much appreciated your blog and have learned a great deal from it. Your's is the only blog I go to on a daily basis so I haven't been aware of the problems you describe--but I can certainly understand your dismay.
I hope one day you'll be back--thanks so much for all your posts.
I will miss your blogs. They were for me, a breath of fresh air that challenged the way I thought about life and Christianity. I do understand where you are coming from however.
Pax Christi
Your blog has been daily reading for me. I'm sorry to see it end. Thanks for all you've contributed in this venue; I'm looking forward to a new one, Lord willing.
David
I will definitely miss reading your blog, but can understand your reasoning. Hopefully this means more articles on the "This week" or whatever we are calling that now.
Wait, no, don't. Or at least email all the things you would otherwise write to the redeemer theology lunch listserv. Please.
:(
David,
Will be sad that I cannot log on & read your writings...have enjoyed them now for over 20 yrs. I remember a post you made here re: All Hallow's Eve. Do you have it archived some place? I actually visited tonight to find it, only to discover this last blog. If you do have it, could you (in all your spare time) send it to me @ melaniechap@gmail.com. Thanks so much, & love to you & yours, mc
Peace, David. If you return in the future and would like someone to moderate the comments for you, I'd be glad to take care of it. Otherwise, see you Sunday!
Blogging is a lot of work, and has downsides most don't imagine when they start. (This goes a long way toward explaining why I've never started one, although I'm getting closer: Doing it right is a fairly significant ongoing commitment.) That said, blogging has a reach across space and time that is mind-boggling (or maybe
Crabby commenters are probably the thing that drives most bloggers away once they start to gain an audience, but remember, it's a sign you *have* an audience, which is mostly the point, isn't it? that should be mind-bloggling). (FWIW, MichaelHyatt.com (CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) is a good example of how a blog can be used to amazing effect in Christian business. The blog is the linchpin of his entire social networking effort - everything else exists only to get people to the blog, where there is enough space to tell non-trivial stories.)
Anyway, if you do indeed throw in the towel, know that you'll be missed, even by the many of us that only very rarely commented. See you Sunday!
Bummer! I was also a daily visitor. Oh well, at least SOME of us know where you LIVE!!!
I commend you for deciding to do this.
The goal is healthy discussion and the truth in love, but unfortunately we are all sinners!
Have enjoyed reading them. jean
I commend you for doing this. I've enjoyed reading them, however. jean golladay
You'll be missed! I do hope that you leave the archives up, though. There is some wonderful stuff here!
This Blog will be missed.
But I support and agree with why it will end. No real worries, We still have you on Sundays..
Too bad, but hey see you next time we are in town!
Obviously, I'm not a daily reader. But I enjoy checking into your blog, & am sorry to see it go. Hopefully you will have enhanced time, energy, & focus for other things. Not that I've observed slippage in any of these areas. But you do so much, & I can't imagine how you do it all.
As others suggest, maybe it is possible by other means to continue a forum, possibly moderated by someone with a little more free time.
What? Without my permission? Harrummph!
BBB
David, perhaps we could set up a mailing list on Mailman to which interested parties could subscribe. We could do this on the Redeemer site or, if you wish, through a private site with a domain name of your choosing. I am happy to help, let me know. Tom Morrison
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