Categories: uncategorized
Date: 21 October 2010 12:15:47
Next week this blog reaches its sixth birthday. I realise that those six years have been an incredible time for me and I thought I'd do a spot of positive thought by coming up with the ten things I wish I'd known then that I know now - largely through blogging and the expansion of my online activity:
1) That it is possible to be gay, Christian and fulfilling your calling(s)/ using the gifts God gave you. That may be a doh! thing but for me it has been a huge learning curve, which I am glad you have shared with me.
2) That it really is possible to live an interesting life if you:
Care more than others think wise.
Risk more than others think safe.
Dream more than others think practical.
Expect more than others think possible.
(source unknown - depends where you look as to who it's attributed to). I have a fridge magnet with it on that I look at almost daily. For me the "risk more than others think is safe" might sometimes be described as "disclose more than others think is sensible". Also this has been a key space for dreaming....thanks to those of you who have encouraged the dreams which have been beyond the practical.
3) People are amazing and support you in so many unexpected and wonderful ways when you need it.....this applies as much to people you meet "on line" as to "off line". Thanks for all the prayers and practical support you guys have provided over that period.
4) That mainstream church is a great place to be. Six years ago alot of us were still chasing the "post-evangelical" dream/ ideal and struggling in places of isolation. It's interesting how six years on alot of us have found a home within the "mainstream".
5) That alot of the "big names" in the Christian blogging world are just ordinary people really. I have been priviledged to meet - just for a few minutes at conferences in most cases - quite a few one way or another and they are all just ordinary folk. However,what is interesting with regards to the emergence of a "Christian glitterartsy" , and has been further reinforced by the material/ contributions in the conference I attended earlier this week, is that this emergence is linked in with issues of authority.
Their emergence has been, I would argue, because the "institution" needs to ensure that dominant voices are authorised voices - aswell as to do with the fact many of them are very intelligent and incredibly able people. The links between them, "the establishment" and "the academy" is interesting to think about. Over the last 6 years I have learnt more about the "ordinaryness" but also the "power" of gatekeepers. This links in hugely to point 10.
6) That there is a place where the odd people are normal. Ok, so in most settings I'd probably be described as a little eccentric or a bit wierd but around here I have found a place to be normal, where I fit in.
7) That the saying about the more you find out the less you realise you know is true. Through interacting with others on this site I have realised how little I know about so many other denominations, traditions, countries and so on. I've learnt so much...thank you.
8 ) That blogging gives responsibility. When I started I kind of thought it was like doing an online diary, since that time I've realised that it isn't. Blogging is writing for an audience, and it might be primarily an audience of friends.....but they deserve 1) integrity, 2) for you to know when to draw the lines in what to and what not to disclose and 3) being part of a blogging community means you have a responsibility to read and support others too. It gives you the responsibility to live a life worth blogging.
9) That whilst about 80% of what is written on here may be classed as random, self-indulgent crap the other 20% could be quite useful for people. When I started I was wanting somewhere to express my angst about my feelings about church and that place in my spiritual journey...and whilst that may have had use for a season I hope and think the balance has changed / is changing. (Goes back to 8 )
10) That very occassionally people other than your friends read you and blogging can lead to unexpected opportunities arising. There was one provocative blog post I wrote about the eliteism I had percieved as damaging Greenbelt over recent years which led to me getting actively involved in volunteering for the festival (and finding out I might have been wrong...although I actually basically still stand by my point made at the time that the themes were getting a bit artsy and removed from those of us who are more "earthy").