Thursday, May 01, 2008

bloglobal warming

it has been almost a year since I sat down to offer a posting. Partially this long hiatus is because no one was reading it anyway. Also I stopped writing blogs because i have a problem with all the talking going on. Twenty-four hour news networks, CNN, FOX, MSNBC all filled with 'journalists' you love to share their perspective on anything from Rev. Jeremiah Wright to American Idol. And then there are blogs. I look at some occassionally and usually am disappointed. I just browsed a blog from 'The Nation.' http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/316971
Its about Rev. Wright specifically but is generally about the interplay of politics and religion. And it exemplifies why i stopped blogging. All those words with nothing worth saying, and this from the person I presume gets paid a salary to offer meaningful commentary. She obviously had no understanding of theology, Christianity and the broad range of beliefs, experiences and behaviors of the millions of people who follow Christ. She had no understanding of the African-American Christian experience (neither do i frankly, but then again, I'm smart enough to know when i don't know something and should therefore keep still) Then go on to read how bloggers respond to the original article and its just more words saying nothing. There is no nuance, no real insight, no subtance of thought. All that 'hot air' getting trapped in the blogosphere. bloglobal warming. have you noticed that whether on the Television or in the blogosphere, there is no interchange of ideas. No one stops to listen to anothers point of view. There is no sharing, no learning, no true exchange. Just arguing and insulting, oversimplification of complex issues and oversimplification of answers to these complex problems. So i stopped blogging because I didn't wan't to contribute to the ongoing bloglobal warming. A bit like getting a bike and not driving the car.

The problem is, we don't like silence. I don't anyway. and when there is only one voice to listen too, we tend, over time, to accept it as truth because we haven't heard any other perspectives. Despite what the writer and bloggers at the Nation think, this is what church is for. The one place in the nation where we do not articulate our values, emotions, and concepts in bumper stickers. Last weeks lectionary Reading from John 14 has us listening to Jesus say, ' I am in the Father and you are in me and I am in you.' This is Trinitarian Language, Perichoresis... which is the greek for a concept that is most easily related as 'indwelling.' You don't get 'indwelling' a real intimate sharing much anymore. Talking heads on TV don't ever get to that level of dialogue where they are sharing intimately their perspectives. The blogosphere doesn't provide it. Politicians seem unable to do it... open up and be honest, offering themselves and accepting others.

So, I'm trying again. this blog thing I mean.
i'm not computer savvy so i won't have lots of fancy graphics for you.
I don't like most of what I see in the blogosphere so I won't be connecting you to lots of other bloggers. ( This isn't to suggest I am the only blogger worth noting, just that I don't think there is much out there at all)
And we'll try to achieve a little perichoresis together. I'll risk opening up and sharing and you (if there is ever a you out there for me) will accept and then offer yourself and I'll accept and we'll see what happens.
darin

oh, if you want some interesting things to read, go to:
http://theobilly.blogspot.com
http://theosnob.blogspot.com

2 comments:

Jonathan Malone said...

wow, big words, angry comments - you've got it all! Rock on...rock on

VanceH- said...

Hi Darin, Thanks for your comment on my blog. You've doubled my Rhode Island audience. That is very fun that you know Shawn, he has mentioned you in our discussions and I know he really appreciates you. I find that blogging is a very interesting medium. For a very few it is a job, for some it is a platform that reaches a lot of people, for most of us it ends up being a personal journal exposed to the world--a revealing of ourselves. We reveal ourselves and expose our egos. I've wrestled with the task/temptation of doing the things that have to be done to make a blog more popular, but as you've seen I'm not an easy read. Right now I'm content to journal away on what is on my heart/mind and enjoy the scattering of visitors that come my way.
-- Vance