Getting Started

My reasons are both lofty and low for starting this blog. I've always found it easy to put my curiosity about God into words, so why not share this publicly?  The "lofty" Creator of heaven and earth loved humanity enough to "get low," take on human flesh and die on our behalf. So the "low" part of this blog applies to us messy humans, loved by God. (As a side note, in good post-modern form, I allow you the freedom to interpret the terms lofty and low any way you want.)

My greatest hope is that most readers will benefit from my thoughts. I also hope to improve both my thinking and writing. I am in my mid-fifties, after all, and writing is a great mental exercise. I'll put in the extra effort, knowing the public will be evaluating my opinions. And I want readers to respond, whether in agreement or disagreement with my viewpoints. I just ask that you avoid profanity and name-calling. We can agree and disagree respectfully.

Tom near the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Why write about God and life this side of paradise? I believe God is real and has tangibly revealed himself to humanity in His Son, Jesus Christ. Certainly that's worth writing about. "Life this side of paradise" refers to how we humans grapple with our existence in a world severely damaged by (take a deep breath) sin. The issues we deal with are endless. I'll narrow the focus by addressing humanity's spiritual issues.

Blog posts will be fairly brief, focusing on a specific topic. I'm not an apologist, so my intellectual defenses will be limited. Hey, I majored in English, not science. However, I've read some great apologetic literature and can smoothly pass the buck to smart Christians with more degrees than you can fill a thermometer with. Whether through rational arguments or a direct Gospel presentation, I'll do my best to steer non-Christians to faith in Christ. 

I'll also focus on issues within the Christian church. What are Christians struggling with these days? What do we agree and disagree about? Why are there denominational splits? Is division ever a good thing? How important is doctrine? Were the Beatles correct in the song All You Need is Love? Personally, I struggle with "inside-the-church" issues between Christians more than disagreements I may have with unbelievers.

So there you go. I hope I've teased you into returning to this blog. I'm looking forward to sharing my ideas and open to changing my position on some things, though it's unlikely my basic worldview will budge. But you're more than welcome to give me your best shot. Thanks for reading and in the words of the Terminator, "I'll be back."