On Writing Blogs

Writing blogs is a dangerous pastime. The trouble with writing something short is that one never gets to say all that there is to say on any subject. Instead the blogger must rest content with hinting at the fullest possible picture, while packing as much rhetorical punch as possible into a few short lines. The possibility of misspeaking or being misunderstood proves all too real.

I am certain I will not succeed uniformly, but I would like to commit to writing carefully. When issues are complicated, I will try not to oversimplify for the purpose of rhetoric; when issues are sensitive, I will try to refrain from loaded words that may stir up controversy and divisiveness. In short, I am committing to an irenic spirit—one that hopefully aligns with the vision of love given by Paul in his first letter to Corinth. (And when I fail, I hope I will have the humility to acknowledge it and recommit to this standard.)

What I ask in return from my handful of readers is a similar commitment. When posting comments in response to me or other readers, ask yourself, “Is this comment posted in a spirit of Christian charity?” “Love,” says Paul, “is patient. . . . It is not rude” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NIV). Shouldn’t this standard apply to the blogs we post and the comments we make? Certainly. Let us proclaim the cross of Christ—with its humility, others-centeredness, self-sacrifice, and love—not only in the comments we make, but in the way we make them too.

Remember, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).