Saying Much and Saying Little – Who I Am Online

I’ve been rather silent on the blog for some time with only occasional posts. I don’t feel the need for an apology but I did want to take this opportunity to reflect on part of the reason for it, since it gets at some things I’m currently wrestling through.

I haven’t always done this, but I want to be slow to speak and say less than I have opportunity to. Part of this derives from a growing desire in me to only say things that I have deeply thought through and worked out. So, there are theological areas that I have been reluctant to say much on since I’ve only read minimally in them. I don’t know the counter-arguments and issues.  I haven’t made up my own mind on them in a thorough sense. But there are areas of biblical studies, for example, where I’ve thought deeply and for a sustained time and am happy to discuss at length and argue my point, even if I need to be corrected in the end.

Not everyone is of the same persuasion. Nor should everyone be.

But, whatever the persuasion, there are dangers to be aware of and factor in.

On the one side there is the danger of saying too much. With the immediacy of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc., it is easy for everyone and their uncle to weigh in on any issue. But there’s so much poor reading and assigning of bad motives and making assumptions. Everyone suddenly has the authority to pontificate on everything and yet it seems that few have developed the ability to weigh in thoughtfully and critically. I want to avoid this as much as possible which makes me hesitant to say anything.

That, however, leads to the other danger of saying almost nothing at all. I’ve said little in personal conversations and on Facebook and Twitter about certain cultural battles and my positions on them, for example. Part of that reflects my conscious desire to be seen as positive and centrally about the gospel, not trying to win people on issues through arguments abstracted from seeing a true gospel conversion. But, isn’t there a place for taking a stand and saying something on various issues connected to the larger culture? Surely there is. And people won’t like everything I say. I can’t be a people-pleaser. And there is even a way to engage those cultural issues that are not abstracted from a loving gospel response.

So, there are dangers on both sides. There are different persuasions among us. I’ve become okay with who I am. I desire to say little but say things I’ve thought deeply about. One of the consequences of this is that I’m not putting much time into blogging, daily or otherwise, though I do hope to continue the blog. I am putting more time into publishing essays, articles, and book reviews, academic and popular. And so I’m using this site partly as a platform for those things as they get published.

I’m thankful for those who are different from me and do contribute lots, maybe through daily blogging or other social media. That’s good. So long as it’s thoughtful. Please be thoughtful!