20th Sept. 2023

It’s the weirdest thing to be starting a new blog.  I ask myself such questions as:  “Why I am doing this?” “Why should people care?”  “Who are you to share things with the world?” “What makes you so qualified?”  “Is that Trump’s real hair?”

So many questions.  So many things that we COULD discuss and share.

So, here is my commitment, as I think about this more and more:  I am going to adopt an attitude where I seek to say that which is true and right and helpful.  Doesn’t sound like a major job, right?  Until it starts stepping on other people’s “toes”.  (But I would like to say that that will likely be more due to the fact of my clumsiness, versus me purposefully trying to inflict damage on people’s pedi-digits).

In this vein of things, I was inspired by the following definition (which I “found” 08 / 10 / 2018…unfortunately, I don’t remember “where” I found it exactly):

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“What is a poet's job?

‘A poet’s work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world and stop it from going to sleep’ (S. Rushdie).

‘The poet’s task is to wage a war against cliché.’”

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That pretty much sums up what I think leadership (or even writing this blog) is all about, especially as a pastor (which is what I happen to work as).  

I’m not a fan of cliche’ (they can be quite boring, I find).  But more than that, I think it’s great to keep life “fresh”, to see things / approach things with “fresh eyes.”  To use our creativity in trying to make the lives of people around us better, especially from the soul-draining / soul-sucking pace of our world.

In other words:  Inspiration is needed.  

I hope that this blog will give you something to lift you up, something to stimulate your thinking, something that even (at times) rocks your world, and lifts up that funky carpet you’ve refused to look under for so long, in the hopes of “clearing away the rubbish” (kudos to Adrian Plass for that phrase).

I am also going to find myself “Taking sides” on certain things that I have been thinking about on and off for the past 30 years or so.  I hope you’ll enjoy the journey (and I hope it doesn’t leave you carsick, as we travel around this corner and up that hill and down through this crazy winding valley, etc.).

I will warn you ahead of time, too…sometimes my posts may be lucridously short, just sharing something that I found awesome (but relevant, in the very least perhaps as a “pick-me-up”).  But other times, you may find it easier to just buy the book (that I probably should have written instead of the entry).  

And yes….I may use humour at times, but only when absolutely necessary.   To borrow a phrase (somewhat) from David / Bruce Banner:  “Don’t make me get funny.  You wouldn’t like me when I’m funny.”

Oh…I’m also open to dialogue and inquiry, as well as suggestions (e.g., topics to explore).  I can’t guarantee that I’ll have the time nor expertise to answer all questions (or even a few), but I’ll do what I can to let you know whether something can be arranged over time.  In any case, thanks for having given me your time!  God bless!