One of the blessings I’ve had over the years is to speak freely about a host of issues that few pastors wish to discuss on social media, unless, of course, they take upon themselves anonymous identities. I am part of a denomination that rarely if ever makes the map when it comes to national discourse. Our pastors are not well known; with few exceptions, they don’t make headlines, and when we do, it’s to engage in intramural discussions that 0.001% of evangelicals care to ponder.
I actually find this lack of exposure fairly comforting. It means that I, as a pastor of a small congregation, have the luxury of opining about a host of topics I find to be biblically important, culturally necessary, and pastorally expedient without distractions. This allows me to minister to a small group of people (maybe less than 1,000 views a day) that are interested in growth and find argument built in lengthy paragraphs compelling.
In some ways, my goal of writing has always been to slowly, but surely, convince my readers that building frameworks for life are important and thinking through current issues or rituals through a Christian perspective is crucial for the well-being of any society. I am still a believer in long-form conversation and dialogue about the good, true and beautiful, and I view it as an investment in the kingdom of God.
I had a lengthy interview/conversation with a really fine thinker yesterday that reminded me of the necessity of building men and women who love Jesus and are curious enough to create environments where healthy engagement takes place in the home and in the community; where discourse is not settled by throwing out slogans, but where the heart of the slogan is discussed and perhaps torn down. While we see some movement in the right direction, we need much more. I am reminded of one of Jordan Peterson’s rules which I translate as “Don’t raise children with whom you won’t converse.” In other words, don’t raise children that will bore you when they get older. You diminish that possibility if everything is on the table for discussion at the dinner table.
The biggest frustration of this entire season is that prior to it there was already a deficit in these conversations, and through it, many discovered that they don’t need it any more, thus isolating themselves with greater vigor and enthusiasm. The natural isolating process diminished even more the capacity for discussing complex topics. Movements are throwing out their acronyms and demanding loyalty simply because they espouse some pro-victim cause. The idea behind it is that the conversation is over; embrace or die.
In Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” there is a lovely little section where she writes,
“My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”
Whether dialogues on parenting, sleeping techniques for infants, the ethic of ants, the making of good wine, or Russian dancing techniques of the 18th century, all these things stem from a God who enters steadily into conversation with his people. So, whether 50 or 500 likes, or a 1,000 lurkers, or 1 fruitful exchange happens as a result of anything you or I write or say, we are already beneficiaries of the entire process. Keep the feast! Keep the company! Keep the conversation alive!
