Non Tacet Consentire
This year has been a bad one for my disciplined writing habit. It could simply be a case of burn-out after ten years, but that is not a good excuse. The whole point of maintaining a discipline is to do something despite feelings, despite inspiration.
There is also the fact that I have been incredibly busy with work the past six months. Also, not a good excuse. In the past ten years, I have noticed that the discipline of posting has had the effect of improving my discipline, organization, and productivity in all other areas of life. Now, to be fair, the sort of activity I have dealt with this year is not what comes most easily to me. When dealing with strictly organizational, logistical challenges I use up a lot more energy than when working strategically.
But the most compelling excuse I can think of is the cultural climate. I tend to think about and write about what I see in the culture. Quite often that ends up being about things that are off, or wrong, or need to be changed. Not just in the culture at large, but also within the church culture.
I was once told by wiser, older, missional figure that those who are sent out serve a secondary function to their sending church culture. They look back with a prophetic, convicting gaze. From the outside, they more easily see the inconsistencies, the errors, and the danger zones that those within often overlook. In the proverbial frog-in-the-boiling-water illustration, they are a frog outside the pot shouting out warnings.
However, today’s cultural climate is a dangerous place to be that sort of voice. One likes to think that followers of Jesus are most interested in truth and most aware of their own fallibility. Christianity is all about heeding wisdom and not being the fool who never hears correction. We don’t hold up examples of Christianity where the culture was guarded above all else. Pharisees, inquisitors, and witch-hunters are not who we want to be. But from time to time that is who dominates the church. The voices who value power and influence above integrity and humility. I hope that is not who we are deciding to become.
But it feels enough like it that one hesitates to say anything critical.
There is also the fact that I have been incredibly busy with work the past six months. Also, not a good excuse. In the past ten years, I have noticed that the discipline of posting has had the effect of improving my discipline, organization, and productivity in all other areas of life. Now, to be fair, the sort of activity I have dealt with this year is not what comes most easily to me. When dealing with strictly organizational, logistical challenges I use up a lot more energy than when working strategically.
But the most compelling excuse I can think of is the cultural climate. I tend to think about and write about what I see in the culture. Quite often that ends up being about things that are off, or wrong, or need to be changed. Not just in the culture at large, but also within the church culture.
I was once told by wiser, older, missional figure that those who are sent out serve a secondary function to their sending church culture. They look back with a prophetic, convicting gaze. From the outside, they more easily see the inconsistencies, the errors, and the danger zones that those within often overlook. In the proverbial frog-in-the-boiling-water illustration, they are a frog outside the pot shouting out warnings.
However, today’s cultural climate is a dangerous place to be that sort of voice. One likes to think that followers of Jesus are most interested in truth and most aware of their own fallibility. Christianity is all about heeding wisdom and not being the fool who never hears correction. We don’t hold up examples of Christianity where the culture was guarded above all else. Pharisees, inquisitors, and witch-hunters are not who we want to be. But from time to time that is who dominates the church. The voices who value power and influence above integrity and humility. I hope that is not who we are deciding to become.
But it feels enough like it that one hesitates to say anything critical.
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