I've been busy lately, so I haven't had a chance to sit down and write anything of any value. Actually, busy isn't the right word. Distracted or "otherwise occupied" are better descriptions. I don't really want to talk about the source of my distraction right now. I only bring it up because I wanted to explain why I haven't posted anything and why this post is going to be so short. Well, it was going to be really short until I got distracted writing about the fact that I've been distracted. And then, to top it off, I started writing about being distracted writing about my distraction. This is quickly spiraling downhill.
Time is short. Moving on.
What I wanted to say was that while my last post may have seemed like I was in the midst of a deep spiritual crisis, I really wasn't. I was just trying to work through what I felt about this God I serve. Well, what I felt about one particular aspect of Him. What I don't think came through all that clearly in the previous post is that you can ask those sorts of questions without feeling like you're toeing the line of atheism (which has always felt like standing at the edge of a really tall cliff to me). It is possible to question aspects of your faith and still maintain that faith.
I believe that questions, hard questions, are part of a healthy Christianity. I also believe that trying to handle hard questions on your own isn't the smartest idea in the world. Sure, try to figure it out, but don't forget your back up. An example:
The majority of that post was written before my trip to San Francisco with the youth group from my church. God's protection was obviously immediately important to me. So I sat down, read my Bible, and said to myself, "Huh, that doesn't make sense." So I sat and thought about it. Then I prayed about it. Then I thought about it some more. And then (and this is the part I don't want anyone to skip when they're struggling) I asked people about it. Good people. People whose relationship with Christ I respect. I asked my dad (a retired pastor), and I asked my spiritual mentor (a pastor at my church). Having people you can talk to in person about this stuff is crucial.
I'm officially out of time, so I hope this makes sense 'cuz I don't have time to proof it.
Time is short. Moving on.
What I wanted to say was that while my last post may have seemed like I was in the midst of a deep spiritual crisis, I really wasn't. I was just trying to work through what I felt about this God I serve. Well, what I felt about one particular aspect of Him. What I don't think came through all that clearly in the previous post is that you can ask those sorts of questions without feeling like you're toeing the line of atheism (which has always felt like standing at the edge of a really tall cliff to me). It is possible to question aspects of your faith and still maintain that faith.
I believe that questions, hard questions, are part of a healthy Christianity. I also believe that trying to handle hard questions on your own isn't the smartest idea in the world. Sure, try to figure it out, but don't forget your back up. An example:
The majority of that post was written before my trip to San Francisco with the youth group from my church. God's protection was obviously immediately important to me. So I sat down, read my Bible, and said to myself, "Huh, that doesn't make sense." So I sat and thought about it. Then I prayed about it. Then I thought about it some more. And then (and this is the part I don't want anyone to skip when they're struggling) I asked people about it. Good people. People whose relationship with Christ I respect. I asked my dad (a retired pastor), and I asked my spiritual mentor (a pastor at my church). Having people you can talk to in person about this stuff is crucial.
I'm officially out of time, so I hope this makes sense 'cuz I don't have time to proof it.
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