Some of these bloggers give detailed narratives on Caring Bridge sites, detailing everything from the emotional trauma of a debilitating injury or disease, or recording the minutiae of every procedure.
One blog I read resembles a systematic theology primer slash apologetic--each point of doctrine argued with a determined certainty. You are either explicitly or implicitly made to feel that if you don't agree with what is written, one's salvation is to be questioned. It makes me think that I might enter heaven patting down the flames on the seat of my pants. (I Corinthians 3:15)
Religion. Politics. The Human Condition. Page after page. Day after day. I am in awe of where they get their material. My life is not that interesting, I guess.
I would love to be that writer, and in some ways I am, pushing out two 1400 word sermon manuscripts a week.
I think what it comes down to is that I have plenty to say, but I shouldn't say it. Much of what I'd write about would be about the people I come across in my work.
I could write about the homeless guy who came into church this past Sunday at 8:30 AM wanting to talk about why he lost his job and why tsunamis happen in Japan. I could write about that.
I can't write about people in my church, family, or colleagues. Even without names, people connect the dots and confidentiality is breached and trust is lost.
I think that it should be in a pastor's contract that each member of the church needs to sign a waiver, releasing the pastor from all responsibility if he uses them as a sermon illustration, or maybe worse, fodder for a blog post. If you don't want me to write about you, stay out of trouble.
That said, it's a weird job. Either people tell me a lot, but expect that I repeat none of it, or they don't tell me anything and expect me to know every detail of an event that has occurred in their life.
It's been a day. I didn't think I had anything to write about, and maybe, at this point, you agree with me.
Another day.
