AUTHOR: Robin Dugall
DATE: 1:31:00 PM
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BODY:
Hi there fellow bloggers, Christ-followers, friends, family or those of you who have a high threshold for pain. I'm happy today! Now, you might be asking, "why is Robin happy?" Very simple...I've come to some conclusions over the last few days. Curious? I thought so! This is the way I figure it...let's just leave each other alone and let each of us be faithful to the Lord as HE is calling us to uniquely be. Let's not try to be like so and so...let's not slam so and so because they are stuck in modernity or the middle ages...let's not think that just because we have a tatoo or wear an earring that automatically we have a hot line to God...let's not think that just because we read Coupland, Moore, Lamott, Wright, McLaren, or Dr. Suess that we are hip to the latest thinking and everyone else is an idiot....let's not think that just because we have the words "purpose" or "seeker" or "pomo" indelibly posted on our spiritual community's publicity that we are above reproach...let's not declare ourselves above judgment...let's not assume that we are in the will of God and everyone else is following the almighty dollar (although I am tempted to speak on that for more than a few moments). The bottom line is what I read in Brian McLaren's new book this past weekend: it is OK to say "I don't know". Now, I have to admit, Brian was talking about those words in a specific context...but let me just say this, they are as applicable to many of the issues we are facing in Christianity these days. "I don't know" is a major character move toward humility...something which we all need a major dose of, you get my drift? In fact, maybe we should all just have those three little words as our mantra for the coming week...say it with me class, "I don't know". Isn't that simply freeing? Let's all confess, "I don't know what I'm doing"..."I don't have all the answers"..."I don't know if it is better to be purpose driven, seeker sensitive, seeker resistant, denominational, non-denominational, liturgical, orthodox, neoorthodox, confessional, heretical, edgy, traditional, mainstream, new, old, American, African, Canadian, contemporary, or dead (although I must admit, Canadian and dead are two words that go well together, lol)". Why don't we just all admit, "I don't know" and leave it at that! Now, before you or I delete our blogs, tear up any opinion piece we've ever written, or put our brains on hold, let me tell you what I am NOT proposing...saying "I don't know" doesn't mean you are void of opinions. What it does though is establish the fact that you are on equal ground with who you are criticizing. As long as we all acknowledge that, we can have all the opinions we want. Nothing wrong with opinions...everyone has one just like everyone has bellybuttons. So, as I close this happy entry, a shout out to all my friends who have criticized me for criticizing culture, the Church, popular Christians, the sub-culture of Contemporary Christianity, leadership paradigms, or anything else I have criticized. The bottom line to everything I have said is "I don't know". Does that make you feel better? What did Bobby McFerrin say a few years back, "don't worry, be happy!"
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