When I started the blog I was hoping to share news stories most people don’t see in the mainstream presses. I wanted to present a viewpoint beyond the liberal and conservative dichotomy. I hoped to make it fun.
More importantly, I was hoping to widen the converstation on the nature of religion. I knew that there were many of you who had profound insights that did not fit in the immature categories available in this culture for the subject of meaning and purpose. Some of you are theists, some are nontheists, some are scientists, some are poets. I knew that the conversation could be amazing if we could find common coin.
We had built up to maybe 5,000 people a month on the site, but about a week ago something happened. Because so many of you shared articles, the site exploded. So far this month we’ve had 98,000 hits and we still have a week to go.
I’m not doing anything different so I know you must be sharing articles in ways I don’t even understand. I really believe this is a critical conversation for our nation and for our world. Because I’m still groping to figure out the basic aspects of a site, I am very aware that I owe you all a debt of gratitude for your patience, and for filling in where I fall short. I just wanted to say “thank you.”
Jim, your blog has become an invaluable way to stay in touch with you and to hear about your thoughts as well as your sermons. It works so much better for me than a newsletter. And it does not surprise me that your site and your thoughts are “going viral”. The world, at least parts of it hunger for your conversation.
Ken,
You have been helping people have these conversations for years. The Crossings was a gift that changed Austin for ever. Thank you. That means so much coming from you.
Jim
Jim – your words and wisdom have brought me such peace. I’ve been craving spiritual sanity for a long time and your words are a constant source. I’m so glad I found you!
Catherine, you are so kind to write. Thank you.
Thank YOU for writing thought-provoking, conversation-starting posts.
Thank you Liz. That’s what I’m trying to do. Jim
Jim, I was just turned on to your blog by an online friend and I am hooked. Can’t begin to tell you what a refreshing find you are. I am an in the wild believer who has left organized religion (at least temporarily) due to the legalistic/fundamental background I have spent my who life (not too short of 50 years now) in. I represent a few of those 98,000 hits…;-)
Gary, Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to the conversation. Jim
I shared one on my FB page. Partly because I agree with it, but mostly because I hoped you’d buy me a beer soon.
I remember when we used to have long debates about spirituality in the high school days. You were very into Edgar Cayce, astral projection, and Eastern religions at that time, exploring rather like Siddhartha. I have never given religion must thought, but, now that I have embarked on a writing career, I find that the issue of spirituality is the single most important issue in contemporary society. I will never become a devotee of any established religion; I simply cannot and will not adopt some particular text as holy writ, and then proceed to a tortured exegesis to reconcile some unfortunate formula to my own core beliefs. My own scripture comes from Shakespeare, Montaigne, Erasmus, Plato, Joyce, Proust, Chekhov, Whitman and Twain. And yes, the Bible, and the Quran, and the Mumonkan. But, not all of them, and not on all subjects. Just because I receive great insight from King Lear does not mean I have to accept Titus Andronicus as revealed truth. Having said all this, I greatly respect and appreciate your courage and your battle against the forces of oppression and hatred. Would that your voice spoke for the majority of those preaching from pulpits around the world, but, I fear, we have a long way to go.
Hey Mark, It’s good to hear from you. I remember those years of searching. I didn’t have any ideas of where to start. I knew the shallow version of Christianity I had been taught couldn’t have been what Jesus meant, but worldviews are hard things to get out of so you can see them. We also discussed Plato and Schopenhauer as well. There weren’t too many topics we didn’t cover in those days. Do you remember that you gave me my first version of the Tao Te Ching? Your sister sold me cheap volumns of Kant and Hegel to get started with Western philosophers. Come to think of it, I hope they weren’t yours!
I am excited to hear about your writing career. Where can we find some of your work?
Thanks for not hiding your light under a basket……it is always an honor to call you friend.
Thanks Walker. It’s great to hear from you. We’ll have to figure out how to cross paths. You should be very proud of you daughter. She’s a brave young woman.