John, you always leave behind something to think about further. I’ve been searching all my life and will continue to do so. One never knows when lightening will strike just the right chord.
That's a fact: you never know when or what might suddenly change your life. Or slowly. But, yeah, as you suggest, no matter what, it's ALL about the continued search. That's basically all life is: you keep looking, waiting, hoping that, in the next moment, you'll be happier or smarter or wiser or more secure than you were the moment before.
Loved this John! As always. And as always I have questions:
1) Please please please tell us about Bishop Spong likening you to Jesus!
2) I was with you up until the natural disaster part, where I immediately started thinking about the 1755 earthquake and tsunami in Lisbon. I’m not sure how that fits with what you said about God and natural disasters.
Barbara Heller! As good a friend as any writer ever had. But, let's see:
1. I don't know just when it was, but around 2011 I was being interviewed on some Christian-type radio show about something I'd written on my blog (I don't remember what it was). The guest on the show who'd been interviewed in the segment before mine was Mr. Spong. When my segment was over, I somehow ended up alone on the phone with HIM. It sounds impossible to even say, but I think he waited for my segment to be over so he could talk to me, because . . . why wouldn't he have just hung up when his interview was done? I honestly don't know why he was just . . . WAITING for me, when my interview was over. But there he was, and we started talking. It turned out he was a READER of mine; he knew a lot of my work. Not one minute after we'd hung up--and I mean, it was MAYBE thirty seconds after--it was just instant--my email binged, and there, from John himself, was this: "John Shore is a gadfly, calling the Christian Church everywhere to act the way it says it believes about love and justice, which of course makes him an uncomfortable presence in those churches that do not like to be forced to face reality. So were the prophets of old. So was Jesus of Nazareth." -- John Shelby Spong. And ... that's that story!
2. Oh, MAN. The Lisbon tragedy of 1755. I just read the Wikipedia article on it. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake). Yowzer. But, yeah, so, the question is: What has the human race done since then--what did it do BECAUSE of that event--to ensure that, from that tragedy forward, no earthquake, tsunami or fire would ever be anywhere near that devastating? (A LOT, as it turns out. Which is awesome.) I want to live in a world where I know that everything that could possibly be done to stop anyone from ever dying the way people did in Lisbon in 1755 has been done, and is continuing to evolve. I'm no expert in ANY of the myriad sciences and disciplines that would naturally play a role in that unending endeavor. And while I know we've made great leaps and bounds in protecting people from natural disasters, I also know that we haven't dedicated for that singular purpose anything NEAR what we could and should. And I have to leave it at that, because it's 6:37 am and I'm already late for work. Love you. Thank you!
Your tone is definitely different than when I started following you. But I like it just as much for different reasons. You make so much SENSE which is why most of the world will never believe you!
IS it different? I wouldn’t know, of course: to me it’s always just me. But, yeah, I guess two things have changed: I don’t have the TIME I used to spend finessing these things (by which I definitely don’t mean to say that I think my old stuff was better written than anything I’m doing these days: I definitely don't), and . . . I’m less patient than I used to be. I used to actually kind of CARE that people heard what I was saying relative to the kinds of ideas I’m here presenting. And I still do, of course. But . . . less so. And I think that makes me more direct. ANYHOO, it’s good to hear from you, Linda. I know you’ve been with me since the early days of my personal blog. (Remember blogs? Man, is that whole world dead now…!)
I think you nailed it with the not as patient thing. Neither am I. I’m at an age where I just can’t bear with cruel or stupid people. I hope they change. But I’m not holding my breath. On the other hand, I try to extend grace to everyone. You really don’t know the personal battles people are fighting inside.
Yes, just as you say. And I’m really aware of how much I respect my readers time. I don’t want to waste a word, because I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. But I also want to be READABLE, which is to say conversational—and that does take more words than just being Joe Blunt the whole way through. So you try to walk that line, stay within that tonality. It’s a really tricky balance.
You nailed it, as always. Hey, and thank you for doing the paid subscription here with me. I am very much appreciative of that. It's amazing. Thank you again.
John, you always leave behind something to think about further. I’ve been searching all my life and will continue to do so. One never knows when lightening will strike just the right chord.
That's a fact: you never know when or what might suddenly change your life. Or slowly. But, yeah, as you suggest, no matter what, it's ALL about the continued search. That's basically all life is: you keep looking, waiting, hoping that, in the next moment, you'll be happier or smarter or wiser or more secure than you were the moment before.
Loved this John! As always. And as always I have questions:
1) Please please please tell us about Bishop Spong likening you to Jesus!
2) I was with you up until the natural disaster part, where I immediately started thinking about the 1755 earthquake and tsunami in Lisbon. I’m not sure how that fits with what you said about God and natural disasters.
I love “shey”! ❤️
Barbara Heller! As good a friend as any writer ever had. But, let's see:
1. I don't know just when it was, but around 2011 I was being interviewed on some Christian-type radio show about something I'd written on my blog (I don't remember what it was). The guest on the show who'd been interviewed in the segment before mine was Mr. Spong. When my segment was over, I somehow ended up alone on the phone with HIM. It sounds impossible to even say, but I think he waited for my segment to be over so he could talk to me, because . . . why wouldn't he have just hung up when his interview was done? I honestly don't know why he was just . . . WAITING for me, when my interview was over. But there he was, and we started talking. It turned out he was a READER of mine; he knew a lot of my work. Not one minute after we'd hung up--and I mean, it was MAYBE thirty seconds after--it was just instant--my email binged, and there, from John himself, was this: "John Shore is a gadfly, calling the Christian Church everywhere to act the way it says it believes about love and justice, which of course makes him an uncomfortable presence in those churches that do not like to be forced to face reality. So were the prophets of old. So was Jesus of Nazareth." -- John Shelby Spong. And ... that's that story!
2. Oh, MAN. The Lisbon tragedy of 1755. I just read the Wikipedia article on it. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake). Yowzer. But, yeah, so, the question is: What has the human race done since then--what did it do BECAUSE of that event--to ensure that, from that tragedy forward, no earthquake, tsunami or fire would ever be anywhere near that devastating? (A LOT, as it turns out. Which is awesome.) I want to live in a world where I know that everything that could possibly be done to stop anyone from ever dying the way people did in Lisbon in 1755 has been done, and is continuing to evolve. I'm no expert in ANY of the myriad sciences and disciplines that would naturally play a role in that unending endeavor. And while I know we've made great leaps and bounds in protecting people from natural disasters, I also know that we haven't dedicated for that singular purpose anything NEAR what we could and should. And I have to leave it at that, because it's 6:37 am and I'm already late for work. Love you. Thank you!
Your tone is definitely different than when I started following you. But I like it just as much for different reasons. You make so much SENSE which is why most of the world will never believe you!
IS it different? I wouldn’t know, of course: to me it’s always just me. But, yeah, I guess two things have changed: I don’t have the TIME I used to spend finessing these things (by which I definitely don’t mean to say that I think my old stuff was better written than anything I’m doing these days: I definitely don't), and . . . I’m less patient than I used to be. I used to actually kind of CARE that people heard what I was saying relative to the kinds of ideas I’m here presenting. And I still do, of course. But . . . less so. And I think that makes me more direct. ANYHOO, it’s good to hear from you, Linda. I know you’ve been with me since the early days of my personal blog. (Remember blogs? Man, is that whole world dead now…!)
I think you nailed it with the not as patient thing. Neither am I. I’m at an age where I just can’t bear with cruel or stupid people. I hope they change. But I’m not holding my breath. On the other hand, I try to extend grace to everyone. You really don’t know the personal battles people are fighting inside.
Yes, just as you say. And I’m really aware of how much I respect my readers time. I don’t want to waste a word, because I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. But I also want to be READABLE, which is to say conversational—and that does take more words than just being Joe Blunt the whole way through. So you try to walk that line, stay within that tonality. It’s a really tricky balance.
You nailed it, as always. Hey, and thank you for doing the paid subscription here with me. I am very much appreciative of that. It's amazing. Thank you again.