Big World, Little World

I began blogging the end of September. At the time I thought I was doing my duty as a priest. About 1,000 people are at church here a month so my hope was that I could reach another 1,000 a month by blogging. Soon after I read an article which said 'blogging is dead' and the young folks are tweeting now! Ha! I really laughed as I saw that I was not only behind the curve but off the line completely! Yet, the consistent feedback from people is that it is worth it. Blogging may be dead but there are plenty of folks do not know it.

I bring this up because it is a reminder that "church" or "people of God" is a multi-layered concept. Many times the things I write come up in conversation with parishioners. Much of my audience is people I know and serve here. Yesterday, for example, a lady from the church reflected on the struggle with trust in an age when you never know when you are hearing the truth. She pointed out that it does impact her reading of Scripture and her relationship with the church. She said what I had written yesterday resonated. On the other hand, last week I got a birthday greeting from a man who had been in my youth group in the mid-80's. I think I have seen him once or twice since. He told me he reads regularly. Former parishioners or students, dearest friends from my Ascension days, as well, find their way to these postings. It really is connections with people across time and from many periods of my life.

I found out last week that the audience includes people from Russia, India, Ukraine and Iran. Over ten foreign nations have had three or more readers this week. I think of St. Paul writing his hand delivered letters. I think of how long it took his words to reach Corinth or Rome. It is mindboggling that people I do not know are reading what I write thousands of miles away, perhaps within an hour or two. Of course, the readership of Paul stretches around the globe and  has extended through two thousand years. I am no Paul. But all of us do have access to an audience which is much larger than we can imagine.

Witness to Jesus takes place all the time. We either do it well or we do it poorly. If we neglect to say His name we, in a sense, deny Him. If we say His name and live counter to His example, we undermine our value as proclaimers of Good News. Too often we fail to take seriously the opportunity we have. Perhaps the reader from the Ukraine is searching for God? Maybe in Iran someone is wondering about the Christ. What if this is their venue to encounter Him? Obviously, (I repeat, OBVIOUSLY) the Holy Spirit is the source of insight and conversion. I have no illusions that each day behind this keyboard the fate of the world hangs in the balance. On the other hand, I also know that someone may read something here, which leads them to do something there, which is connected to someone else doing something else somewhere else, and that might be important. All of us have no idea the scope of our reach or the impact we make. God uses us and He uses us in ways which we do not know or understand.

Part of the faith is trusting that God's plan is salvation for the world. Part of our faith is trusting that the Heart of God is set on the Good for all people. Part of the faith is trusting that He trusts us. Part of the faith is hanging on to the hope that in the sometimes jumbled mess of life the Kingdom of God lies hidden in our midst. The ministry of Jesus has been handed on to us. We can sit around questioning the meaning of life and pondering if anything matters. We can argue philosophy or medicate our pain through various distractions. Or we can choose to respond to the call from Gallilee, "Come follow Me!"

Today I will encounter a handful of people from around the world by blogging. I will make connections with people who used to be my constant companions, but are now living far away through writing. Today I will also connect with people from all over whom I have never met by blogging. Most of all, I will encounter people who live in Collierville and Memphis, face to face. Each meeting is sacred. Each connection is part of being church. Each time I have a chance to glorify God and serve Jesus. The same is true for each of us. Every day.