Well I'm back from GodBlogCon, invigorated by the great conversations, the encouraging words, excellent presentations, a sharpened vision of blogging's potential to change the world... and ready to blog! But then, it takes me all the way to Tuesday to finally send forth a post into the blogospehere, one summing up my thoughts on GodBlogCon. By that time, it seems there are already hundreds of posts on GodBlogCon, and many have already moved on to the next topic. Next!
I got to thinking... there's so many talented folks out there blogging. I met a lot of them over this past weekend. People with PhD's, power-blogging pastors (some who run marathons), people with national radio shows, erudite people, who know so much about... everything.
And some of these people blog so fast and furious-- the ideas just flow from them... and they're good ideas too, well-articulated. And I began thinking... how am I going to "keep up with the Jones" blog, anyway?
But then, for some odd reason, an old Talking Heads song popped into my head, and I remembered these lines from it:
"You're talkin' a lot, but you're not sayin' anything.
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed.
Say something once, why say it again?"
Okay, I know these lines are from a song called "Psycho Killer", but they do make a certain amount of sense. I don't want to talk a lot, but not say anything. Or participate in the conversation, just to be able to say, "Hey, I was in the conversation!" Nor do I want to repeat myself, or merely repeat what everyone else is saying.
The blogosphere is a place where things happen at lightning speed, a very reactionary landscape. Sometimes it feels like if you want to say something, you better say it fast, or it will be too late. Too late for what, though? Do I have to be the first to say something in order for it to have a beneficial effect on someone else's life? Which brings me back to the question: why am I blogging, anyway?
In the days after GodBlogCon, I admired LaShawn Barber's honest and reflective post, Fallen But Forgiven, in which she admitted the pride she felt rising up inside of her as a well-known blogger, and how she was dealing with it. I too recognize that my sudden anxiety about being able to compete in the blogosphere has much to do with my own ego.
I want to be clever with a quip. Or better yet, profound with a point. But most of all, seen and recognized. But if that becomes the driving force behind my blogging, I may end up with not much of a reward. I remember Jesus' warning words to His disciples about praying to be seen by men:
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:5
Convicting words. I know that excellence is important, and I will certainly strive to be an excellent blogger-- a better writer, more informed, faster to post (maybe). But most of all, I want to be able to say something meaningful, real and helpful to others. So if you don't see any posts on my blog for a while, and you're wondering-- what's happened to that Jordan fellow, has he abandoned the faith?--
Then just remember me in your prayers and kindly pray that a few days of pondering, a few weeks of reflecting, or just a solid hour spent with my Lord, will bring me back to my blogging with fresh power, new excitement, and hopefully, something worth saying. God bless you all.
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