Here begins my attempted venture at blogging. It will often have a spiritual focus and its desired audience holds wide and diverse spiritual and life views, hence it’s an “attempted venture.” Well-meaning friends have cautioned me that going for too broad of an audience won’t work. That has also been said of my book, A Search for Common Ground: Let’s Talk. In fact, I’ve tested the blog market a bit, seeking to comment on, and gently banter with some atheists on a blog site where atheists hang out. In no uncertain terms I was told to get off their site. (While harsh communication often happens through the anonymity of social media, in person I have found plenty of atheists to be caring individuals.)
We people are like that, especially spiritually. We are clique-y, in our denominations, our traditions, our theological slants, and in our religions or anti-religions. At my workplace, where I am a chaplain who happens to be a Christian, as I approached an employee, another employee warned me, “He’s Hindu,” as if I was only a chaplain for the Christians. In the break room I approached two guys sitting together. As I began to talk to the one, the other whom I was acquainted with, whispered, “He’s Muslim.”
Well, I’m still going to try. My hope is that this blog will be relevant to a broad audience–to the non-spiritual and the spiritual, as well as to people of all faiths. I believe my topics will all be spiritual, while you might think they are political. Topics will include things like apologetics, various views of the origin of things, climate change, universalism, the Church, atheism, being relevant, being grounded, learning about differences of people across the spectrum of spirituality, etc.
I admit, I write this blog as a Christian pastor, but I will write posts that highlight and challenge all angles, and which seek to bring encouragement to all, though I know many won’t agree with what is written. Most posts will touch on subjects in my two books: (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Fred+Wilgenburg). Other posts will touch on other issues.
Feedback is always welcomed, and will receive a respectful, thoughtful response. One can communicate with me in the following ways: 1) publically on my Facebook post and/or video which may have introduced this post, 2) as a comment on this page below this specific post, or 3) you can PRIVATELY communicate by filling in the email form under the “Contact Fred” heading.
For starters, I hope to write 1 post each week. (Next time…“engaging those who are different from us. Why? How? I’m not sure either, but I’m having fun trying.)
Thanks for reading this first post.