Tieche's Response to Avid, Rabid Readers

Dear Friends, Readers, Passers-by,

First off, I find it vaguely ironic that just two days ago, I was having a conversation with my close friend Jon Fortt. He remarked that it amazes him when people's comments are longer than his original post, like what happened recently on his blog.

This happened twice yesterday to me.

Couple of thoughts:

First off, thanks to Anonymous for the post. I don't know if you meant to post anonymously, or if you just didn't sign in. I'm glad you wrote what you did.

Second off, thanks Russell and Keller. Russell - who does not have a lot of spare time these days, seeing as how he's getting married in two days - managed to squeeze off a full-lenth epistle. I can't get my kids to write anything that long. I guess the secret is to piss people off.

Third off, I'd like to point out a few things that I noticed about your post, Anonymous.

1. It's Rather Inflammatory: You used a lot of tough rhetoric. I kind of agree with Russell: your tone seemed more attacking and angry than anything else. I once heard someone say that the sign of a mature and educated person was the ability to talk about any issue without having to yell. I imagined you yelling reading the post.

2. You Made a Lot of Assumptions: You assumed a lot of things about me that just aren't true. I definately don't think it's a good idea to ever use the phrase, "You should read your Bible more." That's just kind of a jerk statement. The Bible isn't a textbook with answers to prove heathens wrong.

You also grouped me very nicely and neatly into well-ordered categories, which is exactly the kind of superficial boundary marking that I referred to in my last post. I don't find that very helpful.

3. How Do You Know If God is On Your Side? I think it's worth asking the question"Do God and I care about the same things?" And a better question than that is, "How can I align myself with what God really cares about." I think the answer, partially, comes through reading the Bible and getting the general storyline. It's a love note meant to capture our hearts. It's an epic story meant to inspire us. It's an unfinished play whose final acts we're invited to participate in. It's a treasure chest of wisdom. It's a spring that brings life.

And the more I read it, the more I see God caring about the folks on the fringes of society - the more I see Him caring more about the character of his people than anything else - the more I see Him wanting to form a new type of revolutionary community based on love and humility and grace and generosity that throws the order of the world on its ear.

This view is informed not only by my own reading, but by the scholarly analysis of pastors, writers, poets and artists, living and dead, ancient and modern. I don't feel as though I'm breaking at all with the vast, deep line of orthodox thinkers who were devoted followers of Christ. I feel as though folks like Chan Chandler have.

4. Church Conflict is Inevitable But Not Always Good: You mentioned that sometimes, Christians leave church because the teachings are "too hard" or that they don't want to accept "truth." That's true. The hard teaching of Christ are very difficult and the number of people who are willing to devote themselves to them seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

But I think where you and I differ radically is the exposition of what those hard teachings are. I say they're things like holding your tongue, serving, not gossipping, being generous even when it's scary, loving people you really don't want to, being a force and influence for good, etc, etc. Sometimes, people like Chan Chandler assume that because people don't agree with them, it's because they're far from Christ. But sometimes, it's because people recognize hypocrisy, cruelty and heart-heartedness and want nothing to do with that because that is far from the Spirit of Christ.

5. Your Method of Discussion Isn't Really Discussion: You don't seem very interested in conversation. Or hearing people. Or listening. Just talking. Maybe I'm the same way. Maybe I need to be aware of that. I just think I'm on dangerous groun when I present myself in such a way that makes it seem like I know everything, and that anyone who disagrees with me is not only a fool, but a God-hater. When God agrees with everything you say, it's possible that you've made an idol.