Photo by: Saunderses
Yesterday, our Web Administrator explained to me the problems we’ve had keeping some of our sites up and running the last few days. Apparently the number of people trying to access Our Daily Bread and the family of RBC sites is growing at a rate that has exceeded the capacity of our servers.
So our Information Services team is working on a solution that will apparently require them at some point to shut off, temporarily, the “comment option” while they make the transition to more capacity.
Not knowing when this is going to happen, I wanted to let you know right away so that, when “comments” are shut down, you, my friends, will not think that I’ve “pulled the plug” on you …
Yes, as I indicated over the weekend, the thought had crossed my mind as we tangled over whether it is wise and necessary to characterize others while making a case for our own faith.
Along the way I’ve also realized that I may not have explained directly enough why I feel so strongly about not naming and making negative characterizations about other persons and organizations (as our blog guidelines discourage). I’m guessing some of you think I’m just trying to be “politically correct”.
So this is the explanation I owe you. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to express our faith, our own brokenness before God, and the life-changing forgiveness and acceptance of God, we don’t need to knock others down to lift Christ up.
There are practical considerations. The very act of personally naming another person or group raises the predictable response, “Who are you to judge us, when you, or your own people, Scriptures, say, or do etc…” Unfortunately, such back and forth characterizations can launch an endless contest of mutual accusations of unfairness, misunderstanding etc. It is the very nature of our humanity to defend ourselves against the insult or attack of opposition.
As I see it, such practical considerations can help to align us with the truth that we all affirm. I think we’d all agree that our story is really about our own wrongs, and the mercy that we have found in Christ. By telling our own story, we will lead by example, show what we have found for ourselves, and give others a chance to decide for themselves whether they are hearing the voice of truth in us.
This doesn’t mean we are asking for only positive thoughts about others. Of necessity we need to be able to say what the Bible says, that apart from the cross of Christ, and apart from his grace and rescue, no one has any hope of coming to God on their own merits.
Since “no one” is “everyone”, “no-one” needs to be named– either for the sake of the truth, or clarity.
If you say, yes, but what about the practical issues of safety, national security etc? The response is we can talk about these legitimate issues in principle rather than, as if only the members of one group can pose a threat to others.
I need to stop here… and allow you to comment… If by your way of thinking I have just further clouded the waters, don’t hesitate to say so…
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