So today was an interesting day. This morning I checked on the status of my article just to see what sort of comments had been left regarding it. RELEVANT has a feature wherein readers can post a quick comment or two regarding the article they've read. It's a cool feature, at least sometimes. So, I checked it out today. A couple of times. Most of what I had to read were positive comments. One guy and I seem to have a lot in common and are now checking each other's blogs out as well.
Well, I had to go to work because, sadly, I am not independently wealthy and upon returning home, thought I'd check one more time and also check my e-mail. Yes, to answer your question, I'm a little excited and a bit anal in regards to my first "published" work being there for the whole world to see! But, so I checked. Hmmm... Seems to me that I just had my convictions questioned there... What's this? Now I'm digging another hole by accomodating culture. Oh man. Crap.
And then I checked my mail. I had a crazy long e-mail from, what I perceive to be a well-meaing pastor who just really, really, really disagreed with me. And, well, that's cool. It's fine that he disagreed. Who knows? In five years, maybe I'll disagree with it too. But what concerned me was that at the beginning of the email he chose to state that he couldn't judge my conscience and therefore my salvation. That's cool. He's right. He can't. Yet toward the end of the email, after explaining, at least to some degree, his point of view on the subject of our engagment of culture, he proceeded to more or less question my salvation and call into question my conscience. Interesting.
One thing I have to remember is something that a new friend shared as I reentered this world of writing. She said that I have to remember that when people critique my work or dislike it that it's not me they're criticizing. I am not my writing. But, let me tell you, it still stings sometimes.
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3 comments:
Hello new friend,
I guess, now, we have three things in common. Other than having the same blog template and both having written for Relevant (I wrote mine about three years ago, so it's no longer on the site), we both have a tendency to spark some tension in the hearts of many.
But that's a good thing. At least people are thinking.
Just an encouragement...disagreements are great. They bring both parties to a deeper understanding of each other and, ultimately, the topic of disagreement. The key is being able to see the issue from the others' (No, not the others on Lost) vantage point. We don't want to close off our minds to any possiblities that are out there.
I've already gotten some levels of heat for my book and it hasn't been released yet.
It's exciting to be in honest dialogue with others.
Keep following what God put on your heart my friend.
Not quite as nicely worded as the previous comment but I was basically thinking the same thing. What fun would it be if everyone agreed with you all the time? Discussions would have no place to go. Disagreement keeps people thinking.
The email I just sent you actually touches lightly on the whole "other points of view thing". By the way, is that pastor from Lake City? =-P
I read your Relevant article, and subsequently your blog and I was inspired. I'm a print journalist and often suffer through the same reaction to criticism. Guess I wasn't made with the thickest of skin, either.
But criticism is good. I mean you have to evaluate yourself and what you did and if the criticism seems correct, learn from it. If after searching the criticism bears no weight, then forget about it.
Your article was published because it is good, and because it speaks to issues Christians face everyday. Sure, we could all hide from the world and try to make ourselves the judges of salvation, but I'd prefer humbling myself and trying to follow God, even as the sinful world persists around me. Your article was a meaningful, thoughtful piece.
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