When President Biden recently delivered his annual State of the Union address, the whole world was watching in real time, and analysis of his every word began before the speech was even over.

Big city newspapers and the 10 o’clock network news used to be our go-to sources for commentary and analysis after such events, but it often came hours after the fact. Now, anyone can have their say, instantly, due in large part to the estimated 600 million blogs that exist in the world. https://webtribunal.net/blog/how-many-blogs)

Your hairdresser, your cousin Vinny, some guy in his pajamas who created a “newspaper” in his basement, and a social media influencer in Thailand, can all weigh in and what they write doesn’t even have to be true. 

Currently, one in three websites in the world is a blog and there are an estimated 6 million new blog posts every day. That’s a lot of talking.

Sadly, more is not necessarily better. We’re not just getting more news and information. We’re getting a lot more verbal noise. Sometimes undifferentiated and dangerous noise. 

This whole instant communication thing began innocently enough 30 years ago when a guy named Justin Hall decided to put his thoughts about life on the World Wide Web, as the Internet was called back then.  He called it a “weblog.” Then one day, to give his journal a little more pizzazz, he rearranged the letters to say “we blog” (get it?),  and “blogging” was unleashed into the lexicon.

This blog began 11 years ago out of a desire to write about life (mine and others) and what it looks like when you factor in God. Honest conversations at street level. A bit like Justin Hall’s original intention, although his blog didn’t include the God part. 

I don’t pretend these posts are Pulitzer material. I consider myself simply a “pilgrim on the loose” in the world, sharing stories, keeping it real, reminding us we need each other and it would be nice if we treated each other better, too. And definitely to give God a seat at the table.

Since this blog has been quiet for a while (even though a robust archive of previous posts is still available here), I thought my absence deserved an explanation.

Frankly, I stopped writing because the din of all the words of those 600 million blogs—many hateful and divisive—left me wondering if meaningful personal connection was even possible anymore in a blog. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201803/cure-disconnection). Ok, so words on a page don’t actually make a sound, but the effect is the same. Overload.

• • I don’t do this because I have nothing better to do. The smartphone in the palm of our hands offers endless entertainment 24/7 for both of us, without the need to think deeply about anything.
• • I’m not selling miracle face creams, probiotics, or exercise programs that promise the flat stomach you’ve always yearned for.
• • I’m not trying to rack up thousands of “likes.”
• • I don’t offer a trendy TikTok-style dance routine or an outlandish political conspiracy theory to liven your cocktail-hour conversations.

This blog is more of a quiet space. A place to pause, catch your breath, and give your heart and mind some “moving-around room” to think about life and what you want it to look like.

Elizabeth O’Conner in Letters to Scattered Pilgrims, her classic book written decades before the Internet came on the scene, said if we stopped and thought about what matters to us, most of us want deeper, more authentic connection with others. And if we feel disconnected, lonely, or unhappy, it may be because we don’t know each other’s stories.

Connection takes people willing to “turn their chairs” and “see” each other and listen and feel and care. It’s called community. It’s what we were made for–community with each other and with God.

Mr. Rogers used to tell children if they were lonely or afraid, they should “look for the helpers” (teachers, police, grandparents, etc.). Similarly, Elizabeth O’Conner says if we feel disconnected, we need to look for people who are authentic and willing to share their stories and who will listen to yours. Community makes a difference if you feel alone, afraid, or confused about what to do.

I realize that’s what this blog has always been about. Human stories, reflections, snapshots of real life, a bit of wisdom to chew on and maybe act on. Words sent into the world to tip the scales back in favor of hope. Connection. 

So, our front door is officially open again. Drop by anytime.