Surprised by Blog
Line by line, these long-distance conversations speak volumes.
Mark D. Roberts
I never aspired to have a blog. In fact, I always disliked the name "blog" because it sounded way too techie for me. "Blog" comes from "weblog," and refers to an online collection of regular "posts."
These are usually written online and can include video clips, photos, you name it. Sometimes blogs come from experts and leaders who focus on substantive matters of politics, business and, increasingly, Christian ministry. But most of the more than 100 million bloggers are ordinary folks writing on whatever strikes their fancy. Readers often respond to blogs by either adding comments to the blog itself or by sending e-mails to the blogger.
My blog was born on December 21, 2003, with a short piece on the fictional history in Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code. At the time I wondered if I'd have enough to say to keep my blog alive for a few weeks. Now, more than four years and a million words later, I haven't run out of steamor words.
On the third day of blogging, I posted the first part of a review of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ. In my review, I explained why I did not think the film posed a risk to the Jewish community in America. In response, I received an e-mail from a Jewish professor I'd never met. His response provided a heartfelt sense of his own concerns.
I was touched by his openness about his pain and fears. Through ongoing e-mails, I've learned things that have forever changed the way I think about what it means to be a Jew in the world today. For the first time I began to wonder if God had something more in mind for my blog.
Astonished and Privileged
I decided to expand my first post on The Da Vinci Code with a nine-part series on the question "Was Jesus Married?" in which I showed the historical evidence for Jesus's marriage added up to nil.
Soon I was getting e-mails from all over the world, including one from a young man from India named Samir. He said he was a Christian struggling to maintain his faith in a hostile culture. One of his friends had read The Da Vinci Code and told him the "real truth" about his Jesus.
Feeling his faith slipping away from him, Samir was devastated. In desperation he googled "Was Jesus married" and the link to my series popped up on his screen. Then he blogged:
I was literally going berserk, but I am so happy that I found a truly wonderful site like yours which is very rich in content and also very much healing. I got true answers, Robert!
When I finished reading Samir's note, my heart overflowed with amazement and gratitude. I thanked the Lord for what he had done. The blog was no longer a hobby or an insignificant pastoral tool, but a way for me to honor and serve God. Indeed, it was no longer my blog, but God's, entrusted to me for his purposes waiting to be discovered one post, one conversation, one e-mail at a time.
Mark D. Roberts is the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. His latest book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He blogs at MarkDRoberts.com.
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