Thursday, September 22, 2005

Anonymously Known

I'm gradually finding out that people I know out there in the "real world" (outside of cyberspace) are making their way here to Two World Collision. I've actually tried to keep this blog under the radar from anyone I may actually interact with so that I can feel free enough to process my life (including the relationships in my life). The funny thing is that i've done a pretty poor job at the whole anonymity thing because i've left enough clues here and there from post to post to where anyone who really wanted to could find out my real identity. And at the same time, if anyone I know stumbled upon this blog not knowing that it was me, they could easily figure out that 'hey, I know this Eric!'

So if you know who I am - Welcome! If you don't know who I am - you'll get to know me through the blog. Either way, I invite you along this journey of mine! Anyone is welcome to email me at twoworldcollision(AT)yahoo(DOT)com. I figured that it may be a good idea now to do a bit of house keeping so that whoever is reading this (those who know me, those who don't, regulars, occassional readers, or visitors) can read these things knowing the proper context of my intent and heart.

First of all, please know that this blog started out primarily for me to have an outlet of processing my thoughts along this journey. Having a certain anonymity allowed me to do that. Even though I know that some of you may know me, I'm going to try my best to stay true to that purpose in my writing. These are my raw thoughts that may or may not necessarily reflect my actual positions, opinions, or convictions about various subjects. If i'm writing about it here, i'm simply chewing on it so that I can figure out what I believe about it. However, it's important for me to be able to be "me" without having to put up any facades for anyone that I may "think" is reading. In this context, this blog is for me.

Secondly, please know that this blog is my chronicle of this journey of mine exploring clashing worlds - my faith vs. my sexuality, my previously held beliefs vs. my challenging of old paradigms, my "straight" context vs. my "gay" context, my facades vs. my real self, and my public ministry life vs. my personal relationships. If you notice me overly pointing out that this or that or he or she is "gay" or "straight", then it's simply as a means of making a distinction in relation to potentially colliding worlds - otherwise, I could care less. As a chronicle, this is a journal that tells my story. Hopefully, in my story people can discover that they are not alone. This is a means for people to relate. At the same time, hopefully this will open a fresh perspective for those not familiar with the gay context (and especially in relation to faith). In this context, this blog is for you.

Thirdly, please know that this blog is about process and conversation. I ask alot of questions, not necessarily looking for answers per se, but because I'm interested in where those questions lead me. Asking the questions stimulate the conversation about things that many people are choosing not to talk about. I believe that these conversations are especially useful when they are about things that challenge us - things that force us to wrestle with previously held beliefs. I believe that when we challenge our paradigm, we are actually shaping it. So I encourage you to enter into this process and conversation - with yourself, with the Lord, with me, with others reading this blog (or in cyberspace), and with others in the real world (your world). In this context, this blog is for us.

I pray that God would accomplish His purposes through this blog far beyond my own intent in starting it and writing in it. I don't presume to know all there is to know about truth - but then again, that's the point.

If this is your first time here, you can check out links on the left side column to read more about me or about others on a similar journey. I suggest you check out some of the links on the right side column if you'd like to catch up on things you've missed!

Also, be sure to check in here!

Thanks for coming by!
Eric

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nicely put, Eric.

existentialist said...

hi eric, i really admire your blog, in fact i want to model my after it. i think the two worlds i am caught between are divorcing single mother and eastern orthodox theologian...
did you just use blogger to create this whole thing?