'Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.'
- Think Different at Wikipedia
Lately i have been getting a bit more visibility because of starting Queermergent back in January. A lot has been a great and joyous experience with much love and support. Yet, not all has been as positive because many very conservative Christian right wingers have been brutal in their attacks and criticisms of me and some very dear friends. i just want to clear the air a bit. First, this is my blog and my musings, rants, thoughts are all my own, and where i often process what is going on inside my soul. i do not claim to have life all figured out nor do i try to change minds. What i like to do is process my inner conversations here on my blog. i may say something today and change my mind tomorrow, next week, next year, five years from now, and so on. Or i may not change my mind on something. That's my prerogative. What i do attempt to do is challenge all of us, including myself, to think differently and to be open minded. Second, i do not represent or speak for the emerging church and/or Emergent Village. The views, opinions, thoughts, rants, musings, etc. represented here at Existential Punk are my own except where referenced by a link.
Caryn Solly, an atheist who attends Jay Bakker's Revolution Church in NYC, has this to say about being open-minded that really challenged me:
However, this is not what open-minded means. To be open-minded is to free yourself from yourself. Are you open to changing your mind? Are you willing to let in new ideas and weigh them against what you currently think? Are you willing to walk a new path if you find that a new idea has merit? I find a lot of inspiration in science, and the scientific method is a process of open-mindedness. Scientists draw conclusions from data, not the other way around. This is what open-minded means, and to me, it is an essential part of a true spiritual journey, no matter where you started walking.'
i find that i struggle at certain times to be truly open-minded but i aspire to be, and Caryn's comments reminded and challenged me to be even more open to all this. i allow comments on my blog that disagree with me and i think a lot about what people say to me, hard or easy. What i really struggle with are those people who focus on what they believe to be wrong, un-Biblical beliefs of others, criticize those beliefs, and never focus on their own lives, what they believe in or what they might be experiencing in their own faith journeys. They rather judge others and deflect from themselves. In other words, they care only about looking at the speck in the eyes of others rather than focusing on the planks in their own eyes. We all have issues but what i find maddening is when people have an answer at every turn and don't really listen to others. This happens on both the left and the right, liberal and conservative and all the places in between. We are human and no one is immune. Yet, those who have an answer for everything and can't admit they could be wrong drive me crazy!
i am not out to convert people to my way of thinking. i do have opinions and certain beliefs. i could be wrong about many things, but i live my life as authentically as i can. i am really a lot like the definition of Apple's 'Think Different' campaign! My detractors can vilify me, disagree with me, quote me, but you will never silence me. i want to be about pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and help to push the human race forward with the help of the Divine rupturing my soul. So, i challenge ALL of us to THINK DIFFERENT!
Shalom!
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