The Speech I Won’t Be Giving This Weekend (Part Two Of Four)

Picking up where I left off the other day:

The second tenet of the blogging evangel is this: Blog from and for the heart, not the bank account. This should be quite self-explanatory.  And yet so many among us miss it.

Blogging for the bank account isn’t always about posting for pennies.  It also takes the form of blogging not as a means of communication, but rather attempting to assert the self-created image of oneself as being someone.  In this case, the level of “someone” one wishes to be is measured not in deed, or so much as quality of word, but rather by how great is the audience for said word.  Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.”  Today we say, “I am racking ‘em up on Sitemeter, therefore I am the alpha dog.”  One barking furiously at the caravan as it passes by.

Blogging, when it first came into vogue, was a means for individuals who otherwise would have remained forever unknown to the world at large to share their thoughts, observations and feelings on any given topic.  It was to be the great equalizer; the vessel through which all could come together on a level field for consideration based neither on social rank nor traditional media’s designation of who was and wasn’t worthy.  Rather, it would be on quality alone.  There was to be a new spirit of camaraderie and cooperation fused with an active dismissal of elitism.  We would be the living embodiment of strength in diversity.

Boy, were we full of it.

My late father oft repeated a saying that as I recall went, “Where the Vanderbilts speak only to the Rockerfellers, and the Rockerfellers speak only to themselves.”  That is today’s blogosphere.  We do not cooperate.  We only compete.  We do not support each other.  We snark and snarl.  There is no communion.  Only condemnation.  We acknowledge each other only when it gets us somewhere.  And the higher up the totem pole you are, the more dismissive you are of those you believe to be beneath you.

When did the original ideal behind what we do go away?  When did we decide our hobby should be our salary?  Where did the notion come from that we should imitate those we claim to be the antithesis of by classifying, stratifying and ossifying each other based on who does the best job of pandering to the crowd?

This is especially odious for those of us who claim the status of believer.  Or at least, it ought to be.  Have we forgotten the admonition of Christ when He said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you?”  If you are a Christian and a popular blogger, it’s almost guaranteed you’re doing something very, very wrong.  There are many ways to become a hit on the Internet.  Preaching the Gospel isn’t one of them.  Porn, yes.  Christ crucified and risen?  Not so much.

Do we keep in our minds and hearts the next thing Jesus said?  “Love your enemies.“  Loving your enemy takes two forms.  First, you love them enough and care for them enough to tell them the truth about Christ no matter how it is received.  Second, and equally as important, you treat them like you yourself would like to be treated.  You might be surprised at what happens.  For example, although I in no way consider Maryscott O’Connor an enemy, she and I have approximately seven levels lower than zero in common with each other politically.  Yet we each have a link on our blog to the other person’s blog.  Why?  Because somewhere along the road, she and I talked to each other via e-mail like human beings ought to talk to each other.  Meaning, in case you missed it, we answered each others e-mail.

Which leads to the next tenet.

More tomorrow.