Anonymous

For many of you in the blogosphere, you have probably received a blog comment from "Anonymous". This "everyman" or "everywoman" often challenges a thought or a post you have and does so in a very unloving and uncaring way. And this isn't one person only. There are many "anonymous" commentors on the prowl. I often have deleted these comments because they simply attack with apocalyptic jargon and provide very little as far as helpful conversation. But lately, these have popped up on my blog more frequently.

Therefore, I must have said and/or commented about something that "anonymous" doesn't like. I am sorry and not sorry about that. You see, we are all on a spiritual journey. Blogging is a kind of spiritual journaling for me. I hope to look back and reminisce on the CD's I listened to and shows I was watching. I hope to laugh at silly comments I made or even shake my head in disappointment at the struggles or frustrations I once had. I hope to remember my journey, where I've been and how far I've come- not forget it.

So, this is where I have a problem with "anonymous". For those of us with blogs, we value openness and honesty. We truly want to live an integrity-filled life. Are you that fearful of someone finding out who you are? Posting as anonymous feels like you are lurking in the shadows waiting to devour someone. Its hard to have a conversation with a faceless, nameless scathing statement. Jesus was about relationships with people. Real people. This lurking in the dark seems to ring with a passage about a certain lion if I recall correctly . . . .

Also, "anonymous", I pray you spend half as much time out saving the lost (I use the term "lost" here meaning those who have not heard the Christian story at all) as you do reading people's blogs, judging them, and then writing vengeance on them. As I look though scripture, I see that we are to live and act and speak like Jesus. I firmly believe Jesus wouldn't say the things you have said to me or the other bloggers out there. The only times we see Jesus speaking judgment toward anyone is toward the religious leaders of his day who were dogmatic and legalistic in their faith. To those who were withholding grace or changing money in the temple, Jesus had a harsh response. I pray that God would grant you peace from whatever troubles you and that Satan would lose his foothold of anger in your heart. And that He would give you a spirit of grace.

Bottom line. Are you acting like him? Are you speaking like him? Are you loving like him? I'm sorry "anonymous", but you don't sound like Jesus when you leave those posts, you sound like a religious leader. Now, I am not perfect myself. As I said before, I am on a journey myself. There will be slip-ups and blunders. I don't claim to be Perfect, but I do claim to be a student of His. I don't have time to watchdog over others. I have to work on myself and spend the rest of the time to "win as many as possible". I pray that Jesus softens your heart, and that he will conform you more and more into the likeness of Him. And finally, that he fills us both with forgiveness and compassion.

- chris