Upside-Down… What?
Why a blog?
Tracking the big-picture storylines of life is a complex task, with clarity most often coming in bits and pieces. I’m an external processor, and while I’ve loved journaling for over a decade, I’ve always wished for a better way to record and organize my thoughts in a more systematic way. Posting publicly, I do of course also hope that my musings can be of value to those that tune into the journey.
And, who are you?
Oh, right – hey! I’m Alex, a guy who likes to wonder and write. A few years ago I had the privilege to complete an advanced degree in Ministry Leadership & Biblical Studies, and while the program taught me some neat things, more than anything it revealed to me the depths of what I don’t know. Coming to terms with a need for continual humility, I’ve attempted to adopt a mentality of truly lifelong learning. Sometimes that’s in a classroom, but most of the time it isn’t. Most often it just comes through reading, listening, conversing, and writing.
Are you Upside-Down?
Well, if that answers your question, I’m currently sitting upright a chair. Oh, that’s not what you meant? You were asking about the blog name..? Right. Yeah. That makes a lot more sense, actually. Oops.
I’ll start here: “Christian” is an identifier that many have adopted. Of those who choose to bear the title, however, I’ve found that many ascribe to noticeably different systems and expressions of belief. What does being a Christian really mean? Are there absolute answers to that question? Does Jesus (the source of the title!) have anything to say about what it should mean? Reading the gospels, I think he does, and in this blog I’ll use the descriptor “Upside-Down” to try and characterize the type of follower that Jesus affirms as worthy of him. I don’t expect it to be simple task – I even expect to get some things wrong – but bit by bit and layer by layer I look forward to seeing what truth we can uncover.
