If it seems like I’m spending less time here it’s because (1) I am busy and (2) I am consciously trying to spend more time engaging with bloggers beyond my “social network” bubble. You see, I can’t help reflecting on the itinerate lifestyle of Jesus. Consider how Mark records it:
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
In effect, if I want to be more Christ-like as a blogger, the last thing I should be doing is waiting for everyone to come to me. That’s not to say home bases are bad. Jesus had Caperneum. But it does strongly suggest we should not become too attached to them.
Curious Christian 
Don’t feel too compelled to “blow” the bubble, Matt.
Capernaum was called a “crossroads” that many people passed through, so it wasn’t that people had to come, but more that people called in while passing through!
Matthew 4:12
[ Teaching and Healing ]… he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This move completed Isaiah’s sermon: Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, road to the sea, over Jordan, Galilee, crossroads for the nations. People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
(The Message bible)
Sometimes it’s about coming and sometimes it’s about going. However, I do admire your commitment to emulate the beautiful and wise Christ, even in the blogosphere 🙂
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Ah, but coming and going is to blow the bubble!
And there is also a power issue here, of which I am conscious. With the traffic I get it would be easy to let everyone come to me, or somewhat more broadly, me and my immediate friends. I could have plenty of conversations without ever moving beyond home turf. But Jesus taught the value of empowerment over domination and meeting others where they are at and not just letting them meet me where I am at. So, I’ll still be spending time in Caperneum, but I’ll also be meeting women by the well in Samaria.
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I like the spirit of this message,it reminds me of what the bible talks about in terms of being given the quickness when the Holy Spirit is upon us,thanks for the write up.
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like this Matt, but glad you are blogging again, as I have finally finished my Masters I am slowly re-emerging into conversations in blog-land, so hope to hear more from you 🙂
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Thanks. I’ve been doing a lot of reading, relaxing on holidays and reassessing where I’m at.
Lately I’ve felt burnt out mission wise, and that’s prompted me to reflect on (1) where my expectations were unrealistic (2) where maybe they were realistic but not supported enough by prayer, (3) where maybe I’ve been too distracted by local church responsibilities and forgotten my first love. Maybe its a midlife kinda thing. The reality hasn’t quite matched the dream and now I have to get my bearings by looking back and forward.
In the process what has come to the foreground is a need to focus on virtue, particularly in the context of life transformation and everyday witness.
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