Apr 9

Apr 9 Because...

My name is Michael, and I am an avid (amature, wannabe) theologian.

If this first sentence reads like a confession to you that's because, in part, it is. A brief conversation with my wife, colleagues or close friends will reveal to you that I like to pretend like I know what I'm talking about when it comes to matters of God, faith and the Bible! A brief conversation with me will reveal to you that I like long words, the sound of my own voice, and (above all) trying to convince people that they should think the way i do.

But... and thankfully there is a but, because without this "but" this blog would be a lot more self indulgent and a lot less worth reading... I'm also a youth worker. This means i get to spend a lot of my time with young people.

You often hear people who work with young people say the phrase

"Young people are great aren't they? I learn more from them then they learn from me."

In the past I have been guilty of using this sentence but not really believing it. However, I'm starting to realise that this phrase is more truthful than I've previously given it credit for. Young people are great! They are great because they can see through people who don't know what they're talking about. They ignore long words, they stop listening to people when they get bored of their voice, and - in the case of many of the youth I've worked with - they argue everything!

I currently have the privilege of working with some amazing young people who are full of questions, many of which are about things which i like to think i know about. The problem is that when they ask those questions, i realise i might not know as much as i first thought! And when i try to answer them, they point out to me things I'd never thought about, holes in my arguments, floors in my thinking. Because of them I'm writing this blog.

Because they are asking me questions and i am being theologically challenged
Because i don't know the answers but I'm wanting to find them:
Because I'm intrigued
Because the young people deserve them
Because - and most importantly - they will lead me deeper in my knowledge of and relationship with God.

So this blog will blog the on going journey of my theological development through discussions with the young people, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the various writers and resources at my disposal and you - the reader. Please feel free to comment, challenge, question, argue, reflect, agree, disagree, recommend reading or anything else that might add to the discussion.

Because that's the point.