Re: [TruthTalk] Fw: Goodbye, and thanks for all the ichthys

[knpraise]

Amen and thank you. 

 

John

 

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Lance Muir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Debbie Sawczak

To: 'Lance Muir'

Sent: March 24, 2006 21:02

Subject: Goodbye, and thanks for all the ichthys

I was afraid this was too long, but David's leisurely post has given me courage to blather a little, like the parting guest who suddenly becomes talkative in the doorway.

 

I’m glad for the time I spent on TT, even though I left. I did learn stuff, especially early on as I encountered some ideas for the first time; certain posts, especially at the beginning, opened windows for me. Even some of the more plodding discussions were an occasion for clarifying my own thinking or, alternatively, fuzzifying it if it was a little too sharp! And that may have been the best benefit of TT.

 

I remember being surprised at the very beginning by the aggressiveness—a newish thing for me among believers even though I’ve moved in a wide variety of Christian circles. The exposure wasn’t all bad--it made me a bit more assertive and thicker-skinned, and forced me to recognize how easily I can be provoked to snarkiness myself. But I often felt sad after an exchange. Sometimes, on the other hand, I was completely taken aback by the generosity and affirmation in people's responses. So I hope that if the experience has made me less naive about the behaviour of Christians, it hasn't gone so far as to make me cynical. I still think I might have misunderstood the culture of TT...I'm not very astute that way.   < /FONT>

 

I’ve seen something of the serious limitations of e-mail, and yet I feel like I’ve met real people. I found every character on TT interesting and memorable, and enjoyed the different ‘flavours’ and the occasional anecdotal glimpses into people’s lives. I'd love to meet you all face to face. In the eschaton if not before!

 

Thank you, Lance, for introducing me to TT and encouraging me to participate--an act so beautifully typical of you. But I especially want to thank David: you relentlessly engaged everybody, no matter how intractable, and even at your crazy-makingest you had the best manners of all--or at least made the best show of manners! J To me, the act of keeping this forum so wide open as long as you did, and the latitude you have given people to be themselves, show a broadness above and beyond your words that commands my respect.

 

Just to irritate some of you, I was going to finish with an excerpt quoting Bonhoeffer on how we reflect Christ to each other, from the chapter I've just finished working on in Victor's book. Instead, here's something less lofty, which for me is a kind of parable for TT:

 

I'm watching my husband gently heave our sleeping youngest son up from the living room couch where he has repaired in frustration at his brother's endless, irritating snores. He had taken his pillow and blankets there after incrementally severe degrees of poking and bedshaking had failed to correct his brother's breathing. But now he falls forward into his dad's arms, willingly allows himself to be moved, and wakes up as he is conducted by hands on his shoulders back to his own bed. He crawls in beneath the bunk of his brother who snores impenitently on, and sett les back to sleep. This is repeated two or three times a week, but is always forgotten in the morning, and neither brother will tolerate talk of separate bedrooms.

 

Open hands, everybody, and Jude 24 & 25.

 

Love

Debbie

 

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